NEW ZEALANDER'S FATE.

Otago Witness, Issue 3040, 19 June 1912, Page 60

NEW ZEALANDER'S FATE.

AVIATOR'S LAST JOURNEY. In April last the cable messages described how a Mr Allen, in attempting to make a flight in an aeroplane from Hendon (London) to Dublin, had set out from Chester to cross the Irish Channel, and had not been seen after passing Holyhead on April 18. It now apnears that Mr Allen was a Now Zealander —Mr Darner Leslie Allen, a son of the late Dr Allen, of Napier. He was born at Limerick in 1875, and was educated at the Bluecoat School. He came to New. Zealand in

1894, godng to a Hawke's Ray % sheep run as cadet, and afterwards to the mines at Waihi. While there his engineering abilities procured him a good appointment in Messrs Fraser's workshops in Auckand. He was fond of cycling, and became; fourth amateur rider for New Zealand, i He left Auckland as a third engineer, j travelling to London, and stayed at sea I five years till he had secured his chief's certificate, and also the Board of Trade's certificate. He made an engineering tour through the East with the object of in- ! troducing refrigerating machinery into the navies there, and in this he was most sucessfuJ. He was entertained by the Chinese Admirals, also by Admiral. Togo in Japan, and obtained access into dockyards by their courtesy. On returning to Europe, Mr Allen met relatives in Rangoon, and won the polo cup and other steeplechases there. Being fond of horse racing, he was afterward nominated as a gentleman rider in Ire- , land by the Marquis of WaterfonJ. Irui 1909 he married a daughter of Mr James Croomes Allen, a London banker, and entered into partnership with Mr A. J. Maginnis as consulting engineer. In De- j oember, 1911, he obtained his pilot certi- I ficate from the Royal Aero Club. His greatest wish was to fly the Irish Channel to his native land. He left Hendon on April 17, reaching Chester that evening, accomplishing the 170 miles in under three hours. On the next morning he left Chester, . and was last seen by Captain Vincent, of the Donald Currie liner Zealand, flying over his steamer from Holyhead for Ireland. His little daughter survives him in London, and in New Zealand are his miother and two unma-rried sisters in Hawke's Bay. three married sisters, Mrs H. L. Shield, -Mrs Kinross White, and Mrs E. P. Holt (Cane Runaway), and hi 6 only brother, Mr J. IT. Allen, who was for some years a well-known gentleman rider in New Zealand.