FATAL MISHAP

Wairarapa Times-Age, 19 June 1942, Page 4

FATAL MISHAP

DEATHS OF THREE SOLDIERS AT RANGITUMAU BREN CARRIER ACCIDENT. EVIDENCE AND FINDING AT INQUEST. The inquest concerning the deaths of three Territorials—Corporal T. B. Kilmister and Privates G. Ferguson and T. R. McKenzie was resumed in Masterton this afternoon, before the District Coroner, Mr L. J. Taylor. The accident occurred last Monday afternoon. ..: • The Coroner returned a verdict of accidental death while the men were carrying out their military duties. No blame was attachable to anyone. He extended the sympathy of the Court to the relatives of the deceased. Second Lieutenant Leslie Peters, who was in charge of the platoon carrying out exercises on Mr D. James's property. Rangitumau. said that in his opinion the country was quite good for the carriers to negotiate and similar terrain had been traversed by the same crew on many occasions. From the marks on the hillside, which was one of three different grades, it appeared to him. he said, that the driver, having successfully negotiated the first and second steepest grade, suddenly decided to swing the carrier to the right to avoid the third and most steep grade. Alternatively, he might have endeavoured to swing to the right in an effort to avoid a small tree which was directly in his line of travel. As the carrier swung to the right, its left track slipped off the ledge and caused it to capsize. In the presence of a party comprising the Coroner, certain officers and a constable, the carrier was tested at the scene of the accident and proved to be mechanically sound. Witness said that the carrier was in second gear when it was examined after the accident. In his opinion the carrier could be taken down the slope in question quite properly in that gear. The driver, McKenzie, had had 21 months’ training under witness. McKenzie ranked as one of his best drivers. Private James Sidney Morgan said that on the morning after the accident he drove the carrier involved in the accident and found that the right brake was grabbing slightly. This caused the carrier to turn to the right when the footbrake was applied, but did not affect the normal steering. He added that the fall down the bank might have affected the brakes of the carrier. Lance-Corporal Rodney Charles Dunford, said that on the morning of June 13. it was reported to him that the brakes of the carrier concerned in the accident were slack and he thereupon adjusted them. After the brakes had been adjusted Corporal Kilmister took charge of the carrier. A specialist in the training of a carrier platoon, Sergeant Isaac Edward Owsley, of the instructional staff, said he had examined the marks on the hillside and in his opinion Corporal Kilmister, who was in charge of the carrier, had mistaken the path that he should have followed to return to where another carrier was .stuck in a creek. After coming over the edge of the hill with a little more speed than he should have used with the type of hill, the driver attempted to turn and, locking his right-hand track, caused the carrier to swing and skid down the hill sideways. The left-hand track dropped over- a ledge of about .18 inches to two feet and tipped the carrier, which rolled until it struck a tree. On the morning of June 16, witness said, he removed the carrier- from against the tree and found that, despite its mishap, it was still in sufficiently good order to be driven across country and back to the camp. The type of country in which the exercises were being carried out was quite suitable for this type of carrier and he was of the opinion that had the carrier continued on its course, instead of attempting a turn, the accident would not have happened. He considered the crews of the carriers were quite capable of handling them satisfactorily. Captain Arthur Bereford Sturtevant, Field Ambulance, testified to the injuries received by the deceased. In each case death would be practically instantaneous. Private Raymond Stanley Busch also gave evidence. Constable F. L. Diggle testified to visiting the scene of the accident and taking measurements of the tracks left by the tractor. At the end of the first grade there was what amounted to a small bank of about three feet at a grade of about one in one and it appeared that the carrier, as it slewed to the right, passed its left track over this bank and overturned.