DEATH OF AIRMEN

Waikato Times, Volume 132, Issue 22152, 25 September 1943, Page 4

DEATH OF AIRMEN

VERDICT AT INQUESTS PLANES FAILED TO RETURN (By TeleirrapTi—Press Association) WELLINGTON, Saturday The coroner, Mr W. G. Mellish, said at the inquests held at Wellington yesterday into the death of a number of Royal New Zealand Air Force personnel who lost their lives on operations in or off New Zealand that UTe whole evidence had been submitted to the Attorney-General, who had authorised the holding of inquests. In each case the verdict was one of death through the loss of aircraft \ which the men concerned were members of the crew. A summary in each case is as follows:—Donald Hugh McKenzie and Jack Trevor Villers took off from a South Island air station at 7 a.m. on January 21, 1942, on a flight to Lake Grassmere. Miss Rutland, of Cape Campbell, hear a loud engine roar followed by an explosion in the direction of the sea about 8 a.m. Flying-Officer Harry Kinder and Flying-Officer Charles Neville Turnbull and Sergeant Nepia Stewart took off in a plane at 2.22 p.m. on August 12, 1942, to search for an unidentified merchant ship reported off the East Coast and were expected back at 5.30 p.m. The last signal from the plane was afa.44 p.m. Selwyn Allen Sinclair took off from a South Island air station on May 29, 1941, for Otaki and was never heard of again. Leading-Aircraftman John Ronald Orbell failed to return from a flight from a South Island air station on August 1, 1942.