PILOT KILLED
CRASH IN STREET
FOUR CIVILIANS INJURED
(P.A.) GORE, this day. An accident occurred in the main street of Gore at 10.40 this morning, when an air force plane crashed in the street, resulting in the pilot being killed, and several civilians injured.
The machine was taking part in an Emergency Precautions Service exercise.
Four persons standing on the road were hit by the wings as the plane swept along the street, and suffered serious injuries.
A Press Association message states that it was officially announced that the sole occupant of the plane was: Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomas Coldham.
His father is Mr. George Stewart Coldham. 4, Tawera Road, Green Lane, Auckland.
The official report states that four civilians were injured, but not seriously. -Auckland Star, 11/6/1942.
GORE PLANE CRASH
SOME FORTUNATE ESCAPES
(P.A.) INVERCARGILL, June 11.
Two of the people injured by the crashing Royal New Zealand Air Force plane at Gore this morning are in a serious condition. These are: —
June McKenzie, shop assistant, Gore, serious head injuries; father, Mr. J. C. McKenzie, Riversdale.
John Leslie Anderson, railway engine driver, William Street, Gore, bad scalp wound and concussion.
The other two people injured were: —
Ronald Hill, shop assistant, Gore, fractured leg and shock; father, Mr. R. S. Hill, Broughton Street, Gore.
Leonard Frank Shave, shop assistant, Broughton Street, Gore, scalp wounds, condition not serious.
The plane crashed during E.P.S. cooperation exercises. A big crowd had gathered to witness the exercises, and when the accident occurred the main street was lined with people. The machine struck the ground at the Irk Street intersection. It slewed to one side after the impact, swept on down the west side of the main street, crashed into a car, and then came to rest against a lorry at the Mersey Street intersection. The pilot, who was gravely injured, was pulled from the cockpit by a constable.
Three of the injured persons, Miss McKenzie and Messrs. Anderson and Shave, were standing just south of Irk Street; when the crash occurred Further down the street, Mr. Hill was struck by a wing of the plane.
Members of the various medical and ambulance units were quickly on the scene and gave first aid to the injured. The injured were removed to hospital; but the pilot, Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomas Coldham, died before the hospital was reached.
The driver of a car, Mr. B. N. Smith, a mail carrier, had a very lucky escape from injury. The plane struck his car almost head-on, and bounced over it, coming to rest against a truck owned by Gore Rialto, Ltd. The truck was driven by Mr. B. Windle. The car was badly damaged, and slight damage was done to the truck. Neither Mr. Smith nor Mr. Windle was injured. -Evening Post, 12/6/1942.
GORE AIR ACCIDENT
ADDITIONAL DETAILS
PROMPT ACTION BY CONSTABLE
Additional details of the sensational air crash at Gore on Thursday, in which a pilot officer of the Royal New Zealand Air Force was killed and several civilians received serious injuries, are published by the Mataura Ensign. The plane which crashed had visited Gore to co-operate in an Emergency Precautions Service exercise, the paper says, but it was late in arriving over the town. As a consequence, the dispersal test had been completed, and hundreds of people had returned to the streets. The tragedy occurred within full view of a large crowd along both sides of the road.
Crash in Street
The plane came down in the middle of Main street at the Irk street intersection, and it was here that most of the civilian casualties occurred. As it struck the ground it slewed towards the west side of the street, narrowly missing cars in the centre parking area, and bounced and skidded along the road for a distance of 100 yards before crashing into a car and a lorry at the Mersey street intersection. Great presence of mind was shown by Constable E. W. Fibbes, who was on duty at the time, in removing the sole occupant of the plane, Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomas Coldham, of Auckland, from the wreck. The prompt action of Constable Fibbes earned the highest commendation of those who saw the incident.
It was seen when the ptlot was transferred to a place of safety that he was gravely injured, and steps were immediately taken to render first aid. The injured man was placed in an emergency ambulance, but he succumbed before reaching hospital. In the meantime volunteers were quickly on the spot with first aid equipment and comforts to assist the injured civilians. Three of the persons injured — Miss McKenzie and Messrs Shave and Anderson — were standing in front of the premises of Messrs H. and J. Smith, Ltd., and the fourth, Ronald Hill, who was struck by a wing of the plane, was a few yards further down the street. Members of the medical and ambulance units attended to the injured and made them as comfortable as possible until they could he removed to hospital.
Car Driver's Experience
The driver of the car, Mr Bert Smith, went through an unnerving experience. The vehicle he was driving, a mail car owned by Mr C. Clent, was coming round the intersection as the plane swept up the street. The driver had no possible chance of avoiding a collision, and the plane struck the front of the vehicle on the driver's side and bounced over the top. It then came to rest against a truck, owned by the Gore Rialto and driven by Mr Bryan Windle, which was following the car. Fortunately Mr Windle had time to jump out of the truck, but he narrowly missed being struck by the plane. The car was fairly extensively damaged, but fortunately the windscreen did not break, and the driver escaped injury.
CONDITION OF THE INJURED
It was reported at the Gore Hospital on Friday night that there was no change in the condition of the four persons injured in the air accident at Gore on Thursday.
The condition of Miss June McKenzie, who suffered head injuries, Ronald Hill, who received a broken leg and is suffering from shock, and Leslie Anderson, who suffered scalp wounds and concussion, is still serious. It was reported that Frank Shave, who received scalp wounds, was improving.
Pilot Officer G. T. Coldham, the occupant of the plane, who was aged 20, was an old boy of the Cornwall Park and Mount Albert Grammar Schools, and at the time of his enlistment in May, 1941, was an engineering student at the Auckland University College. After training in New Zealand he was commissioned on gaining his wings in October and later served as an instructor at various stations throughout the Dominion. In recent months he had been engaged in co-operational work with the army. As secretary of the University Lawn Tennis Club, he was prominent in lawn tennis circles in Auckland. He also played Rugby football with the- University colts' team, and while at the Grammar School he was a member of the hockey eleven. -Otago Daily Times, 15/6/1942.
DEATHS
COLDHAM. — On June 11. 1942 (the result of flying accident at Gore). Pilot Officer Jeoffrey Thomas, R.N.Z.A.F., dearly loved second son of George and Hilda Coldham, of 4 Tawera Road, Green Lane, and loved brother of Richard, Madeline and Raymond; aged 20 years. A service will be held at the above address at 2 p.m. to-morrow (Tuesday), funeral then leaving for Waikaraka Park Cemetery. -Auckland Star, 15/6/1942.
AIR VICTIM'S BURIAL
A guard of honour was formed yesterday afternoon at the funeral of an ex-pupil, Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomas Coldham, by about 500 pupils of the Mount Albert Grammar School. Pilot Officer Coldham was killed in a flying accident at Gore on June 11. The boys lined the street at the residence in Tawera Road, Green Lane, as the coffin, draped with the Air Force flag, was carried out by a pilot crew of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The Rev. F. I. Parsons conducted the burial at Waikaraka. Also present were representatives of the Old Boys' Association, headed by the president, Mr. D. Sumner, and the staff of the Mount Albert Grammar School, where Pilot Officer Coldham's father is a master. -Auckland Star, 17/6/1942.
PLANE CRASH IN STREET
EVIDENCE AT INQUEST
(P.S.S.) INVERCARGILL, July 24. A verdict that the pilot of the R.N.Z.A.F. aeroplane which crashed in Main street, Gore, on June 11, Pilot Officer Geoffrey Thomas Coldham, died from an injury to the brain accompanying a fracture of the base of the skull was returned by the district coroner, Mr A. T. Newman, at an inquest into Pilot Officer Coldham’s death held at Gore.
Flight Lieutenant Melvin Roland Greenslade, who is attached to an R.N.Z.A.F. station, said that Pilot Officer Coldham was a flying instructor with considerable flying experience. On June 11 he was instructed to proceed to Gore for the purpose of co-operating in an E.P.S. dispersal trial. Coldham was an experienced officer and would be conversant with, the risks attached to low flying. He was a man in excellent physical condition and in good health. The Air Force had co-operated with other towns in a similar way during similar trials. The usual procedure was to fly low over the area, but not to take any unnecessary risks. They would thus demonstrate to the public the effect of low flying enemy aeroplanes machine-gunning the civilian population and the effect on morale. Coldham was considered capable of carrying out these duties.
Dr. J. M. Watters said he had examined Coldham at the scene of the crash. He was suffering from fractures of the upper and lower jaws and of the base of the skull. In his opinion death was due to injury to the brain accompanying the fracture of the base of the skull. Coldham was deeply unconscious when the witness examined him, and he died before admission to hospital.
Constable E. W. Fibbes said that the aeroplane struck the road surface with the wheels. It then bounced for a distance of 119 feet and landed on the street surface again. It then skidded for about 120 feet and collided with a motor-car driven by Mr B. N. Smith. It skidded for another 35 feet until it struck a motor-truck which was parked on the side of the street and came to rest on the west side of Main street. “I tried to get the pilot from the aeroplane,” the witness said, “and after some difficulty succeeded. The pilot was then unconscious. He appeared to have received very severe head injuries.”
Leslie Osborne Wallis gave evidence of seeing the crash and of being struck by something which caused a slight wound. Thomas Charted Yates also gave evidence.
The coroner and Flight Lieutenant Greenslade both commended the action of Constable Fibbes in extricating the pilot from the aeroplane. -Press, 25/2/1942.
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