Business Notices.
NOTICE OF PARTNERSHIP.
MR. EDWARD HAYDOCK, Who recently resigned the position of Engineering Workshop Instructor at the Auckland Technical College, begs to announce that he has entered into partnership with MR. WESLEY NEAL SPRAGG, of Mount Albert, and that the new firm has now commenced Business as GENERAL ENGINEERS, PATENT AGENTS, MOTOR CAR IMPORTERS, AND GENERAL INDENTORS AND IMPORTERS Etc. -NZ Herald, 20/3/1915.
Mr Wesley Neal Spragg, son of Mr and Mrs Wesley Spragg, of Mount Albert, left Auckland yesterday for London to join an aviation corps. -NZ Times, 6/10/1915.
AUCKLAND AVIATOR.
NARROW ESCAPE FROM DEATH
Latest advices received by Mr. Wesley Spragg, of Mount Albert, indicate that his son, Lieut. W. Neal Spragg, of the Royal Flying Corps, is now in England recovering rapidly from injuries sustained as the result of a recent accident to an aeroplane which he was piloting from Yarmouth to Norwich. On nearing the aerodrome at the end of the journey, the engine of the machine jammed, forcing the propeller off, and breaking the rudder control. Fortunately the machine remained upright, and planed uncontrolled to within 50ft of the landing, when its nose dropped, and it dived to earth.
Both Lieutenant Spragg and his observer stood up and jumped clear of it, just at it reached the ground. It was well that they did so, for the impact tore the heavy engine from the frame of the machine, and caused it to crash through both seats. The aeroplane was completely wrecked, while Lieutenant Spragg suffered the loss of some teeth and injuries to his shoulder, necessitating his undergoing hospital treatment for some weeks.
About two months ago a large sighting-plane upon which he was engaged as observer was also destroyed by accident, and he was thrown out of his seat at a height of about 15ft. Cutting his way headfirst through the tail planes, he fell to the ground. Happily, in this case, a steel cap which he was wearing, and doubtless also the breaking of his fall by the tail planes saved him from injury. Notwithstanding these incidents, he is reported to be keen to start his work again.
Lieutenant Spragg was recently at the front, where he was engaged at times over the enemy lines, and where he saw something of the commencement of the allied offensive. -Fielding Star, 16/9/1916.
The description of the first crash mentioned above, would indicate that Spragg and his observer were in a two-seater pusher plane. With the engine behind the crew, these were notorious for killing their crews in exactly the way described and the men were probably prepared to do what they did when it seemed a crash was imminent.
Reference was published recently to the thrilling escape experienced by Lieutenant W. Neal Spragg, when flying in the Old Country. The Aucklander has since been promoted to a first-lieutenancy in the Aviation Corps, and has been sent to Hythe School of Musketry as an instructor in aerial gunnery. Lieutenant Spragg, who has made rapid progress in the aviation service, is the only son of Mr Wesley Spragg of Auckland, and a brother of Mrs Fergus Gumming, of Gisborne. -Poverty Bay Herald, 20/9/1916.
In the course of an, interesting letter, written by Lieutenant Wesley Spragg, of the Royal Flying Corps, to his parents in Auckland, he states that he was just hack from France, where he had been delivering a new machine, and demonstrating a new gun which reduces the recoil to a minimum. This is very important in aero work. The machine was named the ''Maori;'' and was evidently presented by New Zealand. After an uneventful trip to Farnborough, where he stayed the night, he started at 5.30 next morning for St Omer. At Folkestone he was lost in a thunderstorm, the compass spinning like a top. After about a, quarter of an hour he gave up trying to cross the Channel, and put the machine's nose down, watching the aneroid dropping from 12,000ft to 1200ft. Then suddenly the clouds broke away, and below he could see the open country and the white cliffs on the coast. In the best R.F.C. style, he picked out the largest country house and dived for the cow paddock, landing well in the middle without a bump. He taxied the machine under some big chestnut trees, and got out to meet the inhabitants, who were streaming down to see the sight in dressing gowns and slippers. Some special constables turned up, and leaving them in charge he went off to breakfast. Subsequently he enquired as to whose place he was in and was not prepared for the shock that he received when he learned that it was General Henderson's, one of the highest officers in the Royal Flying Corps. The general was much interested in the new gun, which he had only seen in its experimental stage. He thought it a huge joke when told that his house looked the best breakfasting place from 1200ft above. About 11 o'clock the mist lifted, and the writer got away, landing in St Omer without adventure. This made the eighth machine he had landed in France. Subsequent advice states that Lieutenant Spragg had been promoted to first-lieutenant and gunnery instructor at Hythe, Kent. He mentions that he had been called out to try a new machine carrying one man, a machine gun, searchlight, and a 250 horsepower engine. It was capable of doing a little over two miles in 60 seconds and climbs two miles high in 12 minutes. -Poverty Bay Herald, 7/12/1916.
On New Year's Eve, 1917, Wesley and another aviator, Arthur Upham, attended a celebration at the NZ convalescent hospital at Heliopolis, near Cairo. Taking off, they flew over the hospital to wish everyone a happy new year. Hospital staff and patients witnessed the port wings of the biplane fail and the machine drop to earth. Wesley jumped or was thrown out of the plane. He died of a head injury and Upham survived the crash, suffering a broken nose and shoulder.
ROLL OF HONOUR.
CAREERS OF THE FALLEN.
LIEUT. WESLEY N. SPRAGG, R.F.C.
Information has been received by Mr. and Mrs. Wesley Spragg, of Mount Albert, that their only son, Flight-Lieut. Wesley Neal Spragg, was killed in action in Egypt on January 1. Deceased left Auckland for London on October 5, 1915, and there joined the Royal Flying Corps, being appointed a flight-lieutenant. Later he was employed as aeroplane-machine-gun instructor, in which he was recognised as an expert. The cable received furnishes no details as to the sad occurrence. This adds one more to the roll of King's College, Remuera, of old pupils who have given their lives for the Empire. Lieutenant Spragg, prior to the war, was a partner in the firm of Haydock and Spragg, motor engineers, of Auckland. -Auckland Star, 11/1/1918.
GIFTS TO THE CITY.
PARK ON THE MANUKAU.
CHILDREN'S PLAYGROUND.
Two fine gifts to the city by prominent citizens were formally accepted by the City Council last evening. One gift was that of a property of 761 acres on the Manukau Harbour, owned by Mr. Wesley Spragg, and the other an offer by Mr. I John Court to construct and equip a playing ground for children at Victoria Park at a cost of £1500. Mr. Spragg's property, known as Kaiteraki Park, adjoins the western boundary of Cornwallis Park, which was bequeathed to the city by the late Mr. J. McLachlan. The gift is to serve as an enduring memorial of Mr. Spragg's son, Lieutenant Wesley Neal Spragg, of the Royal Flying Corps, who was killed in action on January 1, 1918. The terms of the gift provide that the donor may erect on the property at some point of his own choice a suitable monument to his son, which will be kept and maintained by the city authorities, and in the event of it being destroyed restored in similar form and in the same position as originally selected for it. It is also provided that the monument shall have unobstructed faces to all waterfronts and aspects. Resolutions conveying the council's deep appreciation of both gifts were passed by the council. -NZ Herald, 29/11/1918.
Symonds Street Cemetery, Auckland.
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