Frank Alexander Hall, (1911-12/12/1932). "a sober young man"

 FATAL COLLISION 

MOTOR CYCLIST KILLED. 

(Per United Press Association.) TIMARU, December 14.

As the result of a collision in Evans street, late last night, between a motor cyclist and a lorry, the rider of the cycle, Frank Alexander Hall, aged 21, of Timaru, lost his life. No one witnessed the accident. The cycle took fire, deceased's clothes becoming alight, whilst the contents of the lorry also suffered. The blaze was extinguished by the fire brigade.  -Otago Daily Times, 14/12/1932.

DEATH OF MOTOR CYCLIST

CORONER’S COMMENT AT OPENING OF INQUEST. 

“MOTOR ACCIDENTS FAR TOO FREQUENT.” 

“I am sure that everyone will sympathise with relatives, especially the mother and father,” said the Coroner (Mr A. L. Gee), in opening the inquest yesterday afternoon into the circumstances surrounding the death of Frank Alexander Hall, aged 21, who was killed on Tuesday night, when the motor-cycle he was riding came into collision, in Evans Street, with a motor lorry driven by W. Boag. “It is very unfortunate,” continued Mr Gee, “that we are called on to hold inquests on motor accidents, which are far too frequent. We don’t know yet what is the cause in this case, but there is no doubt that motor accidents are far too frequent both here and in other parts of New Zealand.” 

Sergeant Hodgson conducted proceedings for the police, and Mr W. H. Walton appeared for relatives of deceased. 

Roy William Hall, electrician, of 4 Baker Street, identified deceased as his brother, who was aged 21 years. Deceased, who was single, followed the occupation of an implement mechanic, and had been accustomed to riding motor-cycles over a period of five years. He had owned for about a month the motor-cycle on which he was riding when he met his death. Two years ago last Easter deceased had met with a motor accident, suffering a bad fracture to the left leg. During tea on Monday night, when witness last saw him, deceased had mentioned that he intended going back to work. He gave no indication when he would finish work or if he intended going anywhere afterwards. Deceased, however, said he expected to meet his employer at 8 p.m. Witness said that his brother enjoyed good health, and to his knowledge had never suffered illness. He was a sober young man.

Mr Walton: “Did the driver of the car, with whom your brother came info collision in the previous accident, accept full responsibility for that accident?” — “Yes, and paid all hospital and other expenses incurred.” 

At the request of Sergeant Hodgson, the inquest was adjourned sue die.  -Timaru Herald, 14/12/1932.

SEQUEL TO MOTOR COLLISION

DEATH OF FRANK A. HALL. 

PREVALENCE OF MOTOR ACCIDENTS. 

“At the opening of this inquest, I expressed regret at the increasing number of motor accidents which occur so frequently in New Zealand,” said Mr A. L. Gee, Coroner, yesterday in returning a verdict that Frank Alexander Hall died at about 10.30 p.m. on December 12th in Evans Street, death being caused by primary shock due to multiple fractures of the skull as the result of a collision between the motor-cycle he was riding and a motor lorry driven by William Boag. “I feel it my duty as a coroner of this Dominion,” continued Mr Gee, “to again call public attention to this grave state of affairs. During last week the newspapers contained accounts of at least four cases of motor cyclists being fatally injured, and two pillion riders being severely injured. On Monday there was this case, on Tuesday or Wednesday there was one in Auckland, and one in Dunedin, and one in Invercargill. I am afraid that my remarks will be passed over lightly by many young men who are riders of motor-cycles, but, while not wishing to reflect on anyone, if by calling public attention to this growing list of fatalities, some of these lads can be induced to exercise greater care my few remarks will not have been in vain."

Sergeant Hodgson conducted the inquiry for the police, and Mr W. H. Walton appeared for relatives of deceased. 

Dr W. R. Fea stated that on the night of December 12th, he was called to the scene of an accident in Evans Street. He found a man lying on his back covered by a sheet. His face was covered with blood, and life was extinct. He examined the body superficially, and discovered burns of the hair, eyebrows, left hand and face. There were lacerated wounds of the upper and lower lips, and bleeding from both ears. Next day, on making a post mortem examination, besides the findings already indicated, he had found that the upper and lower jaws were shattered, mostly on the right side. The fractures were compound, and there were four or five fractures in each jaw, those in the upper jaw extending to the base of the skull. There was haemorrhage into the brain and a slight gravel rash on the back of the right hand. The left leg and hand were burned to the second degree. Death was due to primary shock, caused by multiple fractures of the skull. There were no traces of organic disease or broken limbs. 

Constable A. King said he arrived on the scene of the accident at 10.45 p.m. He saw a man lying on the road, who had been pronounced dead by Dr Fea. Witness then removed the body to the morgue. On searching the body, in the presence of the driver of the van, Mr John McKnight, and a hospital porter, he found among deceased’s personal effects a motor-driver’s license and a small tumbler. The glass had contained liquor. 

To Mr Walton: The position of the body was as described by Dr Fea, lying on the road with the head towards the centre of the road. He was practically the last of the police on the scene, and he had not measured the distance. The body was lying with the feet to the kerb on the left hand side of the road going north. There was no sign of the effects in deceased’s pockets being broken. The watch had stopped at 10.22. 

Mr Walton: “You think the glass contained intoxicating liquor?” — “Yes. I am of that opinion. I smelt it.” He could not swear what class of intoxicating liquor it had contained. 

“Did it occur to you that the smell might have been methylated spirits or petrol?” — “No. it was neither.” 

“Did you note the position of the body when you arrived?” — “No, the lorry had been removed when I arrived.”

William Boag, a carrier operating between Dunedin and Christchurch, gave evidence that he left Dunedin at about 3.40 p.m. with a lorry loaded with goods. The lorry was driven by William Stewart, his driver. Witness was with the driver all the time. It was about 10.27 when they passed the corner of Church Street. Stewart got out of the lorry at the Dominion Motors garage in Stafford Street, and witness took charge, leaving immediately. He drove towards his home on the Main North Road. The load on the lorry was 3 tons 4 cwt., and the unloaded lorry weighed 2 tons 16 cwt. He was travelling at about 15 miles per hour down the hill past Henshaw’s garage. The visibility was good. When passing the store opposite Hobbs Street, he saw a motor-car coming towards town on its correct side, and a motorcycle coming the same way on its wrong side. The car was about 50 yards from witness when he first noticed it, and the cycle was a short distance behind the car. The cycle was travelling well on its wrong side, about a foot from the edge of the bitumen. Seeing that the cyclist persisted on his wrong side, witness thought he intended to turn to the right. Witness inclined towards the centre of the road to allow the cyclist more room to get a run up the hill. He saw the cycle making towards him and witness shouted to the driver of the car, which was passing at the time, to stop. As the cyclist struck the lorry witness swerved to the right so as to throw him clear of the wheels. Witness did not think it necessary to stop when he saw the cyclist coming, for he thought he was going up the hill on the right. Witness could have stopped quite easily. The collision took place about two or three yards to the left of the centre of the road at the intersection. The cyclist changed his course towards his left after passing the intersection, thus coming into a direct line opposite the car. If he had not altered the course of the lorry at all the collision would still have occurred. The lorry had pulled up in 40 feet. Witness had been working since 3 a.m. that day, but had gone to bed between 7 and 8 o’clock the previous night. The lights and brakes were good, the latter having been overhauled a week previously.

To Mr Walton: He had taken the time of arrival at Timaru from the Old Bank Hotel clock. He could not say what speed either the car or the cycle was travelling. The lorry was still travelling about 15 miles per hour. The brakes on the lorry were four-wheeled hydraulic, and if applied hard should pull up in the length of the lorry, about 20ft. He had his foot on the brake coming down the hill past Henshaw’s garage, but eased it off as he changed from third to fourth gear at the foot of the hill. No brakes were on as he approached the store, and he had not applied the brake immediately he saw an accident was inevitable. Had he applied the brake the cyclist would still have run into the lorry. He did not pull up in 20ft because he had driven the lorry to its correct position on the road. He had not been on his wrong side of the road at any time.

George Arthur Campbell said that he was about three chains north of the spot where the accident took place. He saw a car approaching on its correct side, and a motor-cyclist travelling fairly fast overtaking the car on its wrong side. He estimated the speed of the car at between 20 to 25 miles per hour, and the cyclist was going a good deal faster. 

Robert Murdoch Sievwright stated that he was driving a light motor lorry towards town at about 18 to 20 miles per hour. He saw the lorry approaching and heard a motor-cycle coming up behind him. There was about six or seven feet between witness’s lorry and that of Boag, and he thought the cyclist could have got between them. He saw the collision take place about six feet in front of him.

To Mr Walton: He thought Boag was travelling at 20 to 22 miles per hour, and he had no fear as far as passing was concerned. He noticed no deviation in Boag"s course.

Evidence of measurements and the positions of various marks on the road was given by Constables R. Watt and P. Swan, and the coroner then gave his verdict as stated above.  -Timaru Herald, 24/12/1932.

Timaru Cemetery.

17214 Private Derek Basil Gordon Paterson, (29/11/1918-5/7/1942). "a formation of Stukas"

The desert at first was much broken by wadis and escarpments. Anti-tank guns moving on the flanks were frequently out of sight of the rest of the convoy for several minutes at a time. After turning west about Raqabet el Retem the convoy had negotiated an escarpment on to more even going over a stony stretch of open desert when a formation of Stukas bombed the columns of vehicles. As soon as the raid began the convoy halted and men jumped down and lay on their backs to engage the planes. However, the recoil of a rifle on a lightly-clad collar-bone in this unusual type of prone position was sharply felt and after their first shot most men quickly assumed a sort of squatting posture before taking further action. No enemy planes were destroyed but the men felt much better after a few angry if doubtfully aimed shots, which definitely helped to boost morale. The battalion's casualties were one man killed and six wounded. Brigade Headquarters' losses were serious, those killed including the new Brigade Commander, Brigadier John Gray of 18 Battalion, and the Brigade Major, Major Brian Bassett, while a Maori Battalion liaison officer later died of wounds. In the Maori Battalion Captain E. R. Chesterman, an ex-20th officer, was amongst those killed. Altogether the brigade group lost 24 killed and 41 wounded in this raid. Colonel Burrows and the others in his staff car had had a narrow escape when the bombs fell, one passenger, Private Paterson of the intelligence section, being killed.  -Official History of 20 Battalion.

KILLED IN ACTION

Private Derek Paterson 

Private Derek Paterson, younger son of Mrs Paterson and the late Dr. C. A. Paterson, Sefton Street, who has been killed in action, was born at Pleasant Point on November 29, 1918. He was educated at Timaru Boys’ High School, and on completing his education he joined the Timaru Branch of the Bank of New South Wales. At the end of a year he was transferred to Gore, where he remained for six months. He was then stationed on the Bank’s new premises in George Street. Dunedin, where he was serving at the time he enlisted. Private Paterson took a very keen interest in tennis and golf, and while in Timaru was secretary of the Timaru Tennis Club for a year He enjoyed considerable success at golf while residing in Dunedin. 

Private Paterson was of a quiet unassuming disposition, and was extremely popular. His brother. Private Charles Paterson, is a prisoner of war in Germany.  -Timaru Herald, 25/7/1942.

Timaru Cemetery.

7/86 Trooper Daniel Morrison (15/8/1889-28/8/1915) and 28904 Private William Robert (8/11/1889-8/8/1917) McVey. "the bitter graves"

Daniel McVey served with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles and it seems he contracted typhoid while in Egypt, where he died.

William McVey served with the Otago Infantry Regiment and was wounded, with a penetrating gunshot wound to his chest on May 25th, 1917. He was off the Regiment's strength for nearly two months.

On the night of the 3rd (of August) an inter-Company relief was effected, 14th Company relieving 8th Company, and 4th Company (William's) taking over the positions occupied by 10th Company; and as before the two supporting Companies carried out the exhausting work of maintaining supplies of rations and water to the front line garrison. Owing to the low-lying nature of the ground and the difficulties of drainage, the trenches and approaches were in places almost thigh deep in mud and water, all movement calling for the expenditure of a great deal of energy. On the 5th the enemy threw a considerable number of lachrymatory (tear gas) shells over our forward posts during the hours of darkness.  -Official History of the Otago Regiment.

William McVey suffered a gunshot wound to his right thigh on August 5th, from which he died. Their brother, Thomas George McVey, fought in both World Wars and also as a volunteer fighting Franco's fascists in Spain. I published his story in 2020.

ROLL OF HONOUR.

McVEY. — Died of wounds, somewhere in France, on the 8th of August, 1917. William Robert McVey, 18th Reinforcements. 

Also; 

McVEY. — In Egypt, on 28th of August, 1915, Daniel Morrison McVey, (Main Body). Both in their 27th year. 

The Empire's hand has written, upon the scroll of fame; 

They did their duty, fought and died, so honoured be their name.  -Timaru Herald, 28/8/1917.

IN MEMORIAM.

McVEY. — In honoured memory of William Robert McVey, died of wounds in France, on 8th August, 1917; also Daniel Morrison McVey, died of typhoid fever in Egypt, on 28th August, 1915. 

Days of remembrance sad to recall. 

When they whispered adieu to the shores of New Zealand, 

And sailed with their brave-hearted comrades away, 

We cherished the hope, when the war clouds had vanished; 

They'd return to the scenes of their boyhood some day. 

They have made a page in our Island story,

Clothed with honour for all to see; 

Written a record of death and glory. 

Never to fade through eternity. 

And while we stun with cheers our homing braves 

O God, in Thy great mercy, let us nevermore forget 

The graves they left behind — the bitter graves. 

— Service. 

— Inserted by their loved ones.  -Timaru Herald, 8/8/1919.

ROLL OF HONOUR.

McVEY. - A loving tribute to the memory of our dear sons and brothers, Daniel Morrison McVey and William Robert McVey, who gave their lives that we might live in peace, the former on the 28th August, 1915, and the latter on the 8th August, 1917. 

Now peace dawns o’er the country side, 

Our thanks shall be to the lads who died.

Oh, quiet hearts can you hear us tell 

How peace was won by the men who fell.  -Timaru Herald, 8/8/1922.

Timaru Cemetery.

422379 Flight Sergeant Charles Raymond (1/8/1922-11/6/1944) and 414269 Flight Lieutenant George Ivan (13/4/1915-20/4/1943) Ellis. "duty nobly done"

Charles Ellis was trained for the Air Force in New Zealand, Canada and Britain. He was posted to 228 Squadron, flying the four-engined Sunderland flying boat on anti-submarine patrols over the Atlantic Ocean. He and his crew failed to return from a patrol over the Bay of Biscay. German radio reported the next day that two Sunderlands were shot down on June 11.

George Ellis was trained in New Zealand and Britain and flew night bombers over Europe. Graduating from the twin-engined Wellington to the four-engined Stirling he completed 24 missions before his last - to Rostock in Germany.  He and his crew were shot down by a German night fighter over the North Sea, off the coast of Denmark.

ROLL OF HONOUR

ELLlS — Killed on air operations, April 20, 1943. George Ivan, dearly loved third son of Mr and Mrs C. R. Ellis, 11 Andrew St., Timaru, in his 29th year. His Duty Nobly Done.  -Timaru Herald, 22/12/1943.

Timaru Cemetery.

401369 Sergeant Alan William Porteous Bird, (19/11/1918-17/7/1941). "for his friends"

Alan Bird enlisted in the Air Force in June, 1940, and was trained in New Zealand and Britain.  He was posted to 40 Squadron, RAF, flying Wellington bombers. He and his crew were shot down by a German night fighter over Holland. There was one survivor.

ROLL OF HONOUR

BIRD — In memory of Sergeant Pilot Alan William Porteous Bird, R.N.Z.AF., killed in action, overseas. July 16, 1941. 

For his friends, his home, his country.  -Timaru Herald, 16/7/1942.

Timaru Cemetery.

413016 Sergeant Trever Morgan Blakewell, (10/7/1921-14/11/1942). "a great shock"

Trevor Blakewell joined the Air Force in April 1940 and was presented with his Wings in October the following year. He arrived in Britain for further training in early 1942.  On the day of his presumed death he was piloting and Avro Anson on a night training flight out of a Welsh air base. He took off at 1.25am and did not reply to a general recall message sent at 2.50am as a response to deteriorating weather.  He and his four crew were not found.

Sergeant M. Blakemore, of Sutherlands, who has been reported missing.  -Timaru Herald, 7/1/1943.

DEATH PRESUMED

Sergeant Pilot Blakemore 

Sergeant Pilot Trevor Morgan Blakemore, whose death is presumed to have taken place on November 14, 1942, was the fourth son of Mr and Mrs W. H. Blakemore of “Garthowen”, Sutherlands. He received his education at the Pleasant Point District High School, and later commenced duties as a message boy at the Pleasant Point Post Office. He served as a postman, and then as exchange clerk, and was afterwards promoted to the telegraph school in Christchurch. In May, 1941, he Joined the R.N.Z.A.F. at Levin, later gaining his wings at Wigram. He sailed for England in December of that year and was stationed in Wales, rendering valuable service in connection with the training of air crews, as he was an extremely able pilot. He was highly respected in the district, and the news of his death on a night navigation flight came as a great shock to his relatives and friends.  -Timaru Herald, 10/7/1943.

ROLL OF HONOUR

BLAKEMORE — On November 14. 1942, in England. Sergeant Pilot Trevor Morgan Blakemore. 

Lovingly Remembered. 

— Inserted by his dear ones.  -Timaru Herald, 14/11/1944.

Timaru Cemetery.

Kenneth Walter Cox, (1915-27/9/1942). "a flying flea"

TIMARU SITTINGS

Armed Forces Service Board (excerpt)

Seventh Day Adventist Kenneth Walter Cox, aged 26, said he had been reared as a Seventh Day Adventist. He admitted that his church allowed him liberty of conscience in regard to non-combatant service. It would be very difficult In camp to keep Saturday as the Sabbath.

The chairman: There would be no difficulty about that. There are a number of men of your faith at Burnham and they all get Saturday off. The appellant: I object to carrying arms, and even in the ambulance unit I would have to carry arms. Mr Tracy: Your church is not opposed to ambulance service? — No. Do you differ from your church in that? — No I am prepared to do ambulance work or work of a non-combatant nature.  -Timaru Herald, 5/3/1941.

PLANE CRASHES AT SALISBURY

Young Fairview Man Killed 

Making First Flight 

Kenneth Walter Cox, aged 27, second son of Mr and Mrs W. J. Cox, Fairview, was killed yesterday when the plane he was flying crashed on the farm of Mr L. P. Cabot, Salisbury, shortly before 4 p.m. The cause of the mishap is not yet known. 

It is stated that the plane took off, after much difficulty, from one of Mr Cox’s paddocks on the Rocky Hundreds road, Fairview, and flew over into the gully on Mr Cabot’s property between the Rocky Hundreds road and the main road to Otipua. 

The plane was a single-engined, single-seater, privately-owned machine. 

Residents of the district heard the roar of a motor earlier in the day, suggesting that an endeavour was being made to get a plane into the air. 

Eye-witnesses said that the machine was flying very low. The engine had an exceptionally loud roar. The plane was seen flying down the gully above a small creek and it was approaching a plantation when the crash occurred. It fell about two chains short of the trees with its nose pointing in the direction from which it had come. 

The Timaru Police were informed of the crash by telephone and Dr G. R. Kingston was summoned. When the doctor arrived he found Cox dead, he having suffered very severe injuries. 

Cox who was a carpenter by trade was unmarried. He acquired the plane about a month ago and this was his first flight. He was not an experienced pilot.  -Timaru Herald, 28/9/1942.

PLANE CRASH

Fairview Fatality 

No Experience Of Flying 

“It is clear from the evidence that deceased had had no previous experience or tuition regarding the flying of an aeroplane,” said the Coroner, Mr H. Morgan, at the inquest, which was concluded yesterday, into the death of Kenneth Walter Cox, a carpenter, aged 27, of Fairview, who was killed instantaneously when he crashed in attempting to fly a Pou-de-Ciel plane at Fairview on September 27 last. Constable J. P. Mather conducted the inquiry.

“Cox obtained this aeroplane of the ‘flying flea’ type and, with the book knowledge he had obtained, set out to try to fly,” Mr Morgan continued. “It is not clear from the evidence that he was aware that previous attempts to get the plane into the air had failed. The evidence did not show that the plane was suitable for flying, and, in addition to the pilot’s inexperience, it had got out of control and crashed. Cox was very seriously injured with various multiple fractures and died instantaneously. I return a verdict accordingly.” 

An Erratic Flight Bertie Frame, farmer of Salisbury, said that at 2.45 p.m. on September 27 he was at Fairview where he saw Cox working on the engine of a small aeroplane which was in a paddock adjoining Cox’s home. Cox had the spark plugs out of the engine and appeared to be adjusting the points. He asked Cox if he had ever flown a plane and he replied that he had not. Witness had seen Cox taxi-ing the plane around the paddock and doing short hops of two or three feet off the ground and then landing again. The engine seemed to be functioning all right. 

“I had left Fairview,” witness continued, “and while walking up past Mr L. P. Cabot’s cowbail I looked back and saw Cox take off from near his home; he took off towards the north, going approximately half a mile, and then east and came back towards where I was standing. The plane was never nearer to me than 200 to 300 yards, and was at a height which I estimate at 100 feet. Throughout the flight the plane was flying in a most erratic manner — sharply up and down. The engine seemed to me to be going at a constant speed and functioning all the time. The plane turned towards the west and passed a clump of macrocarpa trees in the gully at the bottom of Mr Cabot’s farm. The plane appeared again round the trees coming towards me. I entered Mr Cabot’s shed to get my cycle when I heard the aeroplane engine cut out and a crash. I immediately ran down the gully and saw the aeroplane had nose-dived straight into the ground. Cox was dead when I arrived. I rang the police from Mr Cabot’s house. As the plane was in flight it seemed that the pilot was in difficulties. 

A Word of Warning Gerald Leonard O’Donoghue, auctioneer, of Salisbury, said that on the morning of September 27 he had seen Cox trying out a small aeroplane in a paddock adjoining his home. "After having the engine running for about 10 minutes,” the witness continued, “Cox got into the cockpit of the machine and taxied it across the paddock. Cox then informed me that he did not intend to try to lift the machine until he had run her up and down the paddock several times. I saw him do this and as the engine did not seem to be running too well I advised him not to attempt to fly the machine. I then returned to my home at Salisbury. Cox told me that he had had no previous experience of flying, only in the capacity of a passenger on one or two occasions.

“About 3.45 p.m.,” the witness continued, “I was looking towards Cox’s home, which is about one mile distant from my place, and saw Cox making numerous attempts, eventually getting the machine into the air. The wind was blowing from the north-east and Cox took off into the wind. He did one complete circle of the paddock where he started, and I thought he was going to land. The machine came down very close to the ground and then took an erratic course as if Cox intended making the same circle again, but went out of my sight behind a plantation. The next thing I heard was a crash. I immediately dashed in that direction and found the wrecked aeroplane with its nose buried in the soil at the bottom end of Mr Cabot’s property. The plane was in a gully just clear of the plantation. Cox appeared to have been killed instantaneously. Nothing could be done for him, so he was not moved.” 

Severe Injuries Dr. G. R. Kingston said that on arrival at the scene he found that Cox, who was dead, had been very severely injured. He had a deeply penetrating wound into the right temple, a fracture of the base of the skull, a broken neck, the lower jaw was smashed, a broken breast bone, a double fracture of the right thigh, and a compound fracture of both legs. Cox had been hurled against the engine of a nose-diving aircraft. Death would be instantaneous. 

Walter James Cox, builder, residing at Fairview, father of the deceased, said that early in August, 1942, his son purchased a small aeroplane in Christchurch. He had had the aeroplane at witness’s home and had been overhauling the engine and putting the plane in serviceable condition. “My son had been up in other aeroplanes as a passenger only, and as far as I am aware had never been at the controls of any aeroplane. He had had no tuition in flying, but had studied books on flying for many years, and had always been keenly interested in flying. He was not the holder of a licence to fly a plane. On the morning of September 27 he was taxi-ing it around the paddock and trying to get the feel of the controls of the machine. While at lunch his son had said that he would take the plane into the air, and, after circling the paddock once, would then leave it alone. My son was in normal health at the time. I consider he was alert, especially as far as machinery was concerned. He was a teetotaller.” 

Formal evidence as to the removal of the body from the wrecked plane was given by Constable C. G. Gadsby.

Machine Wrecked Constable J. P. Mather gave evidence that the front part of the aircraft, which was a modified Pou-de-Ciel type, more commonly referred to as a Flying Flea, was buried in the ground, and the propeller and under-carriage of the bodywork completely smashed. The main members of the fuselage at and about the cockpit were smashed to matchwood and that portion where the pilot’s legs would normally be had been forced up under the rear of the engine. The steel tubing carrying the forward wing had been bent into a modified U, apparently by the impact with Cox’s head. The impact with the earth was so severe that the landing wheels had shorn a number of rivets and the rims were badly dented. An examination of the leading edge of the forward wing showed that it was crushed for its full length by the impact with the ground, which indicated that the plane had landed head on. The rear wing, rudder assembly and rear portion of the fuselage were intact. The plane had been travelling almost in a direct north-easterly direction. The engine, which was a specially designed power unit for this type of aircraft, had been torn apart from the fuselage and the forepart and propeller-hub were buried in the ground. The fact that the ignition switch was on the “off” position could not be regarded as positive evidence that Cox had switched the engine off before the crash as it could have been pushed into this position by the forward movement of Cox’s body at the crash. Petrol was leaking freely from the tank in the forward wing, indicating that the crash had not been due to engine failure through lack of fuel. There was a fair to strong easterly wind blowing at the time, but the day was fine and visibility good. 

Aero-dynamics Unsatisfactory “Inquiries made by the Police Department,” continued the witness, “show that the plane was built in Christchurch by a flying enthusiast named Owen, now deceased. Owen had incorporated several unorthodox features into the plane. Several attempts were made by Owen and others to fly the machine without any success; they were never able to get the machine to lift off the ground. The aero-dynamics of the machine were considered unsatisfactory, the principal objection being that the lower main plane was set aft of the pilot, and the upper main plane forward of the pilot, with the result that, when the aircraft became airborne, a slot effect was caused on the rear wing and increased the lift on the rear wing, which tended to push the nose of the aircraft down to lose height rapidly. It is considered that any change in design in an attempt to overcome the extra lift on the rear plane would increase the slot effect on the rear plane and stall the front plane and so cause a vertical dive.”  -Timaru Herald, 16/12/1942.

Timaru Cemetery.