THE LATE DUKE

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 283, 28 August 1942, Page 5

THE LATE DUKE

To Be Buried At Windsor MILITARY HONOURS (British Official Wireless.) RUGBY, August 26. A statement issued from Buckingham Palace tonight states: “The King and Queen have received with great sorrow the news of the death on active service of the Duke of Kent, His Majesty’s beloved brother.” The Sunderland flying-boat In which ■ the Duke of Kent met his death, after flying 60 miles, caught Are after crashing in the rugged foothills of a lonely roadless part of the Highlands. Search parties went out immediately news of the crash was received. The wreckage was found only after nearly two hours’ search, though -witnesses were only a mile distant. Fragments of the fuselage were widely scattered over the mountain into which the Sunderland crashed in mist. Removal of the bodies across the rugged, pathless moorland was a task requiring considerable organization. It was done by soldiers, airmen, farmers and shepherds. The Duke of Kent and two others were thrown clear of the Sunderland. They were apparently killed instantly. An Air Ministry official stated that the Sunderland was a Coastal Command machine from an operational station. Its crew and passengers were all members of the services, and therefore a civil inquiry was unlikely. The occupants of the plane numbered 15. It was practically burnt out when It was found. The sole survivor was the rear gunner, Flight Sergeant A, S. Jack, aged 24. He was admitted to hospital suffering from burns, and Is classified as seriously injured. The official casualty list of the crash names 14 killed, including Wing Commander T. L. Me eley, R.A.F., who was first pilot, Sergeant E. F. Blacklock, R.N.Z.A.F., second pilot, and Flight Lieutenant F. M. Goyeu, R.A.F., an Australian, who was captain. The Duke’s job was to visit stations at home and abroad and report to Air Chief Marshal Ludlow-Hewitt on conditions generally. He had covered 40,000 miles inside England and about 15,000 miles abroad. The Duke of Kent's body has been taken to a castle in. the Highlands. The funeral will be conducted with full military honours. The Duke will be buried in the Royal vaults beneath St. George’s Chapel at Windsor. The Court will go into mourning for four weeks, beginning today. World-wide Sympathy. The Duke’s death has brought messages of sympathy and warm appreciation of his services from the .world over. Sir Archibald Sinclair, Secretary for Air, has conveyed to the King and the Duchess of Kent an expression of the deep sympathy of the Air Council, of all ranks of the R.A.F. and the W.A.A.F., and of himself in the tragic loss to the Royal House. He expressed in particular the keen sense, of gratitude felt by all ranks for the Duke’s devoted interest in furthering their well-being. The Army .Council, in messages ot sympathy to the King, the Duchess of Kent, and Queen Alary, stated:. “The council gratefully recalls the keen interest always displayed bv the Duke of Kent in all aspects of the activities and welfare of the Army, in which he held the rank of Major-General, and of two of whose regiments he was Colonel-in-Chief.’ The “high sense of duty and the. devotion to his arduous responsibilities’’ of the Duke of Kent are recalled by General Smuts, Prime Minister of South Africa, in a message to the King. Sir Patrick Duncan, the Governor-General, has also sent a message of condolence. Among the many condolences received by Their Majesties, Queen Mary, and the Duchess of Kent were messages from President Roosevelt 'and Mr. Mackenzie King, Prime Minister of Canada. DUTCH SYMPATHY The following message from Mr. M. F. Vigeveno, Netherlands Consul, has been received by the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Sullivan :— “Please accept on behalf of the Government and people of New Zealand my sincere sympathy and that of the Netherlands community on the death of his Royal Highness the Duke of Kent. Bonds of friendship linked the Duke with the Netherlands Royal Family and he paid several visits to my country, where he was held in great esteem. Ilis death will be mourned throughout the Netherlands kingdom.” POLISH SORROW The following letter has been received by the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Sullivan, from the Consul-General of Poland, Count K. A. Wodzicki: —- “May T, on behalf of my Government, the people of Poland, and personally express my sorrow and deep sympathy in the sad loss of His Royal .Highness, the Duke of Kent. Because of a fortnight’s visit, to Poland a few years previous to this war, the opening of the Polish Hearth in London in 1040, and also through some of his visits to the units oi the Polish Army, Air Force and Navy in Britain, he was well known to many of the Polish people, and they will grieve his loss.” MESSAGE TO QUEEN MARY ’The Governor-General has sent a telegram conveying to Iler Majesty Queen Mary the sympathy of the Government and people of New Zealand in the tragic loss of her son, the Duke of Kent. The following telegram has been received by the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Sullivan, from the mayor of Wanganui, Hon. W. E. Rogers:—“Council and citizens of Wanganui deplore loss sustained by Empire in tragic death of His Royal Highness Duke of Kjmt. Please transmit to His Majesty the King profound sorrow felt by our people. His noble record of self-sacrificing service in the nation’s cause wili ever stand us an example of high courage and inspiration."