KILLED ON ROADS

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 84, 5 October 1940, Page 7

KILLED ON ROADS

MEMBERS OF N.Z.E.F.

BLACK-OUT DANGERS

HIT-AND-RUN CASE

(From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F. in Great Britain.)

October 3,

The danger of the English main roads in the black-out has been clearly demonstrated to the New Zealand' troops in the past few days. Inquests were completed today into the deaths of two members of the! South Island Battalion, Private David John Evans and Private Norman George Heads, who were fatally injured on successive nights by being struck by passenger buses. Findings of accidental death, with no blame attachable to anyone, were returned. DURING AIR RAIDS. Both accidents occurred when the men were returning to camp from evening leave, each time during an air raid, when buses were wholly unlighted except for small side-lamps (which by regulation must not throw beams forward) and tail-lamps. Evans and a companion, Private Archibald Laing, were walking homeward along the left side of the road in order the better to pick up a sideroad leading to their billet, when they were struck from behind. Evans died in hospital shortly after admission, and Laing is in hospital with severe leg injuries. Heads was one of a party crossing a main road to reach their billet. The men were distracted by searchlights, enemy aeroplanes overhead, and antiaircraft gunfire, and so failed to see or hear the' bus, which struck two of them just as they were reaching the far side of the road. Heads died in hospital, the next night without having regained consciousness. THE DEATH OF CLEM WAREHAM. The authorities are still investigating the death of Sergeant Clem Wareham, the Wellington Plunket Shield cricketer, who, when crossing a narrow village street in a black-out, was struck by a fast-driven motor-car and killed. The car braked and skidded after hitting Wareham, but did not stop. The inquest was adjourned for further police inquiries.

All three soldiers are being buried with full military honours.