ELEVEN KILLED

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 46, 17 November 1937, Page 5

ELEVEN KILLED

-Preas Aaan.-

Air-Liner Crashes ATTEMPT TO LAND IN FOG GratttS Duke of Hesse and Family Among Victims GOING TO WEDDING OF; HIS BROTHER

(By Telegraph-

-'Conyricht.)

(Received 17, 1.35 p.m.) LONDON, Nov. 10. Eight passengers and three membeff of the crew were burned to death when a Lendon-bound Belgian Sahena tlrliner seeking to land in a dense fog oi the outskirts of Ostend,: struck the chimney of a brickworks, broke in twe, crashed and burst into flames. Nobodj; survived. The 11 victims were: — THE GRAND DUKE GEORGES OF HESSE AND RHINE, aged 31, who succeeded to the title on the death of his fathor, the Grand Duke Ernest, a month ago. HIS WIFE, ' PRINCE8S OEOILB OF GREEOE "AND DENMARK, cousin of the Duchess of Kent. HIS MOTHBB, THE DOWAl A* GRAND DUCHESS OF HESSR AND RHINE, second wife of the late Grand Duke Ernest, and formerly Princess Eleonqre of Solmesh Ohensolmslich. HIS TWO SONS, FRINOE LOUII, aged six, and PRINCE ALEXANDRE, aged four. ! HIS MAID, MADAME LINA HAHN. An engineer named MARTENS and FREIHERR GREYSON ZIB ECISENBACK, also the pilot, LAMBOTTE, the wireless operator, COURTOIS, and the mechanic, LANSMANS. The Grand Duke's surviving chilfi, Jeannermarina, aged one, is in Barmstadt. 5 The Grand Duke of Hesse and Ma family, who boarded the plane at Munieh, were going to London to attend the wedding of his brother, Princo Louis of Hesse, social attache to' th# German Embassy in London, to Margaret Campbell Geddes, daughter qf Sir Auckland Geddes. Because of the fog the plane did not land at Brussels as scheduled, but flew, tq Ostend to pick up two passengers. The fog was dense when the liner arrived over 'Ostend, but the aerodrome officials prepared a landing. As tho air-liner planed down to fhe landing ground it craahed into the chimney of a brickyard, of which there wero_ several in the neighbourhood. An eye-witness said: "The plana hit the cihmney at about 100 miles an howt, The wing of one of the engines broke off and crashed through tjhe roof of iba brickworks. Tho remainder of fhf plane overturned and crashed into the briekfield 50 yards away, where it burst into flames. There wero several men in the briekfield, but none was hurt," The noise was heard a considerablf distance away. Residents rushed'to the spot, but as the Tescuers approached there was a terrific explosion. ' The machine was a mass of flames,. and. if was impossible to approach. Gendarffies kept the erowd back from the blazing wreclcage. Identification of tho bpdies is diffieult, as they are badly charred. The plane was a Junkerg 52 three* engined low-wing monoplane and widely used in Eyropean commercial servjceiM Prince Louis, who is heir to the Grand Duke's title, and Miss Geddes weri '.wajting th© .plane at Croydon when an official of Imperial Airways approached the happy, laughing group. and broke' the news, Prince Louis was so ahock•ed that he required treatment before going to London. * * After a conference to-night betweea the couple and Sir Auckland Geddes, if was announced that the wedding would be held privately on November 17. The presents include one from Queen Mary."