IDOL OF FATHER

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 368, 1 November 1932, Page 6

IDOL OF FATHER

VICT1M OF ACCIDENT SON OF NEW ZEALAND DIGGER KILLED IN MOTOR SMASH. HIT AND RUN MOTORIST. Sydney, Saturday. Eric Wilfred Birch', 20, who was killed by a hit-run motorist at Ultimo on Friday night, was the idol of his father, a. shell-shoclced soldier, who has been a patient in Randwick Military Hospital for 12 months. The father is very sick, and was I not told until late yesterday of his son's death. He broke down and sobbed. j Police are searching relentlessly for the driver of th'e car, which, eyewitnseses said, was travelling at 45 miles an hour, and had its headlights off. Birch was struck as he stepped from the footway. A cat which had run on to the road at the same time was crushed to death under the wh'eels. Going to Dance. Birch's father, who served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, 1 recently developed thrombosis of the left knee. A few hours before the accident the son visited Randwick Hospital, and equippe4 his father with. an efficient leg support, which h'e designed himself. Another pathetic feature was that Andrew Leonard, of Bunn Street, Pyrmont, who was with young Birch when he was knoclced down, had not seen his pal for about eight years. They decided to celebrate the meeting by attending a dance, and were on their way to it. Leonard had little time to observe the car, but it is und'erstood that the first few numbers have been given to the police.