FATAL CRASH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 10 April 1941, Page 4

FATAL CRASH

TWO AIRMEN KILLED AT NELSON THIRD SERIOUSLY INJURED. MACHINE STALLS IN LANDING TURN. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON. This Day. Two airmen were killed and a third seriously injured when a machine of the Royal New Zealand Air Force crashed at Nelson yesterday morning. The casualties were: — Killed.

Flight Lieutenant Lionel Mountjoy Squire; next-of-kin (wife), Mrs D. C. Squire, Stephenson Street, Blenheim. Aircraftsman First Class Lindo James Thomson; next-of-kin (mother), Mrs C. F. Thomson, 102 McMaster Street, Invercargill. Injured.

Corporal Ernest Ivan Johnson: next-of-kin (father), Mr E. Johnson, Greatford, Rangitikei; dangerously injured and admitted to Nelson Public Hospital.

The aircraft stalled while making a turn preparatory to landing at Nelson and crashed. After crashing, the machine caught fire. A Court of Inquiry will be held.

Flight Lieutenant L. M. Squire was born in Yokohama in 1907, and was educated at Oxford University. He qualified for his A licence in 1929, and was appointed to a commission in the New Zealand Air Force in 1931. In 1939 Flight Lieutenant Squire wals posted for duty at Air Headquarters a| adjutant, where he remained tilil March, 1940, when he resumed flying duties.' Aircraftsman L. J. Thomson was born in Invercargill in 1920. and was educated at the Southland Technical. School.

Corporal E. I. Johnson was born in Wanganui in 1916, and was educated in Feilding. At the time of his enlistment at the outbreak of war he was employed by a commercial firm in Wellington.