FIVE SOLDIERS DEAD

Wairarapa Times-Age, 9 February 1942, Page 2

FIVE SOLDIERS DEAD

ELEVEN OTHERS INJURED SERIOUS BOMB ACCIDENT AT TRENTHAM. CHIEF INSTRUCTOR AMONG KILLED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Five soldiers, one of them an officer, are dead and 11 others are injured, three of them seriously, as a result of an accident at Trentham on Saturday. The following official statement was issued last night by the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones: — “It is with much regret that I have to announce that an unfortunate accident occurred at the Army School of Instruction, Trentham, on Saturday morning. The accident occurred during a demonstration which was beinggiven to a class of officers and noncommissioned officers undergoing instruction in the practical use of bombs. “The chief instructor, Major R. J. D. Davis, N.Z.S.C., an officer of long experience and recognised as an expert in weapon training in all its phases, was himself giving the demonstration and in the process of throwing a bomb, the fuse of which had been lit, the bomb exploded and he was killed, together with three others. In addition 12 of the class were wounded, four of them seriously. The remaining 11 who suffered from shock were able to go to their quarters and soon returned to normal.’’ The following are the names of those killed and injured together with the names of next-of-kin: — KILLED. Major R. J. D. Davis, N.Z. Staff Corps. Next-of-kin: Mrs Davis, Paraparaumu (.wife). Sgt. R. A. Peters. Next-of-kin: Mr W. Peters, 4CG Charles Street, Hastings (father). A/Sgt. R. S. Thomson. Next-of-kin: Mrs N. G. Thomson, Cairn Ridge, Whitecliffs (wife). Cpl. R. M. Geard. Next-of-kin: Mrs Annie Geard, 15 Taylor Street, Avondale, Auckland (mother). SERIOUSLY INJURED AND SUBSEQUENTLY DIED IN WELLINGTON HOSPITAL ON FEBRUARY 8. A/Sgt. H. H. Wood. Next-of-kin: Mrs E. Wood, Rolilly Crescent, St. Heliers Bay, Auckland (wife). SERIOUSLY INJURED. Sgt. T. A. Bolton. Next-of-kin: Mrs T. A. Bolton, C/o N. E. Welton, Box 15, Ashhurst (wife). Cpl. R. G. Mauger. Next-of-kin: Mrs J. D. Mauger, McKerrow Street, Methven (wife). Cpl. G. G. Stevenson. Next-of-kin: Mr G. Stevenson, 10 Grey Street, Masterton (father). INJURED—NOT SERIOUSLY. Lieut. O. H. Burford. Next-of-kin: Mrs J. J. Burford, 57 Wilson Street, Wanganui (wife). S/Sgt. A. J. Cocker. Next-of-kin: Mrs J. Cocker, Farewell Spit, Nelson (mother). S/Sgt. N. W. Faithful. Next-of-kin: Mrs A. E. Faithful, Okaihau, Bay of Islands (mother). Sgt. T. B. Burtt. Next-of-kin: Mrs E. C. Burtt, 5 Barrie Street, Spreydon, Christchurch (mother), Sgt. R. B. Hastings. Next-of-kin: Mrs D. E. Hastings, Burwood Road, Matamata (mother). Sgt. H. F. Speden. Next-of-kin: Mrs M. E. Speden, 5. High Street, Gore (wife). Cpl. A. R. Brain. Next-of-kin: Mrs E. R. Brain, 46 Rimu Street, Frankton Junction (mother). Pte. T. K. Wood. Next-of-kin: Mrs A. E. Wood, 1 Herald Street, Berhampore, Wellington South (wife). All the injured men were immediately attended by the Camp Medical Staff and all except those suffering from shock were quickly moved to the Wellington Public Hospital by Army motor ambulances held in the camp to meet such emergencies, the most serious cases being admitted within half an hour after the accident. The next-of-kin of the dead and injured officers and soldiers were notified of the accident by telegram and progress reports where there was a turn for the worse in any of the injured were dispatched to next-of-kin during the weekend. A coroner’s inquest was held at Trentham Camp on Saturday afternoon and a military court of inquiry also commenced an investigation.

Mr Jones concluded by saying that the Government deplored the sad loss of life that had occurred and deeply sympathised with the bereaved and also the relatives of the injured men.