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AIR FORCE CRASH.
PLANE FALLS IN TOWN.
FIVE MEN KILLED.
"IT SEEMED TO BREAK UP."
SYDNEY, Jan. 28.-Four officers and
an aircraftman were killed when a Royal
Australian Air Force Avro-Anson machine
crashed at Glenbrook about 5 p.m. to
day. The victims were:
RAINBOW, Squadron-Leader James N. (42),
single, of Double Bay. Sydney.
SKILLMAN, Flying Officer Henry Theodore
(30), married, of Parkes, New South
Wales.
NEWMAN. Pilot Officer John Ignatius (25),
single, formerly of Sydney and Too
woomba.
SAWYER. Pilot Officer Bailey Middlebrook
(34), married, of Parkes.
TYSOE. Aircraftman Charles Richard (23),
single, of Geelong West, Victoria.
The machine, which left Parkes at
3.40 p.m., was conveying Pilot Officer
Sawyer to Sydney for urgent specialist
attention. The other passenger was
Squadron-Leader Rainbow, senior medi
cal officer at the air navigation hospital
at Parkes. The remainder of the crew
were officers of the staff of the air navi
gation school. Pilot Officer Newman was
piloting the plane. Flying-Officer Skill
man was the navigator and Aircraftman
Tysoe was the wireless operator.
According to advice received at Rich
mond, the plane was flying from Parkes
to Mascot. Shortly after 4.30 p.m. it
appeared over Glenbrook and according
to residents it seemed to break up as it
was flying over the town. Some residents
told the police that portion of one of
the wings fell off in the bush a few
miles from Glenbrook, but this cannot
be confirmed until the search is re
sumed at daybreak tomorrow. It is known
that small pieces of material were falling
from the plane at least a quarter of a
mile from where it crashed. Small por
tions fell on the property of Mr. D. Jones,
half a mile from the Glenbrook railway
station. Residents said that shortly
afterwards the plane appeared to be in
serious difficulties. It descended to about
200 feet when it was approaching Lucas
ville-road and Clifton-avenue, Glen
brook. Immediately over the house of
the Glenbrook stationmaster, Mr. Shaw,
the engine seemed to be making strange
noises.
"The plane appeared to be descending
over my grounds," said Mr. Shaw. "The
noise then suggested that it had been
given full throttle as if it was trying to
make height. This attracted my atten
tion and pieces of the plane then seemed
to be flying in all directions. One of
the engines fell out of the plane at a
height of less than 200 feet. It crashed
on the concrete footpath in Lucasville
road and then ricocheted across the road,
striking an electric light pole, which it
smashed. Live wires fell in the street,
sending out showers of sparks. The en
gine then hurtled into land which was
studded with trees. When the plane
crashed, Mr. H. J. Welford, who lives
opposite, and myself rushed to the scene.
We reached there just as the plane burst
into flames."
Mr. Shaw said that he found the bodies
of the victims some distance from the
wreckage. A track suggested that one
of the tanks had been leaking for some
distance before the plane crashed. Mrs.
Shaw, wife of the stationmaster, said
that pieces of the plane appeared to be
flying about like paper before it struck
the ground. Other residents also said
that the plane had been breaking up long
before it crashed.