The Longreach Leader (Qld. : 1923 - 1938)(about) |
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Saturday 20 November 1937
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KILLED IN CRASH
DUKE AND FAMILY
LONDON, Wednesday.
The family of the Grand Duke of Hesse was wiped out-with one ex- ception-when a London-bound S.A.B.E.N.A. (Belgian Airways) air liner struck a chimney and crashed while landing in a fog at Ostend, Belgium, yesterday afternoon. All the occupants of the air liner-eight passengers and a crew of three were incinerated. The "Daily Sketch" says there was a twelfth victim-a baby that was born to the Grand Duchess, prematurely as the machine
crashed.
The 'plane was) on its way from Munich to Croydon (England) where it was due at 4.10 p.m. yesterday. Because of a fog a stop was not made at Brussels, as scheduled, but the pilot proceeded to Ostend to pick up two passengers. A dense fog pre- vailed at Ostend when the air liner arrived but aerodrome officials pre- pared for its landing. As the machine planed down to land it crashed into a chimney of a brickyard of which there are several in the vicinity. The range of visibility was 250 yards and the ceiling was only 160 feet.
An eye-wltneas said: "The 'plane was travelling about 100 miles an hour when it hit the chimney. The wing and one of the engines broke off, and crashed through the roof of the brickworks. The remainder of the 'plane overturned and crashed into a brickfield 50 yards away and burst Into flames. There were several men In the brickfield but none,were hurt."
The noise was heard a considerable distance away and residents rushed to the spot. As the rescuers approach- ed, however, a terrific explosion oc- curred and the machine immediately became a mass of flames rendering it impossible to approach it. It is be- lieved that the occupants were un- conscious when the explosion oc-
curred.
THE VICTIMS The victims were
Grand Duke George of Hesse and the Rhine (31 years) who succeeded to the title on the death of his father the Grand Duke Earnest, a month ago. He was a grandson of Princess Alice, and a great-grandson of Queen Victoria.
His wife. Princess Cecile of Greece and Denmark (26 years) third daugh- ter of Prince Andrew of Greece; the Grand Duke's mother, the Dowager Grand Duchess of Hesse and the Rhine (67 years); his two sons Prince Louis (6) and Prince Alex- andre (4); the Grand Duchess' maid, Madame Lina Havn; Baron von Riedesel zu Elsenbach, a member of the Grand Duke's entourage; an engineer named Martin; Pilot Lam- botte (37); wireless operator Court- ois; mechanic Lansmans.
The Grand Duke's surviving child
Princess Jeanne Marina aged 1
year) is In Darmstedt.
All the bodies have been recovered. The Grand Duke and his family boarded the air liner at Munich and were on their way to London to at- tend the wedding of the Grand Duke's brother, Prince Louis of Hesse to Margaret Geddes, daughter of Slr Auckland and Lady Geddes next Saturday. It was announced to-night that the wedding would take place privately to-morrow.