Post by Dave Homewood on Jul 6, 2022 0:15:43 GMT 12
Canberras’ Bombs Fell Near Divers
(New Zealand Press Association)
AUCKLAND, January 30.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is making inquiries into an incident on Sunday in which two Canberra bombers of its strike wing, based at Ohakea, are alleged to have dropped five bombs close to a boat with members of the Waikato Underwater Club aboard near White Island.
Mr W. Doak, a member of: the group, said the bombs fell within 500 yards of the vessel. One of the divers was under water and came up with aching eardrums after one of the bombs had exploded in the water, he added. An R.N.Z.A.F. spokesman said today that the Volkner Rocks practice bombing range was a permanently-dosed danger area. “We would not necessarily first clear the area by radio if we were going to hold a practice,” he said. Mr Doak said his party had asked Auckland Radio if the R.N.Z.A.F. was to practise bombing and was told no bombing was scheduled. “We went diving but surfaced to find a Canberra bomber sweeping in over our vessel,” said Mr Doak. "There
was an explosion as a bomb hit the face of the cliff about 500 yards away from the boat. “Five bombs fell before the Canberra’s crew saw us, then the two planes passed overhead." The group had been at White Island, taking photographs, when an eruption had caused them to take their boat out to the Volkner Rocks. Later, another spokesman for the R.N.ZA.F. said the bombs dropped were practice bombs with only a very low explosive charge, the effects of which would hardly be felt 500 yards away. The charge, he said, was in the bombs only to simulate a hit in practice.
PRESS, 31 JANUARY 1968
(New Zealand Press Association)
AUCKLAND, January 30.
The Royal New Zealand Air Force is making inquiries into an incident on Sunday in which two Canberra bombers of its strike wing, based at Ohakea, are alleged to have dropped five bombs close to a boat with members of the Waikato Underwater Club aboard near White Island.
Mr W. Doak, a member of: the group, said the bombs fell within 500 yards of the vessel. One of the divers was under water and came up with aching eardrums after one of the bombs had exploded in the water, he added. An R.N.Z.A.F. spokesman said today that the Volkner Rocks practice bombing range was a permanently-dosed danger area. “We would not necessarily first clear the area by radio if we were going to hold a practice,” he said. Mr Doak said his party had asked Auckland Radio if the R.N.Z.A.F. was to practise bombing and was told no bombing was scheduled. “We went diving but surfaced to find a Canberra bomber sweeping in over our vessel,” said Mr Doak. "There
was an explosion as a bomb hit the face of the cliff about 500 yards away from the boat. “Five bombs fell before the Canberra’s crew saw us, then the two planes passed overhead." The group had been at White Island, taking photographs, when an eruption had caused them to take their boat out to the Volkner Rocks. Later, another spokesman for the R.N.ZA.F. said the bombs dropped were practice bombs with only a very low explosive charge, the effects of which would hardly be felt 500 yards away. The charge, he said, was in the bombs only to simulate a hit in practice.
PRESS, 31 JANUARY 1968
