The New York herald., 1921-07-13
HAWKER LOSES LIFE
AS AIRPLANE BURNS
Airman Who Flew Partly to
England From Canada Is
Victim of Explosion.
HAD HELD HIGH RECORDS
Accident at Hendon Field Re-
calls Feats of Aviator
During Decade.

Special Ca5le 10 THE Nrw YoaK HssALp.
COPYRIGHT, 1871, by THE NEW YonK HERALD.
New York Herald Bureau,
London, July 12-
Harry G. Hawker, the daring Aus
tralian aviator. who. with Lieut. Com
mander Mackenzie Grieve, first at
tempted nonstop flight of the At
lantic. was killed this evening while
practising for the annual aerial Derby
scheduled for Saturday. He took off in
a French Nieuport plane from Hendon
flying field. and when al great height
the machine suddenly burst into flames.
Hawker. plunging to earth. either at
tempted to jump or was thrown out, for
he fell clear OF the machine as it
crashed
lie died just as assistance reached
him. Both legs and arms were broken
and his body wracked by internal in
jurios. The Derby is a classic speed
endurance test held on the outskirts OF
London, and one of the oldest aviation
races in England 1t once was won by
Edouard Nieuport the designer of the
Nieuport type Of airplane, who was killed
in 1911.
Sir John Alcock. who flew across the
Atlantic month after Hawker and
Grieve fell In midocean and were res
cued by tha-- Danish steamship Mary,
died in December. 1919. as result of
injuries received in a crashing airplane
near Cottevrard. France.
Hawker was decorated by King
George for his unsuccessful Atlantic
flight He has long been looked upon
as one of the most gallant Of British
flyers Because OF the glory which he
won by his attempt TO fly across the
Atlantic his air record has become
well known. During the war he tested
new aviation ideas Mt great risk and
tried out new models 10 see If they were
worthy Of work at the front. but even
In the days before the war he was a
great flyer. competing at nearly all the
shows on this side and being greatly in
demand by the airplane builders.
He got little glory but much credit
during the war because OF the secret
nature OF his work. He Is another of
those stout hearted Britishers who COM
pletely forgot self in service to country.
And as was stated 20 THE New YORK
HERALD correspondent by leading avi-
alton official. he was one of those avi-
ators considered too valuable to be sent
to the front
Hawler met his death in one of the
fastest but trickics, machines ever built.
Despite the high efficiency of the Nieu-
port planes. airmen generally agree that
they must be handel dcicately. and in
the war days among the leading aviators
who criticised them for lack OF relia-
bility was Eddie Rickenbacker, who flew
a Nieuport through all of his earlier VIC
tories.
The accident which killed Hawker. like
scores OF others. probably never will be
accurately explained. because at the time
his plane was too high for sure observa-
tion. Those who saw the accident think
that leakage Of the fuel caused the fire
and that Hawker with great skill slipped
the machine down great distance, but
that he lost the heroic fight when the
spreading flames drove him from his
seat.
Harry G.. Hawker an Australian. be-
came Great Britain's hero for the pluck
he showed in attempting 10 fly across
the Atlantic Ocean two years ago. The
flight was a failure. so far as reaching
the other side is concerned. but II estab-
lshed Hawker's reputation as a daring
aviator.
On landing Hawkcr received an ova-
ton and was decorated by King George.
He received $4,000 as his share of the
S25.000 consolation prize offered by the
London Daily Mail.
In 1912 Hawker established the rec
ord for a continuous flight. being in the
air s hours and 43. minutes. He won
the British Michelin trophy and estab-
lished a new altitude record For three
years he was said TO be the highest paid
afrn1an in the world his feps ap,ouutinc a
tc 100000 year. lie was 33 years of
age when he died. and leaves a wife
and daughter. who live at Kingston on
n