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Kiwi of the Week

Bernard Freyberg

A First World War hero and commander of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Bernard Freyberg was British-born but New Zealand-raised. He proved to be a charismatic and popular military leader who would later serve a term as Governor-General

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Today in History

8 February

1931 First fatalities on a scheduled air service in NZ

All three people on board a Dominion Airline DeSoutter were killed in a crash near Wairoa. This was the first fatal air service accident in New Zealand. The airline had helped maintain contact between the areas ravaged by the recent Hawke's Bay earthquake and the rest of New Zealand.

New Zealand's first regular scheduled passenger service began in 1930. Air Travel, using a borrowed DH 50 from the Government began a tri-weekly service between Christchurch and Dunedin. Passenger numbers were low and after only nine months Air Travel closed down. Shortly after Dominion Airlines Ltd. began a daily service between Gisborne and Hastings. This service proved invaluable in maintaining contact between the areas ravaged by the Napier earthquake and the rest of New Zealand. Unfortunately just five days after the earthquake, the company's Desoutter monoplane crashed at Wairoa killing its three occupants. Dominion Airlines was forced into liquidation.

Image: DeSoutter aircraft (Wikipedia)