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 DEATH OF
SOLDIER
Misadventure
Finding
The nation was at war
and with troops armed with live ammunition it could not be
expected no accidents would occur. The Coroner (Col. J. P.
Clark) made this observation at Hobart yesterday when announcing
his finding that Pte.
Tasman
Hite
(18), of Wynyard, member of the 6th Garrison Battalion stationed
at a garrison fort, was killed on March 4 by misadventure.
Hite
was killed almost instantaneously when a loaded rifle in the
hands of Pte. Charles Albert Victor Barker (18) discharged in
the tent of which each was an occupant.
The Inquest yesterday
was attended by Capt. W. D. McMinn, adjutant of the 6th Garrison
Battalion. Mr. G.P. Harvey (Crisp, Gill, and Harvey), appeared
for HIte's
relatives.
Platoon commander Albert
Vincent Chadwick, said that at 12.16 a.m. he heard a shot. He
went to a marquee some 15 yards away, and saw Barker holding a
rifle, fixed with service bayonet, pointing to the ground. Hite
was in his bed near by. Barker, who appeared prostrated, was
placed under close arrest. While witness was waiting for
instructions Hite
died. To witness' question as to who had shot him, Barker
replied: "I did, sir, I didn't know there was one in the gun."
Witness added that each member of the battalion was supplied
with 40 rounds of live ammunition on taking over fort duty, but
was not supposed to have his rifle charged. The ammunition was
supposed to be kept in pouches, and members of the infantry were
not permitted to charge their magazines before receiving direct
orders. An alarm given at 11.30 p.m. concerned only the
artillery and engineers. The guard did not receive the alarm,
nor did it turn out.
Pte. Basil Robert Webb, said Barker followed him into the guard
tent, and he heard him work the bolt of his rifle backwards and
forwards, counting five times, and remove a cartridge from the
magazine each time. Pte. Wright, whoso bed was next to witness,
told Barker to turn the rifle down or point it the other way.
Immediately afterwards the rifle discharged and Barker
exclaimed; "Oh, I have shot him."
Asleep When Shot
Pte. Charles Smith said the tent contained 12 men, all of whom
were on the best of terms with each other. Hite, at the time he
was shot, was asleep. Witness saw Barker pull the trigger before
the discharge.
Pte. Barker said that about 11.30 p.m., when on duty in an
isolated position, he heard the alarm bell, and loaded his
magazine. On entering the tent he worked the bolt of the
magazine and ejected, as he thought, five cartridges. The rifle
was pointed towards
Pte Wright, who told him to
turn it away. He did so, and remembered having pulled the
trigger In accordance with drill practice. The discharge
followed.
Capt. McMinn said Barker's rifle shooting record was
particularly good, as was his knowledge of rifles. He explained
after the ejection of cartridges from a rifle the cut-off was
closed, and to relieve strain on the spring it was the duty of
an infantry man to pull the trigger as a part of
routine.
The Mercury
9 Mar 1940
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