Sergeant Wilfred Nelson BRIGHT 29348, survived WWI only to be electrocuted
In loving memory of
Wilfred Nelson (Chook) BRIGHT
Loved husband of
Phyllis BRIGHT
Accidentally killed 25th July 1938
Aged 43
“The Last Post.”
[musical notes]
Area 10 Block D Lot No 172
His obituary
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19380728.2.126
Born 1894 [4]
Parents: Elizabeth Bessie and William Robert BRIGHT [4]
As a boy aged 11 he crushed his little finger on his right hand to a pulp after being asked to place a chock under the wheel of a vehicle.[6]
Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 195, 19 August 1938, Page 8
KIOSK WAS "ALIVE"
MAN ELECTROCUTED.
COMMENT BY CORONER.
TESTING OF SWITCHES.
"It is not my duty to find who, if anyone, is to blame, but only to find the cause of the man's death. However, from the evidence, it is clear there has been some overlapping or misunderstanding among the Power Board officials," said the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, at the inquest to-day into the death of Wilfred Nelson Bright, carpenter, aged 44, an employee of the Auckland Electric Power Board. The deceased was a married man and resided at 26, Sentinel Road, Herne Bay. Deceased met his death when working at a kiosk in West End Road on July 25.
A number of witnesses gave evidence, and James Hedley Porteous, a carpenter working with Bright at the kiosk on the day of the accident, said he and Bright were erecting baffles and the latter was screwing a bolt. Witness heard a crackling noise and then felt a bump, and both witness and his companion fell to the ground. Blight appeared, to be severely shocked, and though artificial respiration methods were applied, and Dr. Usher administered an injection, the efforts were of no avail.
Arthur Holden, chief draughtsman employed by the Auckland Electric Power Board, said that Bright was the board's foreman carpenter, and worked under witness' directions. Prior to sending deceased out to the kiosk to do certain work, witness inquired from officials of the electrical department whether the high tension connection had been made and was given to understand it had not. It was his usual practice to make inquiries to be certain that there was no danger to his workmen. It was not necessary for the deceased or his mate (Porteous) to test the switches at the kiosk to ascertain whether they were alive or otherwise. Witness had nothing to do with the electrical side of the board's undertakings, nor had the men under him.
Evidence was given that the power at the kiosk was tested by the board's employees on July 18 and no further test had been made since that date and July 25, when Bright met his death. The witnesses called understood that the power in the cubicles at least, if not in the transformer, was dead before Bright and Porteous started work at the kiosk. Definite instructions had been given by the mains superintendent that the power was to be left dead.
The coroner, in finding that Bright’s death was due to him being accidentally electrocuted, said he was "satisfied the official in charge of the carpenters had done all he could to make sure the kiosk was safe for his men to work in. "It is needless for me to point out that something more is required in cases like this when inquiries are made as to whether a place is safe or not than a mere "yes."
Mr. J. Terry, for the Auckland Electric Power Board, said it had always been the practice of the electrical department to see that a job was safe, and in future every possible precaution would be taken. Mr. F. McCarthy appeared for the Amalgamated Carpenters' Union and Mr. S. Cleal for the deceased's widow. [1]
A marriage appears for Wilfred and Phillis (sic) Elaine FAUSETT in 1927 [3] however a divorce appears in 1936 for someone of the same unusual name as Wilfred:
“Separation for more than three years was the ground on which a decree nisi was granted to the petitioner … Ida Margaret BRIGHT against Wilfred Nelson BRIGHT[“2]
Wilfred served in WWI.
Service no. 29348
Rank: Sergeant
Occupation on enlist: Railway employee
Discharged from service due to illness. 1919
His military records are online to read:
ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServle...
His Cenotaph Database record:
www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/recor...
Phillis (sic) died in 1993 aged 90. She was born 24 February 1903 [5]
According to Wilfred's obituary, an older brother Henry died just days around his death. Henry was an employee of the NZ Railways for 32 years and was aged 49. He is buried in Area 10 Block D Plot 172 in Hillsbororough
SOURCES:
[1]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...
[2]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...
[3]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: marriage registration 1927
[4]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: birth registration 1894/11787
[5]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: death registration 1993/53551
[6]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS...
Sergeant Wilfred Nelson BRIGHT 29348, survived WWI only to be electrocuted
In loving memory of
Wilfred Nelson (Chook) BRIGHT
Loved husband of
Phyllis BRIGHT
Accidentally killed 25th July 1938
Aged 43
“The Last Post.”
[musical notes]
Area 10 Block D Lot No 172
His obituary
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/NZH19380728.2.126
Born 1894 [4]
Parents: Elizabeth Bessie and William Robert BRIGHT [4]
As a boy aged 11 he crushed his little finger on his right hand to a pulp after being asked to place a chock under the wheel of a vehicle.[6]
Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 195, 19 August 1938, Page 8
KIOSK WAS "ALIVE"
MAN ELECTROCUTED.
COMMENT BY CORONER.
TESTING OF SWITCHES.
"It is not my duty to find who, if anyone, is to blame, but only to find the cause of the man's death. However, from the evidence, it is clear there has been some overlapping or misunderstanding among the Power Board officials," said the coroner, Mr. F. K. Hunt, at the inquest to-day into the death of Wilfred Nelson Bright, carpenter, aged 44, an employee of the Auckland Electric Power Board. The deceased was a married man and resided at 26, Sentinel Road, Herne Bay. Deceased met his death when working at a kiosk in West End Road on July 25.
A number of witnesses gave evidence, and James Hedley Porteous, a carpenter working with Bright at the kiosk on the day of the accident, said he and Bright were erecting baffles and the latter was screwing a bolt. Witness heard a crackling noise and then felt a bump, and both witness and his companion fell to the ground. Blight appeared, to be severely shocked, and though artificial respiration methods were applied, and Dr. Usher administered an injection, the efforts were of no avail.
Arthur Holden, chief draughtsman employed by the Auckland Electric Power Board, said that Bright was the board's foreman carpenter, and worked under witness' directions. Prior to sending deceased out to the kiosk to do certain work, witness inquired from officials of the electrical department whether the high tension connection had been made and was given to understand it had not. It was his usual practice to make inquiries to be certain that there was no danger to his workmen. It was not necessary for the deceased or his mate (Porteous) to test the switches at the kiosk to ascertain whether they were alive or otherwise. Witness had nothing to do with the electrical side of the board's undertakings, nor had the men under him.
Evidence was given that the power at the kiosk was tested by the board's employees on July 18 and no further test had been made since that date and July 25, when Bright met his death. The witnesses called understood that the power in the cubicles at least, if not in the transformer, was dead before Bright and Porteous started work at the kiosk. Definite instructions had been given by the mains superintendent that the power was to be left dead.
The coroner, in finding that Bright’s death was due to him being accidentally electrocuted, said he was "satisfied the official in charge of the carpenters had done all he could to make sure the kiosk was safe for his men to work in. "It is needless for me to point out that something more is required in cases like this when inquiries are made as to whether a place is safe or not than a mere "yes."
Mr. J. Terry, for the Auckland Electric Power Board, said it had always been the practice of the electrical department to see that a job was safe, and in future every possible precaution would be taken. Mr. F. McCarthy appeared for the Amalgamated Carpenters' Union and Mr. S. Cleal for the deceased's widow. [1]
A marriage appears for Wilfred and Phillis (sic) Elaine FAUSETT in 1927 [3] however a divorce appears in 1936 for someone of the same unusual name as Wilfred:
“Separation for more than three years was the ground on which a decree nisi was granted to the petitioner … Ida Margaret BRIGHT against Wilfred Nelson BRIGHT[“2]
Wilfred served in WWI.
Service no. 29348
Rank: Sergeant
Occupation on enlist: Railway employee
Discharged from service due to illness. 1919
His military records are online to read:
ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/delivery/DeliveryManagerServle...
His Cenotaph Database record:
www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/recor...
Phillis (sic) died in 1993 aged 90. She was born 24 February 1903 [5]
According to Wilfred's obituary, an older brother Henry died just days around his death. Henry was an employee of the NZ Railways for 32 years and was aged 49. He is buried in Area 10 Block D Plot 172 in Hillsbororough
SOURCES:
[1]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...
[2]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&cl=s...
[3]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: marriage registration 1927
[4]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: birth registration 1894/11787
[5]
NZ Dept Internal Affairs historic BDM indexes: death registration 1993/53551
[6]
paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=AS...