Sergeant Matthew Coxon, died on 31 December 1941 along with four members of the Royal New Zealand Air Force when two aeroplanes collided one mile north of Woodbourne. One aircraft occupied by Leading Aircraftman Charles Hildreth and Leading Aircraftman Keith Claris had been engaged in camera gun practice and was returning to the aerodrome when it became involved in a collision with the second aircraft, in which Sergeant Coxon and Leading Aircraftman J.D Hewett had been practising instrument take -off. The machines crashed near Renwicktown, being completely wrecked. The occupants were killed instantly. Auckland Star 2 January 1942