Samuel Fleming

“ Suddenly, the explosion occurred.
The Court finds:—
That the cause of the said explosion was the culpable negligence of J. W. Knowles. That, having regard to the terms of the said contract and to the circumstances aforesaid, it became and was the duty of Mr. H. Andrews and Mr. R. V. Dawkins to see that the said ammunition was broken down under proper precautions and that their negligence in that behalf was a contributing cause of the said explosion. I am, Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
S. Fleming
Lieut.-Colonel. ”

“ In pursuance of Section 66 of the Explosives Act, 1875, I hereby direct that a formal investigation shall be held of the accident which occurred in a Workshop in Groveland Road, Dudley Port, Staffordshire, on the 6th March, 1922, and of the causes thereof and of the circumstances attending the same. ”

“ That the Premier Aluminium Casting Company, Ltd., ought not to have ordered the ammunition to be delivered to Knowles, c/o Yates & Co., Ltd., Tipton, for the purpose of breaking down without first seeing that the premises conformed to the instructions which they themselves had received from the Explosives Department of the Home Office. The Court will, on the completion of the formal investigation, report fully on the circumstances and causes of the explosion. ”