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[24th witness Albert Leslie Hopkins.]
58 -
1466. I take it you have kept up to date with current literature? Yes.
1467. I believe also you served in the Navy during the war in an anti-submarine unit?
Yes.
1468. I take it you gained a certain amount of experience whilst serving in the Navy?
Yes.
1469. Will you look at this piece of metal, please. (To Chairman : Sir, this is the
piece of metal taken out of a man by Dr. Bau at the Kwong Wah Hospital).
1470. Have you examined that piece of metal carefully? Yes, I have.
1471. Can you express an opinion as to its origin? It is very difficult to be definite, but it is consistent with its being a shell splinter and it could easily or very possibly be a piece of metal from some larger object other than a shell.
1472. But is it consistent with being a shell splinter? Yes.
1473. That is all you can tell us about that piece of metal?
I am afraid so, yes.
1474. I want to ask you about another matter. Will you look at that, please. Will
you tell us what it is? That is part of a bullet.
1475. Can you express any opinion as to whether that bullet has been fired? It has
been fired.
1476. Why do you say that? Because of the rifling marks impressed on the envelope. 1477. How many rifling marks are there? Four lands and grooves with a right hand
twist.
1478. Do these marks enable you to form any opinion as to the kind of weapon from which that bullet was fired? They are common to a machine gun of the Lewis gun type.
1479. What type of machine gun is a Lewis gun? It is a portable type of machine gun
carried about easily.
1480. As regards the composition of this bullet, can you tell me from the fragment that you have there what was the original composition of this builet? It appears to have been a cupra-nickel envelope inside which has been inserted a copper tube closed at the base.
1481. Is that an unusual type of bullet in your experience? 1482. Why do you say that? Because of the copper tube. 1483. Have you examined that copper tube closely? I have.
It is, yes.
1484. Just tell us what you did with it? The Government Analyst and I detached the copper tube from the outer envelope and inside the tube we found a whitish sub- stance I am not aware what it is.
1485. Can you tell us from your knowledge of ammunition of all kinds what would be the object of making a bullet with a copper tube and filling it with a powder? To make a tracer, incendiary, or possibly an explosive bullet.
1486. Let us take first of all the tracer bullet. Would you say that that bullet was
originally a tracer bullet? No, I would not.
1487. Why do you say that? If you want a tracer bullet it has to be ignited by the propellent of the cartridge, which could not in this case reach the tube since it is closed at the base.
1488. I gather a tracer bullet always has a hole in the base? Yes.
1489. Bearing in mind the evidence of the analyst which we have just had, and which I think you have heard, can you express an opinion as to whether it is an explosive or an incendiary bullet? In my opinion it was an incendiary bullet. 1490. What sort of wound would you expect an incendiary bullet to cause.
severe one.
A very
1491. More severe than a wound caused by a standard bullet? Very much more. 1492. Very much more likely to be a mortal wound? Much more.
59 [24th witness Albert Leslie Hopkins.]
1493. Chairman: You said a few moments ago that, from the lands and grooves with a right-hand twist which you found on the envelope of that copper tube, you had formed the opinion that it was fired from a machine gun of the Lewis gun type- is that correct. Not exactly; it is common to the machine gun type.
1494. Is not the rifle in the barrel of a machine gun the same as that in a rifle? No, the British rifle has 5 lands and grooves with a left hand twist, but many rifles do have four lands and curves with a right hand twist.
1495. Would the marks on that envelope be consistent with any type of rifled barrel.
with that kind of groove? It would be common to all modern rifles which have this grooving.
(Witness left the witness box.)
1496. Mr. Whyall: I mentioned on the second day of the enquiry that there were certain witnesses who could give material evidence but unfortunately they were not available because, since the happening of these events, they had obtained fresh The employment on fishing junks and their present whereabouts was not known. police have made strenuous efforts to locate these witnesses but it is a difficult I do not doubt that if further time task and so far they have not been successful. could be spared these witnesses would be located, but in view of the urgency of the Report I do not feel justified in asking for an adjournment. I trust that the evidence which has been given by the witnesses who were available will be of assistance to you in arriving at your conclusions.
1497. Chairman: Before we close the public sitting of the Commission I should like on behalf of my colleagues and for myself to thank you, Mr. Whyatt, for the very great assistance you have given to us in the presentation of the case and the marshalling of the evidence.
257