Officer Service No. (ASN): O-370964

Pueblo Chieftain Friday March 13 1942 Page 10
Lieut- Colonel Gillies' Death in Crash verified

Lieut. Col. John A. Gillies, formerly of Pueblo was killed In an airplane crash north of Basara. Iraq, Feb. 28 according to an Associated, Press report from the London News Chronicle, sent from Bombay. Two Russian officers and two American representatives of the General Motors Corporation, unnamed, were aIso, killed. The plane belonged to Russia. The dispatch was confirmed by the United States war department. Colonel Gillies was reported missing from his army post in Bagdad, Persia, last Tuesday, by the United States government. Mrs, Gillies and her daughter. Alice Jean reside In Amarillo, Texas where Colonel Gillies had been stationed as general manager of the Santa Fe railroad- western lines when he was called into active military service He was head of coordination of railroads in war aims in the Far East and his death will mean a definite loss to the Allied Nations. Colonel Gillies was born in Winnipeg. Can, attended schools in Manitoba, Can., Porto Rico and In Pueblo. His first position was in the civil engineering department of the Santa Fe in Pueblo. His rise in the railroad world was spectacular.

"In two minutes he would know all there was a know about a situation confronting him and be way ahead of anyone else in solving It," commented W. H. Biddall chief clerk to J. E. Lester. Superintendent " Most of us worked with him for 30 years." Biddall continued, "and he was our friend."
John A. Gillies Jr. Is In New York City doing defense work.
Mrs J. E. Humphrey, sister of Colonel Gillies lives at 1230 Van Buren, in Pueblo. Another sister Mrs. J. D. Ayers, resides in Floydada.. Tex.

Humphrey is retired cashier of the Santa Fe and served with Colonel Gillies for many years.

Officer Service No. (ASN): O-370964

Pueblo Chieftain Friday March 13 1942 Page 10
Lieut- Colonel Gillies' Death in Crash verified

Lieut. Col. John A. Gillies, formerly of Pueblo was killed In an airplane crash north of Basara. Iraq, Feb. 28 according to an Associated, Press report from the London News Chronicle, sent from Bombay. Two Russian officers and two American representatives of the General Motors Corporation, unnamed, were aIso, killed. The plane belonged to Russia. The dispatch was confirmed by the United States war department. Colonel Gillies was reported missing from his army post in Bagdad, Persia, last Tuesday, by the United States government. Mrs, Gillies and her daughter. Alice Jean reside In Amarillo, Texas where Colonel Gillies had been stationed as general manager of the Santa Fe railroad- western lines when he was called into active military service He was head of coordination of railroads in war aims in the Far East and his death will mean a definite loss to the Allied Nations. Colonel Gillies was born in Winnipeg. Can, attended schools in Manitoba, Can., Porto Rico and In Pueblo. His first position was in the civil engineering department of the Santa Fe in Pueblo. His rise in the railroad world was spectacular.

"In two minutes he would know all there was a know about a situation confronting him and be way ahead of anyone else in solving It," commented W. H. Biddall chief clerk to J. E. Lester. Superintendent " Most of us worked with him for 30 years." Biddall continued, "and he was our friend."
John A. Gillies Jr. Is In New York City doing defense work.
Mrs J. E. Humphrey, sister of Colonel Gillies lives at 1230 Van Buren, in Pueblo. Another sister Mrs. J. D. Ayers, resides in Floydada.. Tex.

Humphrey is retired cashier of the Santa Fe and served with Colonel Gillies for many years.