"A verdict of accidental death has been returned by the Coroner, Mr. W. G. Mellish, at an inquest into the death of Frederick Aylward Jennings, an airman, aged 31, whose body was found 45 yards inside the southern end of the Tawa Flat (railway) tunnel on February 28.

"I was a little concerned about this matter because of reports that reached me that this man had probably committed suicide as a result of a feeling of injustice because he was returned to New Zealand and reduced in rank," said the Coroner, "but I am always loath to find a verdict of suicide unless the circumstances point fairly conclusively to that. In this case I think this man may have had some sense of grievance. He probably did, because he expressed it to one of his friends, but there is nothing else beyond that which would decide the Court in making a finding of suicide, and I do not propose to do that.  I think his death was accidental and that no particular significance can be attached to the fact that he had some sense of grievance." An Air Force officer explained that a person going to a new trade could not expect to retain the rank in his original trade, but must be given a rank commensurate with his ability in the new trade —it was a matter of normal procedure."

[Evening Post, Volume CXXXV, Issue 79, 3 April 1943, Page 6]

Frederick had served as a Navigator in the UK with 226 Sqn RAF, and in Singapore, also with 9 Sqn RNZAF. His number of missions is unknown.