FILMED FLIGHT TO JAPAN

Chronicle (Levin), 23 June 1947, Page 2

FILMED FLIGHT TO JAPAN

-Press Association

N.Z. UNIT COYERS 17,000-MILE : . ... - , TRIF. . .

Bv . Telegrdph

WELLINGTON , June 22.: *."The most impressive" part. of the whole. . .trip was thd' yast size of the atea over which we flew that was not sd long ago in the hands of the Japanese." . ' " T , ; " . ' ■ So,.com;mented cinemato'grapher B.'R; Mirhifls and script writer C. YV. Holmes when ,they returned from a flight to japaii'in a 41 Squadron Dakdta. They made the trip to make a film of the flight for the National Film Unit, which f'elt that in the routine trips done wcekly by Da'kotas carrying. mail and the "Jayforce T.imes" to 2N.Z.E.F. (Japan), there was a golden opportunity to illustrate graphically how ineonsequential distance has become in this air age; to show how close the 'link is between New Zealand and otheT Pacific countries. The film sbould be in the theatres within a few weeks. In its firSt- few giant strides the plane used Norfolk Island, - Brisbane, Cloncurry, and ' Da^win as steppingstones. •" • * From Brisbane to Darwin it flew over eountry pictnr'ed in the film "The Overlanders. "■ Mr. .Mirams expressed thankfulness that he was able to fly over it rather than cover the distance as they did in the film. ' ' It was - just desert— patches of stunted shrub here and there and all the river beds bonedry, ' ' he said. ' ' Apart from one of two stretches of : brok'en ground it was mouotonously flat and very grim-look-ing-''-' • At. Sourabaya, which they ^escribed as an "armed-camp," they found the streets eluttered with barbed*wire barricades, tanks, landing craft, and all types of military equipment predominating the scene, and the front line of the battlefield only 18 miles away. "The Dutch have established the (?ity as a stronghold/ but, as a trucO is in foree at the monient/. Indonesian soldiers are seen in the streets. There is a strict 10 o 'clock curfew." Battle-searred Singapore was the next port of call.' Ohce the gateway of the East for ships, it now holds the same - ofiice for aircr aft. Changi airport, ternxinal for England, is vastly impressive, acco'rding to the two visitors, who professed great admiration for the efficiency oi the B.A.F., who ruri the 'drome. Saigon followed, and for the second time the New Zealanders were surprised by evidence of the nearness of warfare. As their machine landed another came and taxied up close to them. It ' was- Sfllled with French wounded from. fhe, Vietnam front. A hasty warning w;as aven that if any scenes of thef vambnlance 'J>ia5ne* nwere taken the camera- would be. confiscated. " "Probably the best rehabilitated of all the war-damag'ed cities We Saw was ' Hong Kong, our neX:t stop after Saigon," said Mr. Holmes.- "Of course, it was not^ so very. badly knocked around. "As in Singapore and Saigon, thefe is nothing in the way of food and goods" that is not available, at a price. We were surpriso'd to find cigarettes, rye whisky, perfumes, wines, and silverware in plentiful sUpply in Singapore, and the same things, except for cigarettes/ in Saigon. * The luxury trade and night life of Hong Kong ivas amazing. But, throughout, inflation is very obvious. " After leaving Hong Kong the plane developed an oil. leak in one of the eugines and had to put back for a few hours. This was the first and only liiteh of the trip, which says mueh for the crews, and in particular the engineers, two of whom travel with each plane and attend to all maintenance in transit. Little time was spent in Okinawa, a tight American military district where" jet planes abound, and the outward journey was soon brought to an end by the arrival at Iwakuni. Both Mr. Mirams and Mr. Holmes! wero loud in their praise-of the erew: which flew them. Not only were they ' extremely efficient in their handling of the aircraft, but they gave every assistance to the passengers in their task. They gave their time wiflingly at the stops and put themselves out iu many other ways to heip.v