LAST AIR VICTIM FOUND

Chronicle (Levin), 2 November 1948, Page 7

LAST AIR VICTIM FOUND

Press Association)

Comments On Organisation Of Search

(Per

OHAKUNE, Nov. 1. A message was received from the party on the moimtain at ahout 9.20 o'clock tonight that some of the party had been up to the plane and had found the hody of the thirteenth victim, Mr. W. B. R. Mumford, imder one wing of the plane. They were returning to base camp for the night. No further details were given and it is thought that the hody will be recovered tomorrow. Mr. W. B. K,. Mumford, M.B.E., M.I.E.E., was aged 38 and single. He was employed by A. Reyrolle and Co., Ltd., Hepburn-on-Tyne, England. He had travelled extensively in the firm's Lnterests and had oeen so engaged for some months in New Zealami, making his headquarters in Wellington. In the Second World War Mr. Mumford served with distinction, attaining the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.

A party of nine police and three farmers from the distriet under Chief G-uide S. Mace and Guide F. Shardarsy left (Jowem's inill at 1 p.m. today in an attempt to lind the body of Mr. Mumford. Last night eivil aviation engineers vvitlidrevv from the scene and reported that the eugine and wing of the plane had slid down the gully with. the loosening of the snow. Some Complaints. About 5 p.m. on Saturday the lirst weary groups of men wlio had spem a gruelling day and night 011 the mountainside began to emerge from the bush at Horopito. They were tired, dirty, simburned by the lierce giare of snow, and nearly all ravenously hungry. Three .well-knowu resideuts of the distriet arrived among the lirst. While one sat on a log to remove his boots and lind dry socks, they complained 111 very plain language of some weaknesses iu the search party organisation. " We had a very rough night out in the serub i'h the rain 011 Friday night,'' suid one man, " but we were not wor ried, as we had been toki that all tlie food we needed would be supplied from the air. Most of us took nothing. Next morning whea canisters of food were dropped, a few men and at leas! one polieeman grabbed the lot. Some of/the men wlio did most of the work got one slice of bread for breakfast to last tlie 111 ail day, with nothing till the following day." ' ' We expecteel a good feed wheu we got back from the mouiitain, " said anotlier man, "but all we got was a cup of eold tea, a i>ear, and anotlier bit of bread. There were too uiany useless men hanging arouud the base camp eating food that should have beeii rationed. ' ' Other local buslunen wlio worked harel in the search coulirmed the remarks, and coiuiueuted that if the job had been left to the ku al polieemen without outside coutrol it would have been done without friction and more efficiently. liadf been caused around the base camp ' betvveen mauv of the search party and one particuiar polieeman from outside tlie local distriet. There had also been a lack of organised control. The civilians did not know whether the Arxnv or the police were supposed to be running the show This opinion was conlirmed by manv other men. " I11 spite of the serious sliortage oi' food oli the mountainside 011 Friday and Saturday, when tlie search parties spent miserable nights shivering iu wet blankets. the whole searcn operation was a triumph for the Air Force, wlnch was able to drop vitally-needed supplies with surprising accuracy. Men who returned yesterday on carrving parties said they had been completely depend ent 011 the Air Force during the operation for almost evervthing they needed except personal gear. Stretchers wetv dropped with precision at tlie sile of tlie wrccked aircraft. There was some criticisni from :i ilisillusioued and hungry Imshinan who sei/.ed a' cannister tlmt had been •dropped in tlie snow to lind it contained only tins of water and lengths of rope Friday night was trying for the men.

who endured sevexal storms withoul sleep at the base camp, well above the bush line. They let off steam by swearing heartily all night and were read.v to pusli 011 in the morning, al tliougli very hungry. A burly police man laughed yesterday when he produeed from his poeket a packet of solid alcoliol used for fuel in high cainps. " 1 gfdfASo •hungry I just got down on om of these things, " he said. "I had a bite and said: 'Mv God, these things taste bitter.' My mate told me: 'Slie's right. All these concentrated foods taste like that.' " P. and T. Facilities Of great assistance to newspaper-men covering the disaster was a teleprintev installed in the Ohakune Post Office onFriday night to handle Press traffic. Ttie formidable total of nearly 22,000 words was handled by one operator, Mr. A Koorey, from Wanganui, and Mr. R. D. Yaughan, a technician from Welling ton. Long hours were worked by thesmen, with every possible assistance from the staff of the Ohakune Post Office. The nunxber of people usiug Post Office facilities during the week cn:l lias been considerable, and the wife of the postmaster provided an unofficia but greatly-appreciated service with hei tea and home-baked scones. The teleprinter was a mobile unit kept ii readiness at the Central Post Office for any emergency. A skilled operator cau take the boxes in whicli the gear 15 packed out of the van and have tho station operating witliin a quarter oi an liour.