ROSS-SMITH'S STORY

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 68, 13 December 1919, Page 7

ROSS-SMITH'S STORY

DIARY OF THE GREAT FLIGHT DIFFICULTIES tIIAT WERE SURMOUNTED TROUBLES IN DUTCH EAST INDIES (By Telegraph-Press Association-Copyripht (Rec. December 12, 8.30 p.m.) Sydney, December 12. Tho "Sun"' has received from Darwin mi exclusive story of Captain RossSiuitho flight, .is follows:— "We started from Hounsiow aerial station at nine o'clock on tho morning of November 12. and eiossed the Channel to Boulogne, where we struck a big storm with snow clouds. We were almost frozen to death when we landsd at Lyons, just before dark; Next' morning we continued our journey southward, and Hew over Cannes and Monte Carlo in snlendid' werther. 'fheriee ■ by Saint lUmo and the Gulf of Genoa to Pisa, where the machine bogged as we landed. Kalian soldiers extricated the machine, but owinsr to the pouring rain we were detained in Pisa during the next day. On tho following morning, when starting, we not bogged. After much trouble, Serxeant Bennett jumped oil' the tail plane, and. the engines starting, he narrowly missed l-eins left behind. Sergeant Shicrs just managing to haul him aboard. The weather was cloudy and the land hidden. We flew, seawanl, and then shaned our course for. Rome, when wo siwnt Hid niirht. From Rome we crossed the Appcnnines, having a bumpy trip to Nanles. tried to have a look nt Vfsuviir-i. but it was covered with the heavv clouds. We landed at Taranto. and employed the rest of the.day there overhaulini the machine. •In the Eastern Mediterranean, "On the sixth day «e lift Taranlo at davuu'ht, for Corfu, "through heavy clouds nml rain. Alons the coast of Alorea we struck reallv bad weather., with pouring rain. In the Gulf of Corinth, at nn altitude of 500 ft. over the sea. 1. had for I wo hours and a half to h'ght my way through the rain, dodging the little islands. Ciokklm were useless, so thick was the downpour. We carried this weather as far Crete; when: we spent the nislit. but. did not got much sleep, owing tn iiinvclwme bed companions. Wα crossed the Cretan mountains amid clouds, all the time afraid of hitting one of the mountain peaks. From Creto we made duy south across the Mediterranean for Solium, Africa. 2.M) miles away. Wo reached this, point in three hours, .■mi! from there made due cast to Cairo, where we arrived after 71 hours' noiir slop, fliirhl. From Cairo to India. ■ ■• • Next; morning we he.idc-d the Vimy for Damascus, knowing this portion of tho iourney v.cll,- having flown over it in win- lime. l\"e carried the rain all tho wav to Damascus, and it was still rainiti,/ next ii'-oi'tiinsr m'lk'U w : o .-.tailed for Haudiul. across the deser!. The clouds were yerv low. and wo could only (ly tho machine at about fifteen hundred' feet. U'e met a . head wind nn striking the liiver Euphrates.- and this prevented us from reaching Bagdad before dark, s:> ;it Ji'iiiniidii , wi> were taken care of iiy Itie Tentli Indian J..-:mocrs, who tied tlin iiiachins up fiicins the wind. Durin,' liie irglil 'the wind chauged, and gn-w lei a pile, mid tho crew had to turn "in" .-iiid hang on to the aeroplane. Wo immured lo secure it, sulVcriiig only the Dreakngo of a control wire. Next morning after repairs, we «ro-M?d JCut, and other luillh'h'i'lds ;.f the M'r-'opotannnn campaign lo Basra. This was the lir-l ::i.ii--d t!vir.',- day since we lc:t Eu-i----l!ir.'l._ .>m. Cli« i-tTv.- v:ei'i-. iiroil anil !'<<> niachini) rp([uircd overhnul we r>pent the cli>,y .:. liii.--ra. ami. got away iiya.n at suiiri.-e for. liiiiidar Abbas, landing after a flight of eight hours. Tho route was' over absolute desert, rugged mountain country. ])ayli«ht again jaw 115 moving for Kniiichi, making another right and n half hours' flijjht'nt a stretch. .Here, at. elsewhere, we received every ass'stance fi'iim Ihn oflicers of the a , '; ,, force nnd others. ■ Thence, by a non-stop nine-hour run across the Si'inde desert to Uajpiitnna, we reached , Delhi. During the last tlirco diiyi wo bud travelled !P>OD miles oud silent 25.1 hours out of the fi-1 in Ik' ;iir. At Delhi, Gwural jMovsin, olli'.-er (.-uminaiKlin<; tho air force.-, made .•irriiiigcmonts for y:'l jind other s-.ujiplii'.s '■Jirougluuit India. Up to this stage eirryiliing h»(| gone remarkably we'll with tlu! machine, ;ind tho engines and (.■«.■«• wow p.uellenl. -. Wp> sjif-nt a day in Delhi resting, overhauling, and securing rlit.lll (rlollic-;. We got nuny early next morning fur Alliihabud. and'arrived in the affcrnooii. 'J'lio d;iy Tol]o'.viii(f \w reached Calcutta at midday, a great, croud welcmning 11-- at the racecourse. Catching up on Poulct, 'Next (lav ive made u short flight to' Akyab. When approaching Akyab we iKiliced anolhcr Machine in the aerodrome, which proved lo .be I'milet's. Next: day «•« How to l{:in;;oon, where we hud. annlhi-r enlliusiastic reception. Tlioii-in.'ls vis'ted Ihn rac'vourw (u see the landing and inspect' 'the machine. Poulct arrived shortly afler. Wo greatly admired his ttliicl; iii tackling tin: huge jrh in a sni:ill inae-liine acloinnnirird by a single mechanic. Next day we started for iiaugirok, and How over tho mountaiiH at 11 height of UOOO feel, thi'iicc tnllowiiig (lie milivay njul the river Jlekong down to Siamese' Government aeifidnime. Every % asgßl.■inci; was srivrMi by the Siamese authorities, and in departing on the following diy wo were escorted for fifty miles by four Sinmpso machines. After a twohoiiw" flight we ran into a monsoon and were compelled to descend, following the coastline in blinding rain. Real Difficulties. "The weather cleared before reaching iSinjfora, where we , made a precarious landing among the stumps; having missed tho landing place and damaging tho luil sk;d Bennett engaged some coohea to engage in repair work, but they struck at the heavy nature of the work and much persuasion in tho sign language was rei[iiired in order to get the job linished. Meanwhile our petrol supplies had run short, and I' telegraphed lo Pciinng for two hundred gallons. Kext incrning on awakening the heaviest rain over experienced w.'is falling and half the aerodrome was under water. After overhauling the engines we requested that, steps be taken to. clear tho path to M'lblc us to get llio machine off. Two hundred convicts from the tf.iol did the nc-cessary work. The petrol arrived in I he evening, but it was .still ruining heavily. During the night the crew had to turn out and hang on to tho mrhinc. We altempted to start early in tho morning, but got badly bogged. V,'« managed with some difficulty lo get out and made another start through liiit('lii.-i of water six inches deep, but Kβ Kiithcred sufficient way to carry through, lit iNiigora we were the guests" of Princo Yiiylii.-wht! placed his bungalow at our disposal and gave us every assistance. "Tho next stage of the journey led r.ear Peiiang to Singapore, where we had ai'other groat reception, including an entertainment by the Australian and Ken- Zealand Association of Malaya. After a day's rest we started for Kallsjiili. This was a distance of nearly seven hundred miles, and the worst stage of the journey as regards landing g:mmd. We travelled down the cast wast of Sumatra and then turned over (Ik- soo. h> liat-avia, where everywhere the country was densely wooded. Wn saw only 0n , . , place, lfaiiku Island, whore wo could have landed the machine. The f.idvwnui'-OMTsil ill" the Dutch- East Indies welcomed us a.t Kallejati. We expected the stage of tho journey from Singapore- to Darwin ' to ■ lie most difficult, bu 1 tho ' 'Governor-flt-noral us soon as he hoard that Uw flight had been arranged, ordered aerodrinni'.-i In be constructed at various points oi' tin , Dutch islands. These acrudrouu's <!'-'"atly fni/ililiiLed Ilie'ronuuuiM',' «fit.-:os nf tlin juiirucv. Without Ihi-iu it would havo bei>n diliicult lo complete the last-stage of. seventeen huudred miles of flight. Next

day wo wont from Kallejali to Sourabaya. It was an uneventful journey, but wo struck troublo in landing. The miicliino sank to the axles in mini. Local engineers directed (wo hundred coolies, nn<l assisted in gettiny the Vimy out. A flier many hours of work a road of bamboo mals, three hundred yards long, wns niado, enabling the machino 'lo got a run. After running for somo distance some of tho maU caught dhc tail and swerved the macliine round off tho track. Onco more we were bogged badly, and decided lo widen Hie (rack. . By twelve oVloek we had made it 35(1 yards lons 'and twenty yards wide, and suc'■eeded in getting off, ■ bamboo flying in all directions from the propellers. Wo flew to Dima, whore we wero entertained by the local Sultan, and, next morning, started for Timor, where we lauded salely on December 10. The Sydney, and Darwin.' The crew was up at dawn, but a thick fog delayed the start till B.3o,'when we headed 'for Darwin, flying on compass bearing. After being out of sight of land for two' hours we sighted the warship Sydney. Wo hud no wireless, so we dropped a message in a bottle attached to a parachute, statin" flint, we were all well. The message was picked up. Two hours after leaving tho Sydney we sighted Bathurst Island, our first glimpse of Australia, and tliree-tiuar(ors of an hour later we reached Darwin." .. ' COMMENT ON THE ROSS-SMITH ACHIEVEMENT .... London, December 10. The Australian Press Association interviewed General Sykes, Director of Civilian Aviation, lie said that from every viewpoint the performance was a brilliant and wonderful one,- and would livo in the history of aviation. It was intensely satisfactory to know, that tho liight had been accomplished by an Australian crew on a British machine equipped .with British engines,. and assisted by British organisation. Although faced with bad weather, nothing ecriously impi'ded the remarkable ' progress. "In order to view tho feat, in its true perspective." lie said, "it is necessary to regard it as a great pioneer undertaking. It is part of the spade work of which much. remains to be doiio-bei'oro tho dream of Imperial , air routes can bo realised No one more than Caplain liosj-Smith will appreciate that a large incisure of his success is duo to the ■jiountlwork undertaken before, and during Urn flight, such as arranging for landing, grounds, meteorologignl reports, and facilities for crossing, foreign countries. It is by tho improvement of tliese arHiiigeniciits lhat we look forward lo tho development of tho Imperial air routes. Xo doubt: each Dominion will forgo Ms own link in this invisible Imperial chain to suit its own requirement's. Doubtless, ilying-boats will be suitable in some places, and aeroplanes- in others. Captain lio-ss-Smith'e achievement is greatly helpful. It will show where the in the meteorological and other information occur, and .teach us something of air currents, of wl'iich we are at present ignorant. Although Hit- (light offers a wonderful endurance test, the future of long-distance flights lios in the relay system. Wo must not yet expect to esriiblish a weekly service with- Australia. The Commonwealth Government deserves credit for initiating and promoting tho contest—in bringing together the two ends of Empire-and the Dutch Government has shown the' great value of international co-operation in the East' Indies'.. Admiration for Captain RossSmith, does not deter one frou>. expressing approciatai of Poulet's wonderfully plucky effort'."—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Am. •TOKISMOST LIVING AVIATOR." New York, December 1C Tho Xew York "Times," in an editorial article, says: "Captain Boss-Smith lias doiw a wonderful thing for the prestige of the British Empire. ■ 'He must be bailed as the foremost living aviator, for he nover blundered or faltered.' — Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. CONGRATULATIONS IN THE HOUSE. (Rec December 12. 5.'5 p.m.) London, December.ll- - (iii! House of Commons, in"'reply lo a question, Mr. Churchill-confirmed Uic news of ■ Captain Boss-Smith's, arrival, nml offered his congratulations, amid cheers. ■ In the House of Lords. Lord Montague inc-ntioiied the matter and ftiid it was "au epoch in the history of the Air Force.'Aus.-N.Z. Qible Assn. AERO CLUB ADJUDGES ROSS-SMITH THE WINNER (Hoc. December 13, 1.10 a.m.) The Aero Club had a conferenc- with Mr. Andrew Fisher (Australian .Hish Commissioner), and decided that, subi ject to verification of Mie machine, Up- | tain Ross-SmitX was the winner, 'having fulfilled all the conditions...'lhc club I cabled ils congratulations to- Canlam Uuis-Smith on his epoch-making flight — Ad.-N.Z. Cable As>n. ■ POEET ABANDONS THE FLIGHT - (Rec. December 13, 1.10 a.m.) Allahabad, December 12. I'oulol has abandoned his flight), o«'in» ro the piston of one of his engines having broken. ]lo is .returning to Via-nce bv steamer from * Moulmein.-Aus.-N.Z. 'Cable An-ii. ....... MATTHEWS AT BELGRADE (I!cc December 13, 1.10 a.m.) London , , December 11. . Capfiiin Mntfliovvs has reached Bel-grade—.Vus.-N.ij. Cable Assn. ■" LIEDT. PARKR'S FLIGHT Oiec December 12,. Ji.. 1 ) p.m.) ' London, December It- . Lieutenant; Parer hopes to sla.rt on his Australian flight about DcccmW 20. Ho has secured a Dβ H.avilaud machine, fitted a CSO h.p. sixcyliuder Siddoley-Punui engine with n - cruising speed of ninety miles and Ji, range of ono thousand. Tho machine is similar to Hioso used in tho London-flaris mail service. Lieutenant .T. M'Jntosh, formerly of Hiwk'otown, .accompanies him. Ec secured a commission in the Royal Air Force at his own request, in lieu of paywent for inventing aerial ground-shrap-nel bombs, which the AVar Office accepted in October, 1918, but: which were too lale for uso in tho wn\—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. , KARACHI-BOMBAY AIR WAIL - (Rec. December 12, 11.55 p.m.) Karachi, December S. An aerial postal mail to Bombay will bo inaugurated en January 1, thus .affording the residents of Karachi an extra twenty-four hours to cak-h Iho outgoing steamer.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Aobii. . JAPAN ORDERS TWO BIG WAR AEROPLANES JAPAN Oli-DERS TWO BIG WARAEROPLANES. (Dec. December 12, 5.5 p.in.\ New York, December 10. Reports from' Berlin states that Japan is endeavouring to place orders in (.ierliinny for two of the largest and fastest aerial war cruisers ever designed. According to reliable information the two cruisers must be fully nimod and equipped with bombing apparatus.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. ' FRENCH AIR FORCES (liec 'Dcconiljer 12, 5.5 p.m.) Paris, Dei'cnib'.'r 11. The air squadrons which were formed' duriiis Iho war will be converted into regiments Lii-January. Seven regiments will be created for observation purposes, , tlirco for chasing, and three for bomb-. ii,j>.—ili'is.-N.H. Cable Assn.

Pl'lm ?';ible news in thip issue arcrcrlilort In tlin liiinilon "Times" has npnrnrcl in Hint Journal. I'M only where expressly Etatcc! is eucli jiewe the editorial opiiiiou of tho "TlmoB.") , .