DOGGED BY ILL-LUCK

Evening Post, Volume CX, Issue 140, 11 December 1930, Page 9

DOGGED BY ILL-LUCK

HILL DOWN AG-AEST

MACHINE DAMAGED

DARWIN, 10th December. The ill-luck that has (logged the Eng-land-Australia flight of Flight-Lieuten-ant Ceclric Hil) persists. He completed the last stage of his flight to Australia to-day, but later was forced down -at an isolated inland spot. Flight-Lieutenant Hill arrived unexpectedly at 10.30 a.m., Darwin time, having left Koepang at 1.45 a.m., with a good moon. He ran into raia off Timor, otherwise the trip over the water of 480 miles was uneventful. He saw the steamer Marella when nearing Darwin. He circled overhead and tried to drop a message, which, however, missed the ship. The passengers were very excited. Ecferring to his crash some time ago, he said he would have beaten Hinkler's record but for that mishap. He had carried out all his own repairs with the assistance of an Air Force crew. He would try to sell his aeroplane in Australia, but if it did not sell he would ship it back to England, where he is due on his old job in March. His plans now consist of a flight to Brisbane, Sydney, and probably to Melbourne. He left for Daly Waters at midday. Cedrie Hill is a tell, jovial young man—a typical Cornstalk. His aeroplane is blue and silver in colour, and is named Jane, after his wife, who is awaiting his arrival at Brisbane. He is most anxious to greet her. Hill is wearing a green coat, khaki shirt, green shorts, grey golf stockings, and black shoes. Before his departure for Daly Waters a local aboriginal prisoner handed him a white nosegay for "somebody Down South." All goats were driven off the aerodrome before he' hopped off. A far larger crowd of local people was present to see him depart than that which saw his arrival, which was unexpected. A message received later at Darwin states that Hill was forced down behind a school at Pine Creek, 150 miles southeast of Darwin. He was uninjured, but one wing of his aeroplane was damaged, an*d it is not known whether he can repair it locally.