SYDNEY'S WELCOME

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 72, 27 March 1933, Page 8

SYDNEY'S WELCOME

EMBARRASSING ATTEN-

TIONS

United Press Association—By Electric Tele-

graph—Copyright.

SYDNEY, March 26.

Huge crowds assembled at Mascot aerodrome and gave the Southern Cross crew a wonderful welcome. As the monoplane came to rest at 5.10 p.m., a large number of aeroplanes went out from the shore and escorted the Southern Cross to the aerodrome.

Sir Charles had been groping his way through low-lying clouds during most of the afternoon. Visibility nt times wa3 very poor,- but he was in frequent communication by wireless, getting information regarding the weather, as the coast approached. He had difficulty in picking up the landmarks as he came in over the southeastern suburbs.

Relatives of the airmen were at the aerodrome to greet them, and the Mayor of Mascot extended warm congratulations to them on their notable performance.

Ecpresentativcs of various official and other organisations were also present', but tho crowd was so large and so enthusiastic that little formality could be observed. Thousands, wildly cheering, swarmed around the monoplane, and the airmen found the task of getting out of the aerodrome a more arduous ono than tho flight across the Tasman.

Sir Charles dismisses the flight briefly as an easy one. Having the ■advantage of a following wind, good time was made. When the airmen started to move from, the monoplane to tho clubhouse, the crowd took charge and fairly mobbed Sir Charles. Three policemen carried him to a friend's house some distance away. They crossed two fences, the second of which was a barbed wire one, and Kingsford Smith's leg was rather badly torn on it.

Excited spectators, in the meantime, had crowded round the aeroplane and pushed a number of holes through the fabric.