THE MISSING AIRMEN

Hokitika Guardian, 26 April 1929, Page 5

THE MISSING AIRMEN

PACK HORSE PARTY.

MAKING HAIM I) PROGRESS

(Australian Press Association)

(Received this •' " n.m.) SYDNEY, April ‘J(S

' Advices state the pack horse party is making excellent progress to the Kookaburra at the rate of thirty-six miles per day. 'Air Force machines under Lieutenant Eaton are supplying food to the party They will also direct the party to wa.er holes, and in the, bringing back of the bodies, although there arc yet no definite tidings of Hitchcock.

PILOT BRAIN’S STORY

OK FINDING OF KOOKABURRA

(Received this day at 11 a.in., SYDNEY, April 20

Pilot Brain describing the finding of the Kookaburra, says: “We left Newcastle Waters on Sunday morning and beaded for Wave llill. We came over the desert country with wild timber, flying along at eighty miles an hour, bne conviction gre.v on me that hereabouts the Kookaburra had been lost. Suddenly 1 saw a faint column of smoke about sixty miles to our southwest. .My Companion also saw the smoke. The Atlanta came down to two thousand 'feet. We all watched while 1 turned tne machine from side to side to look carefully underneath. When ' within twenty miles of the smoke, we discerned a big area smouldering, and a chill struck into my heart. No ordinary chance could set the scrub afire, as there was not a human life in this locality, except niggers who may come along in the wet season. Suddenly, I discovered something which did not seem to belong to this desolate bush. 1 jumped to the conclusion that here lay Anderson’s plane. After continuing a 'further three miles 1 saw the Kookaburra lying there. A radio s message was immediately sent out, the engines were shut off and we came low over , the Kookaburra.

My feelings were of pride and exultation. T though I had arrived to rescue two men, both personal friends. We circled round'and looked for a sign of life. The machine swooped within twenty feet of - the ground. I saw a man’s figure lying in the shade of the wing. He lay as if asleep, but he was dead.

I realised the tragedy when the drone of our ’plane failed to move him. He was dead and had been for some

days

I cannot, forget the inert silence of this sad figure. After circling round ten times, I became certain it was Anderson and skirted round the burning aren searching for Hitchcock but there wsa lib sign.' Thinking, however, that he might be in the vicinity, supplies were dropped by parachute. A landing would have been excessively dangerous and of no use.

Exultation had been our first emotion at sighting the Kookaburra, but we returned to Wave Hill with our hearts full of sorrow for the crew’s certain death.”

The Atlanta which had left Wave Hill, for Brisbane, was diverted at Lougreach and covered the thousand miles from there to Sydney yesterday.