THE MISSING AIRMEN.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5228, 18 January 1928, Page 2

THE MISSING AIRMEN.

DESCENT INTO SEA.

THE OFFICIAL OPINION.

WELLINGTON, January 17.

The gen'eral and the official opinion now .is that the missing airmen descended into the sea possibly soon after 5.22 p.m., when the last officially recognised wireless signal was picked up. No one has been more optimistic up till recently than Captain Kight, who returned to Wellington yesterday. -He 'stated that he could say no more than, anyone else as regards the probability of the airmen having reached New' Zealand, but he knew now that the; airmen would not be found alive. . Members of the Tararua Tramping Club have returned with no reports of signs of the machine or the missing men, and yesterday afternoon, after having made a special flight over the country between the Hutt and the Akatarawa Rivers to investigate a supposed' oil smoke signal, Captain Findlay turned his aeroplane for Sockburn, Christchurch, arriving at 6.1'5 p.m. Captain Buckley, who had Jjecn operating from Blejnhe’m, also returned to gbekburn yesterday, arriving at 5.10 p.m. The secretary of the General Post Office was advised yesterday afternoon that a close search of all the beaches on the west coast of the South Island between Cape Farewell and the Waihp River had revealed no trace of. the airmen. A Search °f the beaches spilth of tlie Waiho River is now in progress and a report will be made later.

Mrs of Bruce Avenue, Brooklyn, a. sister of Lieutenant Moncrieff’s, states that the; relatives of Lieutenant Moncrieff and Captain Hood feel grateful for what has been done by the Government and private individuals to endeavour to trace the missing airmen. They feel especially grateful to the members of tlie Tararua Tramping Club for organising search parties -to scour the ranges. All that it was humanly possible to do has been done, 'and the relatives, of the missing meh are deeply grateful.