MISS BATTEN'S STORY

Marlborough Express, Volume LXVIII, Issue 148, 25 June 1934, Page 2

MISS BATTEN'S STORY

GLAD TO BE HOME EN G AGEMENT ANNOUNCED. FUTURE PLANS.

Press Association Telegram.

AUCKLAND, June 25. Miss Jean Batten's plane, in which she fiew to Australia, also arrived by the Aorangi to-day and she brought with her ,a kitten mascot, which was given to her by xeturned soldiers in hospital at Sydney. It has already done 18 hours' flying. Amongst those who welcomed Miss Batten on the ship were representatives of the National Cduncil of Women. She told interviewers she had been engaged for ohly three months to Captain E. E. Walter, a London stockbroker, but owing to the uncertainty of her programme she was unable to give even an approximate date of the wedding. She remarked that none of the male members of her family had regarded her1 flying very kindly, being anxious for her safety, but her mother, who would arrive in New Zealand next month, had been her inspiration. Her mother was her first passenger when she qualifled at Mangere. She recounted incidents1 of her three flights, remarking that after she returned to London from Rome she had lost some of her enthuisiasim, Ibut none of her determination. "I want to say how glad I am to be back in my hiome town, and to have achieved my ambition," she said. "From the beginning my hope was to bring my plane from England to New Zealand and now I am here. As the range of the plane is only 800 miles, I was unable to complete the last lap by air, but I have brought my plane with me. Now that I have reached my jouxney's end I am more than pleased." Miss Batten will leave for Wellington by train to-miorrow to ibe the guest of the Governor - General and Lady Bledisloe for several days. Later she will return, to Auckland for several weeks. She expects to remain in New Zealand for some months. She denied a report that she might take part in the Melbourne air race, saying her machine was not secondhand, but fifth-hand, :and quite unsuitable. She hoped to be in Melbourne to see the finish of the race. The greatest crowd seen at the Auckland Town Hall for many years assembled to do honour to Miss Batten this afternoon. ' Hundreds were turned away, and the street around the main doors was so crowded that traflic was almost blocked. The speakers included Mr C. T. P. Ulm, who paid a high tribute to Miss Batten's skill as a pilot. Miss Batten replied with characteristic coolness and lueidity.