THEIR MASCOT

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 435, 20 January 1933, Page 2

THEIR MASCOT

GOOD LUCK EMBLEMS COLLECTION OF CHARMS ABOARD SOUTHERN CROSS. WHAT CREW CARRIED. A strange assortment oi mascots and good. luck eriiblems accompanied the intrepid" airmen of the Southern Cross on their trans-Tasman venture. Each member of the crew and both passengers brought with' theni a" nuihber of mascots, presumably to charm away bad luck on Wednesdays crossing. Of course, none of them are superstitious — hut it pays to be careful The commapder, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, carried, among oth»er things, a small horseshoe given him by Mr. P. Hall, a Sydney pilot. In other days Sir Charles used to carry a photograph of the l'ate Nellie Stewart, famous Australian singer. "It went with me on my solo flight to England when'I suffered carbon monoxide' poisohing ; aiid> as' Nellie Stewart had died before that, I didn't carry it any 'more," says Sif Charles. Sir Charles also carried a handsome souvenir o'f Kis previous Tasman flight. This was' a map on greeiistone presented to him by the C'anterbury Returned Soldiers' Association. An outline of Australia and New Zealand is inscribed thereon, with a gold band marking the route of the flight. Similar pieces were given his companions, Messrs. C. T. d5. Ulm, H. A. Litchfield anfl T. H. .McWilliams. The gifts were subscribed for " by members of the association, and when the latest flight" was planned'it' was suggested by the association that Sir Charles should hring' iiis token with him and have another gold band inlaid to mark tlie track of the second Austrhlia-New

Zealand venture. It is intended by Sir Charles to take the memento to Christchurch and to deliver it personally to the Returned Soldiers' Associatihn. A silver fern always hangs from the Southern Cross' radio set operated hy lllr. J. S." W. Stahnage. It was there all through the Atlantic crossing as well as during the last flight. However, by mistake it' was sent to Wellington after the Tasman crossing, when the radio set- was returned to the firm whd lent it. Mr. Stannage is determined to recover his lucky charm. On his last trip the radio operator also brought with him a toy Australian bear. A candle from the cake at a golden wedding which' he attended shortly before departure was one of the emblems brought by Mr. Jack Percival, Australian journalist on the trip. He also brought an insolent-looking rag monkey' which had been "carried by Tom Gurr when the Youiig Australia League boys met the King, the Prince of Wales, the Eord Mayor of London, the King and Queen of Relgium. Trinkets from an Auckland Christmas cake accompanied Mr S. E. Nielson, New Plymouth Aero Club's secretary, who made the trip. He brought too a silver horseshoe and figured medal oh a charm. This was lent him by Mr. Syd. Malcolm, Australia's famous Rugby football captain. Mr. Malcolm has carried it in all his interuational trips, and Mr. Nielson has promised to return it in time for his South African tour.