ANDERSON’S HEROISM

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 645, 23 April 1929, Page 1

ANDERSON’S HEROISM

Body of Mechanic Seen

LAST SERVICE TO COMRADE Tragic Climax of Desert Drama ROUGHLY buried near the Kookaburra airplane, Mr. R. S. Hitchcock s body has been seen by airmen flying; overhead. Lieutenant Anderson must have buried his comrade as best he could, and then crept into the shadow of the airplane’s wing;, to die his lonely death. Tlius, a heroic last act of service and sacrifice closed this most grim desert drama.

(Australian and X.Z. Press Association) { Reed. 11 am. SYDNEY, To-day. | Flight-Lieutenant Eaton In a report to Major Coleman, 'Secretary to the Commonwealth Air Board, states that the body of Mr. R. S. Hitchcock, Lieut. Keith Anderson's mechanic, was seen by him partly buried near their plane, the Kookaburra, under a wing o£ which Anderson’s body was found. The "Sydney Daily Telegraph" says a message from Pilot Brain, who first discovered the Kookaburra, reports that there appears to be something covered up near the plane, which may be Hitchcock’s body, roughly buried. Pilot Brain discovered an extraordinary cave hole in the ground, 17 miles north-west from the Kookaburra, containing water. Four planes flew over the stranded machine yesterday, and searched the surrounding country. Pilot Brain states that the position of the Kookaburra is accessible to land parties only, through Wave Hill. A car has left Newcastle Waters for the scene. It is now possible that petrol supplies will be taken to the Canberra by the Southern Cross, which leaves Wyndham this morning, and will laud beside Lieutenant Anderson’s machine if possible. The giant monoplane was unable to leave yesterday owing to essential repairs. A landing-ground could be cleared near the stranded machine, says Pilot Brain, provided that food and water (or the workers were conveyed to the spot by air. Hitchcock formerly was a hairdresser, and before that a gold miner in Western Australia. He was invalided home during the war. Pilot Brain reports that he flew- over Anderson’s airplane again yesterday and searched for Hitchcock without result. He said the water he had dropped had all dried up. ANDERSON'S CAREER WAS TO BE MARRIED IN MAY r ! BORN IN SOUTH AFRICA * • Press Association WELLINGTON, Monday. Lieutenant Keith Anderson was 32 years of age. He was born in Africa, hut at an early age went to Australia. His father died when • the son was very young. Keith Anderson was only IS years

old when he went to the war. At the end of 1916 he joined up with the Royal Flying Corps, and saw active service in Franco. He also did considerable flying in England. When he returned to Australia he took a position a 3 air mail pilot on the PerthDerby and the Perth-Kalgoorlie air mail service.

In 1925 Kingsford Smith and Anderson flew two Bristol tourers from Perth to Sydney, straight across Australia, in order to start in the InterState Flying Service, Ltd., the headquarters of which were in Sydney. After they had been flying for some months. Smith and Ulm did the round Australia flight in 101 days. Anderson and Hitchcock, accompanied by H. Vivian, publicity manager for a hosiery Arm, took a second airplane, and followed close on their heels. They flew the trip in 14 days. Theirs included the longest non-stop flight that had been done in Australia, namely, from Wyndham to Broome, which is practically right across the spot where the Southern Cross was recently found. When they returned to Sydney, Smith, Ulm and Anderson left for America to organise the transpaeilic flight, but, through lack of funds and for personal reasons, Anderson returned to Sydney. Just prior to his death Anderson had bought a Westland Widgeon airplane, and was secretly preparing to make a non-stop flight from Brisbane to Hobart, a distance of about 1,300 miles. Anderson was engaged to Miss “Bon” Hiltiard, of Sydneyl, and they were to have been married at the end of May. His mother is still in Perth.

SEARCH PLANE'S CRASH

WRECKED COMPLETELY AN ENGINE SEIZURE Reed. 11 a.m. SYDNEY, To-day. One of the Air Force machines engaged in the search for the Kookaburra crashed near Tennant’s Creek, and was wrecked beyond repair. The pilot and mechanic were not hurt. The cause of the mishap was an engine seizure. A message received in Sydney last night from Wave Hill stated that Captain Matheson, about whose long absence anxiety was felt, has reported that he is safe. He is expected to reach Cloncurry to-morrow, and then will return to his home town, Goulburn. He had not been reported since Saturday.