“We Are Pioneers”

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 666, 18 May 1929, Page 9

“We Are Pioneers”

KINGSFORD SMITH ON RISKS Captain Holden’s Evidence SAYS AIRMEN DID THE RIGHT THING (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) SYDNEY. Friday WE are in the position of pioneers, and pioneers always take risks,” said Squadron-Leader C. E. Kingsford Smith during the inquiry into the foreed landings of the Southern Cross and the Kookaburra, also the loss of the search airplane D.H.9A.

r |''HE tribunal comprises BrigadierGeneral L. C. Wilson, solicitor, of Brisbane; Captain G. Hughes, president of the New South Wales Aero Club; and Mr. C. N. McKay, president of the Victorian Aero Club. Mr. J. H. Hammond, K.C., assisted the committee. Kingsford Smith attributed the forced landing to the weather having caused them to lose their direction. Mr. Hammond: Then the happenings were not only unpremeditated, hut unexpected Witness: Entirely so. Tell us about the rations you had when you were lost. —We found what we thought were snails, but have since learned that they were a species of crawling shellfish. We also found a plentiful supply of swamp beans. Mr. Cassidy, counsel for the airmen, Questioned Smith about the country at Glenelg River. Smith said it was very rugged about Port George Mission, which was in a dip between hills, and difficult to see, even if one walked within half a mile of it. “A DELIBERATE LIE” Mr. Myers, counsel for Mrs. Anderson: There is a suggestion that you endorsed a promissory note for £3OO on the security of Anderson’s plane, and that this was part of the arrangement that Anderson should find you after you were lost. Is that so? Witness: That is a deliberate lie. Captain Hughes: Is it true that after you landed, either through inadequacy of your equipment or bad luck, you found it impossible to communicate with the outside world? Witness: Ido not admit that the strength of our improvised apparatus was inadequate to maintain signals for a long enough period to allow listeners-in to tune their dials to our particular wave-length. Our experience has taught us that provision should be made for transmitting from the ground. Captain Hughes: What was your reason for going direct to Wyndham?— We have always maintained that the Southern Cross could go anywhere. We are in the position of pioneers, and pioneers always take risks. Captain Hughes: Would you have been physically fit to walk to Port George Mission after you had been three days on the mudflat? —Certainly not. The party decided several times that it would be unwise to walk to the mission station.

lutely necessary to have an efficient emergency wireless set for a flight to North-Western Australia. Experiments in transmission from the ground, which his operator tried, gave poor results. Mr; Hammond: Is there anything you can suggest which the Southern Cross crew could have done besides landing?—No. they were lost. It was also a gamble whether they could land safely. I am sure that, in the circumstances they did the right thing. The witness produced a series of photographs of the Southern Cross on the mudflat. He then gave evidence about the search for the Kookaburra and the discovery of the airplane. The inquiry was then adjourned until Monday.

So if you had received a message telling you where the misison was, it would have been no use? —It would have been of very great use. We would have tried to get there". Smith added that the smoke columns from their fires rose to a height of 200 ft. to 300 ft. on quiet days. Captain Leslie Holden was then called, and described his search in the air-liner Canberra for the lost aviators, as already published. He added that the place where the Southern Cross landed was not such a spot as he would have selected for landing. DID THE RIGHT THING The crew of the marooned plane seemed slow in their movements, although there was nothing unusual in the gait of two of the men. They picked up parcels of food and made signs that they could receive radio messages from Sydney, but not from the Canberra. He was unable to land, but returned next day with more food, mails and messages. Captain Holden said it was abso-