REPORTED MISSING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 8 October 1940, Page 6

REPORTED MISSING

ANOTHER OXFORD PLANE WITH CREW OF TWO ON NORTH CANTERBURY FLIGHT. UNSUCCESFUL SEARCH YESTERDAY. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. All Airspeed Oxford aircraft of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and its crew of two have been reported missing- on a training- flight over North Canterbury -yesterday afternoon. The crew consisted of two airmen pilots under training, They are:— Leading Aircraftman Colin McDougall Didsbury, son of Mr H. G. Didsbury, of 224 The Terrace, Wellington. Leading Aircraftsman Ralph Norman Allen, son of Mrs G. H. Allen, of 4 Delta Street. Dunedin. The aircraft left Wigram Aerodrome at 2 o’clock to carry out a navigational flight between Wigram, Kaikoura, Oxford and back to Wigram, where it was due to return at approximately 4 i o’clock. It was reported overdue at 4.30 p.m., and action was taken to institute a search immediately. Two aircraft left from Wigram to cover the approximate area of the flight, but the visibility was bad and all reports were negative. The missing aircraft was last reported between the Amberley and Upper. Ashley River districts between 3 o’clock and 3.45 p.m. Reports have also been received that it was heard near Culverden at 3.5 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. Six aircraft were ready to resume the search at day break. FORCED LANDING CREW SAFE AND PLANE UNDAMAGED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. It was announced in Wellington this morning that the Airspeed Oxford bombing aeroplane, with a crew of two, which failed to return to Wigram from a training flight yesterday afternoon, has been located near Cass. The machine is undamaged and the crew unhurt. Apparently bad weather conditions had made a forced landing necessary.. . i : ;«i LOCATED AT MT. WHITE LANDING ON SHEEP STATION PADDOCK. MACHINE MAY FLY BACK TO WIGRAM. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The missing Oxford aircraft was located at Mount White, approximately ten miles south-east from Arthur’s Pass. The aircraft is undamaged and the crew uninjured, after a forced landing in a large paddock at the Mount White sheep station at 4.30 p.m./yesterday. The aircraft may be flown*! back to Wigram if the field is large enough for a take-off and two Royal New Zealand Air Force officers proceeded to Mount White today to inspect the field for this purpose.