ROTARY CLUB

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 November 1943, Page 4

ROTARY CLUB

TODAY’S LUNCHEON MEETING ADDRESS BY SIR HERBERT HART. INTERESTING TRIPS IN AEROPLANE. At the luncheon meeting of the Masterton Rotary Club today, an interesting address was given by Sir Herbert Hart. . , c .. In the course of his remarks, bn Herbert stated: “We left Cairo early on a Saturday morning and went, down the Nile by service plane to Khartoum. On a previous trip this section had been done by seaplane. We then changed planes for the trip across the desert to the Atlantic coast. Although it was a big plane there were no comforts or beds, and the passengers lay on the floor in their overcoats. This trip was interesting because there was an extra three hours of darkness due to the fact that the plane was following the sun round and the morning seemed a long time in coming. There were quite good aerodromes on the way, and also on the Atlantic coast. From here there was again a change of planes for the Atlantic crossing, and the next stop was Natal, in Brazil, on the other side of the Atlantic. The route then followed the ordinary South American route, stopping at British Guiana, British; West Indies, Nassau (the Duke of Windsor was not in residence), and then to Miami, arriving there on Monday, 21 days after leaving Cairo. It was a curious experience in air travel to find that the Dilots and passengers never mentioned the town they were heading for, but the name of the airfield. At Miami they changed planes, this time to the American Civil lines, which went to Washington.” At Washington Sir Herbert received help and New Zealand information from Mr E. Buckton, of Masterton, who had been doing Y.M.C.A. work in America, but was then working in the New Zealand Embassy. The next, stop was New York, where he stopped for some days with friends. Again by civil plane he went, this time with comfortable beds, from New York to Philadelphia, to Chicago, then down to Texas over the Boulder Dam, south round the Rockies to Los Angeles, and then from Los Angeles to San Francisco. Here he met Lt.-Col. R. S. Halliwell, formerly of Masterton, who was military liaison officer there. Here again there was a delay for a few days in order to pick up the plane for Honolulu. This trip was made in a military plane in daylight, with the advantage of lengthening hours of daylight from travelling from West to East. When the Honolulu Army Department found out that Sir Herbert had been Governor of Samoa they arranged to get him to Samoa by plane (called the milkround plane), which stopped at various islands with mail, etc., finally landing at Samoa. From Samoa the next stop was Fiji. The plane came into Fiji in a light fog, and it was very interesting to see the method by which the plane was steered from the land station for a safe landing. At Fiji he was fortunate in getting a run to New Caledonia. He saw several of our New Zealancers, including Captain Bidwill of the Lower Valley. From New Caledonia there was a short run home to New Zealand. Except for the trip from Miami to Washington, the whole of the trip had been done in 4engined planes, which gave a feeling of security. The trip, including stops, took four weeks.

The president, Mr E. C’oddington, presided over a large attendance of members. Messrs V. E. Donald, R. McKenzie, C. N. Irvine and E. J. Burke were guests. Sir Herbert said he was impressed with the hopefulness he had seen in evidence, due to Hitler’s mistakes, that next year would see the finish of the war in Europe. On the motion of Mr S. L. P. Free, Sir Herbert was accorded a hearty vote of thanks.