AIR MAIL CRASH.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIX, Issue 282, 29 November 1938, Page 9

AIR MAIL CRASH.

CHRISTMAS LETTERS.

Imperial Airways Flying Boat

Comes To Grief.

EN ROUTE TO AUSTRALIA.

United Preee Association.—Copyright.

(Received 1 p.m.)

LOXDOX, November 28.

The Imperial Airways flying boat Calpurnia, which had been missing in Iraq between Kutbah and Lake Habbaniyah, near Bagdad, since last evening, was found by Royal Air Force aeroplanes in the south-west corner of Lake Raraadi, where she had made a forced landing.

The Calpurnia, which took off from Southampton last Friday with Christinas mails for Australia, carried no passengers. The crew consists of Captain E. H. Atwood, who was commander of the Canopus on the inaugural flight of the Kngland-Cape service in 1937, FirstOfficer A. N. Spottiswood, Radio Officer B. B. Rees, Steward D. E. Anderson, Flight Clerk F. G. Übee, and Probationary Station Officer Harrison.

The Air Force searchers reported that three of the rrew, one of whom was believed to be injured, were seen moving about the Calpurnia, which was apparently damaged.

Later a search party sent a radio message that it had found the wreck of the machine in eight feet of water on Lake Raniadi, which is 1.3 miles from the base at Lake Hahhanivnh. Mr. Rces was dead, Mr. Anderson and Mr. Harrison were injured, and Captain Attwood and First Officer Spottiswood were missing. Mr. Übec was not mentioned.

Information which has reached Imperial Airways shows that the Calpurnia's last message asking , for a radio bearing was s«nt out -when she was nearing her destination at 6.32 p.m., after leaving Tiberias. The bearing was given, the Calpurnia being then on her course. Mr. Übec is also presumed to be missing, but Imperial Airways so far cannot confirm the casualties.

"The Times" Bagdad correspondent says that efforts to recover the Calpurnia's mails were handicapped by the crash scattering letters over the "lake, but it is hoped that the majority will be recovered.