MYSTERY MAN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 32, 8 February 1939, Page 9

MYSTERY MAN.

LOST HIS MEMORY. * . i TALKS OF AEROPLANES. ! NOVEL HOSPITAL TREATMENT. 6 (By Air Mail.) i LONDON, January 14. Doctors in tne Surrey County Council Institution at Grove Road, Richmond, trying to restore the memory of a man admitted during the week-end, are prescribing special books and pictures as part of the treatment. Last night a reporter saw the "patient" sitting up in bed reading a red-backed novel, "The Airman's Progress"—for the ' doctors believe that he was in some way connected with aviation. They hope to jog his lapsed memory in this, way, and, as far as the patient ] can etir the chords of memory, he Jβ j able to confirm their view. < The mystery man walked into Barnes 1 Police Station during the week-end i wearing a macintosh over a grey sports i coat and grey flannel trousers. i Aged about thirty-five, he has light ; J brown hair and a brown military-cut I moustache.. In his pockets were juet a broken watch and a small glass case. "Once in Uniform." Doctors plied him -with questions, particularly about north country towns, as his accent ie definitely not of the south. Then they handed him a newspaper. His eyes fixed on the picture of the record-breaking R.A.F. bombers. He spoke of the "prop"—the airman's wav of referring to the propeller—and described many features of the machine in technical terms. Hjb could not say , even whether he had ever been in the i R.A.F., but now he j-emembers having I been in uniform.

In quiet, cultured tones, he eaid to the reporter: "I can't remember % thing. I don't know whether Fir. married or single, where I'm from or how I got to Barnes. It is a dreadful thing altogether, i

"My hands show me that I didn't do hard work. I cannot explain it, but somehow when I read about machines and aeroplane engines I feel that J know all about them. Yet if you ask me details I can't give them. "In the same way I have a vague feeling that at some time 1 was in uniform. Books of the kind I am reading may help me if no one comes forward to recognise me and lift this veil from my memory."

He showed me a scar on his head, said that it hurt him a little. "It may have •something to do with my loss of memory," he said.