JOURNEY BY AIR

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 290, 7 December 1943, Page 3

JOURNEY BY AIR

AFRICA TO TEHERAN Mr. Churchill At Work On 1200-mile Flight British Official Wireless Rec. 12.30 p.m. RUGBY, Dec. 6. Non-stop flights between North Africa and Teheran were made both ways by Mr. Churchill and President Roosevelt and their chiefs-of-staff. Each delegation flew in a big transport machine and came low to see Jerusalem and Other Biblical cities and Bagdad. They flew both ways without fighter cover, but had a courtesy escort of British fighters.

In the gloom and fog of an early desert morning the delegations left Mena, beneath the Pyramids, for the airfield. Soldiers lined the route and the heavily-guarded convoy was moved several miles under staff care to the airport. The transport planes took off within a few minutes of each other, but took different routes. The Americans landed at the Russian-controlled Teheran airfield at Alemorgh on November 20, after a 1200-mile flight ' Soviet soldiers guarded the field and fighter planes were dispersed around. The delegates were driven to the American Legation and in the streets Iranians, without being demonstrative, gave a friendly welcome. . The British delegation numbered 70 In Mr. Churchill's plane were the Foreign Secretary, Mr. Eden, and Mr. Churchill's daughter, Sarah, Mrs. Victor Oliver. Mr. Churchill worked solidly on the journey, except f or two' in the co-pilot s seat. He did not n iUp machine. The party was at the Teheran airfield by the British Minister Sir Reader Bullard, and Major-General Arthur Selby, ActingGeneral Officer Commanding the Persia and Iraq Command, and drove to the British Legation.