MOUND SEEN NEAR THE KOOKABURRA

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LVII, Issue 10056, 23 April 1929, Page 3

MOUND SEEN NEAR THE KOOKABURRA

HITCHCOCK MAY BE iJUKIED THERE SEARCHER’S STATEMENT. Sydney, April 22 Messages received this morning horn Wave Hill, 500 miles northwest of Alice Springs, Northern Territory, indicate that the body seen yesterday by Pilot J. L. Brain lying under the aeroplane Kookaburra in the desert was that of Lieutenant Keith Anderson. Tue actual position of the discovery is now given as about 100 miles west of Powell’s Creek. The nature ot the country makes the chances of the missing mechanic, Mr R- &• Hitchcock, less hopeful. A wireless message from Port Darwin savs a party with pack-horses and black trackers left Wave Hill this morning to join in the search for Hitchcock. Pilot Brain says it will take several days for a camel party to reach tho spot where the Kookaburra lies. Rescuers will have to be furnished with supplies by aeroplane owing to the barren nature of the country. A landing ground could be cleared neai the stranded machine, says Brain, provided that food and water fui the workers were conveyed to the spot by air. Lieutenant Anderson had evidently been dead several days us he was black in the face. Brain says he could not land on the desert owing to tho rough nature ot the area. A fire presumably had been started by the two airmen. This had caused bush fires which cleared 10 miles of scrub. There were indications that the Kookaburra had landed owing to engine trouble as tho cowl of the engine had been removed and attempts had been made to clear a runway for a take-off. The place where Lieutenant Anderson’s body was found is 200 miles north of the route ho was supposed to take to Wyndham. An error in his compass would account for that. Brain says he searched an hour for Hitchcock. The Air Board has instructed' five Royal Australian Air I* orcc pilots to proceed in search tor Hitchcock. It will take several days to organise a proper grounu expedition. The air liner Canberra, with Dr Hamilton on board, will fly to the nearest landing ground. If possible the doctor „will be taken thence in a motor-car to the stranded Kookaburra. The missing man, Hitchcock, formerly was a hairdresser and before that a goldminer in Western Australia. He was invalided home during the war. A message distributed by Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, states that the Southern Cross was expected to take off from Wyndham this afternoon for a four hours’ flight. Brisbane, April 22 Pilot Brain reports that he Hew over Anderson’s aeroplane again to-day and searched for Hitchcock without result. He said the water he had dropped had all dried up. It would be possible to create a landing ground about 40. miles west-north-west of the Kookaburra’s position. Sydney, April 23 Four planes will fly over the spot where Lieutenant Anderson’s machine Kookaburra lies in the desert. The Sydney Telegraph reports that Pilot Brain discovered a mound near the machine, where Mechanic Hitchcock may have been roughly buried. Flight-Lieutenant Eaton, reporting to the Air Board, states definitely that Hitchcock is buried there.