FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16702, 10 December 1919, Page 9

FLIGHT TO AUSTRALIA.

ROSS SMITH LEAVES JAVA

(By Cxblc—Pres? Association—Copvryrht.) (Australian and K.Z. Cat-'.c Aiso-riaticr..) SOCRABAYA, Dcrember S. Captain Ross Smith ascended alter tiresome efforts at 11.00 o'clock. Ho had a vrry troublesome start from Sourahaya. He flew verv low. and, after following a westerly course, he turned eastward. The public were depressed, fearing that the machine would fall into the sea. The eastern islands arc not connected bv telegraph, so tlr.it no further news will Ih> available uutil the arrival of the Yickers-Yimy in Australia, or un* l ' it is provided by tho Australian destroyers' wireless. In a cable message from s>ourabava on Sunday, Captain Ross Smith stated that the aerodrome there was on new reclaimed rrround. which was very soft-. After landing, tho Yickers-Yimv sank to the axles, and great difficulty was experienced in getting it out. Then tho machine got bogged again, and eventually a bamboo road -had to _bo built for the machine. It took 200 I coolies seven hours to push the machine 500 yards. Arrangements were made to build a road of bamboo mats for the machine to take off from, but evidentlv. from the above message, this was not too successful. Captain Ross Smith expected to reach Binia. in the Islind of Sumbawn, on "Monday, Atanhoa. in the Island of Timor, yesterdav. and Darwin to-dav. H.M.A.S. Sydney is patrolling the Timor Sea, nnd it is possible that news mnv be received from hor, or from the destrorers, regarding the movements of fTio Vi"kers-Yimy. The following table shows the progress made bv Captain Ross Smith sinco ho left London: —

HIGH PRAISE FOR ROtSS SMITH

MET/BOURNE, November 28. "Ross Smith is a born airman, and if determination will do it, he will accomplish this feat of flying to Australia," said former Lieutenant C. Watt, who went through tho same school as Cadet Roas Smith.

Mr Watt says that Captain Ross Smith was one of tho most popular and most successful flight commanders in No. 1 Squadron of tho Australian Flying Corps. He showed absolute disregard for danger, and his intrepidity quicklv won him fame. "I remember when ho first went to the flying school, and later took his place among tho budding pilots," snid Mr Watt. "Ho had not the remotest idea of flying when lie left Australia. He was attached to tho 3rd Light. Horse, and was in tho operations on Gallipoli for moro than four months, when he was taken ill, and invalided to England. While in hospital ho fretted to rejoin the 3rd. and it was not long before he was back with his lieutenancy. "Then, I believe, he served with a machine-gun squadron attached to one of tho Light Horse regiments. It was on his return to Epjpt that ho developed the flying crnzo, and he was able to securo his transfer as on observer, and a really first-class observer he made, too, but a man of his type would make good at anything he undertook. It did not take him long to qunlifv as a pilot. Incloed, lie was readv before some of those who began earlier than ho did. After the preliminary stages had been negotiated, Captain Ross Smith displayed such marked ability and confidence that his instructor regarded him as fit for his solo without dual control.

"Ho had no serious mishaps to dampen his enthusiasm, and it so happened that this courageous recruit from the Light Horse was the first British aviator to flv over Jerusalem. Ho had an encounter with two Germans soon after joining his squadron in Pnlestino, nnd was fortunato to cscape with a ■wound in the jaw, caused by a bullet from a machine-pun. "Atthnt time Bo had not learnt all the triclcs of tho game, but lie is as resourceful as the next mail, and as British machines in those days were much inferior to those of tho enomy. he came through tho ordeal very well. The bullet that- rot him entered his jaw on the right side, displacing several tooth, nnd a splinter pierced his skull. He told mo that if ho had had another month or two at the game he would have beaten the two of thom." POULET'S PROGRESS. RANGOON. December 8. Ponlet has left for Bangkok. His engines appeared to be working well. He is confident that he will reach Australia [Eticnne Poulet was in company with Ross Smith at Rangoon. Leaving there on December 2nd, he had nearly reached the Siamese frontier when he met with a dense fog, and turned back. He started again on Thursday, and had almost crossed the Gulf of Martaban when engine trouble developed, and lie decided to return to Rangoon for a thorough overhaul. - ] ANOTHER LANDING. (Australian and N.Z. Cable Association.) (Received December 9th, 8.5 p.m.) ALLAHABAD. December 9. Poulet landed at ?.?suhnem at 10 o'clock on Monday morning. [Moulmein, in Lower Burma, is about 100 miles east bv south from Rangoon, near the head of tho Gulf of Martaban Poulet's short flight suggests further cngiii© trouble.] CAPTAIN HOWELL'S ATTEMPT. LONDON, December 4 (delayed). Captain C. E. Howell, who started in a Martinsydo aeroplano for Australia on December 4th, is a native of Victoria. Official records show that during 2000 hours' flying in wartime in France and Italy, he destroyed thirty-two enemy machines, drove down eleven others, and shot down a number of balloons, and kites. ! His machine is equipped with a horse-power Rolls Royce engine. ; "If prohibition camo in it would merely become a question of evadiug tno law, and for the people to form that habit would bo a bad thing tor the country. This campaign for prohibition is not dealing honestly with one of tho most soieuin questions affecting the whole future of our national life, because everyone who looks seriously at tho present conditions knows f»roliibition to be impossible.'' , Advt.] —Lady Henry Somerset.

T>istfinco frrm Date. Stage. London. Miles. Nov. 12 ... Left London ... — Nov. 12 ... Lyons ... 450 Xov. 13 ... Pisa ... 759 Nov. 13 ... Rome ... fllo Nov. 16 ... Tnrnnto ... 11S5 "Nov. 17 ... Puda Buy ... lfi(V» Nor. 18 ... Cairo ... 2325 Nov. IP ... Damascus ... 2725 Nov. 20 ... Ramadie ... 31(10 Nov. 20 ... Basra ... 3150 T ov. *'3 ... ... 3650 Nov. 2i ... Bunder AKbas ... "WO Nov. 21 ... Karachi ... 4700 Nov. 25 ... Delhi ... 53S0 Nov. 27 ... .Allahabad ... 5710 Nov. 23 ... Calcutta ... 6209 Nov. 29 ... Akyab ... 6">fi0 Nov. 30 ... Rangoon ... 6010 Dee. 1 ... Bangkok ... 73H0 Dec. 2 ... Singora ... 7775 Doc. 4 ... Singapore ... 8250 Doe. G ... K«Ikl]ntti (Java)... 8S50 Dec. 7 ... Sournbaya ... 0275 A BOEN AIRMAN.