TWO DEATHS IN ANTARCTIC

Press, Volume LXXXVIII, Issue 26745, 31 May 1952, Page 7

TWO DEATHS IN ANTARCTIC

HEROISM ON HEARD ISLAND

(Rec. 7 p.m.) SYDNEY, May 30. The act of Alastair Graham ForbA, a Scottish dog-trainer, in setting oft alone across a wind-swept glacier on Heard Island to bring help for a companion has been compared with the feats of the heroes of Antarctic exploration. Mr Forbes was one of two members of the Australian weather station staff on Heard Island, a remote island in the Antarctic Ocean, who died on a short journey from the main camp last Monday. He and Richard James Hoseason, a radio operator, of Sydney, set out along the beach with John Atkinson, a meteorologist, and were caught by heavy waves. Mr Forbes was swept out and rescued, but another giant wave caught Mr Hoseason, who has not been seen since.

Mr Atkinson and Mr Forbes reached a safe beach, and Mr Forbes set out across a glacier to brin" help. He died on the way. Mr Atkinson spent the night out on the beach and struggled back to camp suffering from exposure and frostbite.

“Mr Forbes must have known that he faced almost certain death when he left his companion.” Mr P. G. Law, director of the Australian Antarctic Division, who knows the island well, said to-day.

“He was apparently prepared to make the sacrifice and risk his life in an attempt to get help.” Mr Law added that Mr Forbes would have been hampered by wet clothes which would have frozen on him on the glacier. It was no place for anyone to be at this time of the year, even with dry clothes. The Melbourne press says the act equalled in tragic heroism the death of Britain's Lawrence Oates and other great men of Antarctic history.

Death In Air Crash.— BrigadierGeneral Aaron Tyer, Deputy-Com-mander of the Japan Air Defence Force, was killed to-day when his jet fighter crashed after taking off.— Tokyo, May 29.