BRITISH YACHT MISSING

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27374, 12 June 1954, Page 7

BRITISH YACHT MISSING

SEARCH OFF CHINA COAST

(Rec. 11 p.m.) HONG KONG, June 11. Hope appeared abandoned here today for recovering for some time the nin® British Navy personnel missing since June 6 aboard the 70-ton yacht Elinor. Rain forced the Royal Air Force to cancel until tomorrow further air search for the yacht, which left here on June 1 on a holiday cruise in Mirs Bay inside British territorial waters. But Navy warships and launches continued the search north of Hong JC.ong along the China coast. Navy Headquarters would not give any information today about the search.

Usually reliable British sources said it appeared now certain the yacht and her holiday crew had fallen irito the hands of Chinese Communists. It was probable the men were already at Canton.. A Chinese evening newspaper, “Sing Tao,” claimed today a Chinese Communist gunboat intercepted the Elinor on June 4, after firing three warning shots. The gunboat had taken the Elinor next morning to Swabue, a port on the China coast about 100 miles cast-north-east of Hong Kong. There had been no exchange fire. Nine '“foreigners” were being detained as “suspected spies.” The report said the Communists claimed the yacht had radio and photographic equipment aboard.