DOUBLE SEARCH OFF BORNEO

Press, Volume XCVII, Issue 28766, 11 December 1958, Page 17

DOUBLE SEARCH OFF BORNEO

Marooned Seamen And Aircraft •< s L- « a. £ ”, ’’?_.? a wJL (NJL. Preu Association—Copyright) SINGAPORE, December 10. Aircraft and ships were sweeping the South China Sea off North Borneo today in a double search. They were looking for 10 marooned men, believed to be survivors of the missing Australian schooner, lan Crouch, and for a Royal Air Force Shackleton bomber that vanished yesterday, while hunting for them. A United States Navy aircraft reported yesterday that it had sighted the 10 men on an islet 287

miles north of Labaun, in British North Borneo. Later, a Singapore-bound R.A.F. Shackleton confirmed the report and the pilot said he had seen a fishing boat standing in towards the atoll.

The Hong Kong-built lan Crouch, of 500 tons, left for Adelaide on its maiden voyage in September with' a British master. Captain T. C. Berry, and a crew of 11 Australians. Early yesterday afternoon,, a Labuan-based Shackleton on an anti-piracy patrol set out to check the reports. It made for the atoll; then turned towards the east coast region of North Borneo. It has not been heard of since. Royal Air Force officers said the aircraft on anti-piracy patrols flew at low altitudes and were sometimes out of contact for hours. Nevertheless, the Shackleton should have returned to its base last night. Eight Royal Air Force aircraft, including two Shackletons and a Valetta transport from Singapore, are engaged in the search. Aircraft of the United States Air Force and the Philippines Air Force are helping, and ships in the areh have been alerted. Among those on board the missing Shackleton is the North Borneo Acting-Deputy Commissioner of Police, Mr A: R. Miller. There are nine others on the aircraft. A R.A.F. spokesman in Singapore said later that another three aircraft from the colony—a Sunderland flying boat and two Hastings transports—had joined in the search.