Flight To See Dying Son

Press, Volume CII, Issue 30146, 1 June 1963, Page 2

Flight To See Dying Son

(N.Z Kress Association—Copynpht)

LONDON, May 30

A Glasgow widow, Mrs Mary Shore, aged 63, was speeding tonight in a jet airliner to Australia to be at the bedside of her dying son. She took off from London Airport in a Qantas Boeing in what Australia House authorities described as “the fastest immigration ever arranged.”

Mrs Shore had been told of the flight arrangements in Glasgow only four hours and three-quarters before the aircraft took off from London.

In Morwell, 94 miles east of Melbourne, her son, Mr William Shore, aged 41, rallied in hospital last night when told his mother was coming to see him. He is suffering from cancer

At 9.30 a.m. she was told by the Australian Associated Press tn her Glasgow home that efforts were being made in Australia to cut red tape and rush her to Melbourne Mrs Shore changed hurriedly into her best clothes, packed two small hold-alls, and hurried down to the local pension office.

She picked up her widow’s pension. This was the first payment she had received since her husband died of cancer only five weeks ago. At 1 p.m., the Australia House representative in Glasgow told Mrs Shore she was to catch the flight from London this afternoon. Then it was found there were no seats left on any aircraft from Glasgow to London. But airport authorities found there was one seat free on an aircraft leaving Edinburgh at 2.25 p.m.

Airport authorities held the London plane until she arrived after an hour's drive over 44 miles. It was the first time that the tiny Mrs Shore (4ft lOin tall) had ever flown in a plane and the first time she has been out of Scotland. Just before 4 p.m. the Edinburgh plane landed at London airport, where Australian immigration officers were waiting.

She had filled in her immigration form on the flight from Scotland, and the officers checked her vaccination. Mrs Shore said: “If it were not for the tragic circumstances I would have quite enjoyed it all. I have had as good treatment as Elizabeth Taylor. But I was a little nervous in the plane.” Although Mrs Jordan had told her the Australian climate was warm, Mrs Shore took no chances. One of her two small bags, which held all the possessions she took with her to start a new life in Australia, contained an electric blanket.