By George! Five wives is too much

Press, 25 February 1977, Page 7

By George! Five wives is too much

NZPA-Reuter London : Mr George Winter, a 38-! year-old transport manager, has claimed that he was! offered an unexpected reward after he rescued two Arabs from a crashed plane — four teen-age brides. The girls, aged between 14 and 16. were the daughters of the two Saudi Arabian businessmen he had pulled from the wreckage of their! plane in the middle of the Saudi Arabian desert, he said. “I was told that if I refused to take them, it would be regarded as a gross insult, punishable by prison or worse. “My employers told me to get out of the country as soon as possible to avoid rrouole, and they flew me back to Britain,” said Mr! Winter at his home in Gloucester. “I will not be able to return to Saudi Arabia until after the full moon in April. After that the offer will be-

icome null and void, accord- | ling to Arab custom, and it, ■will be honourable for them to give me something else; 1 i instead.” Mr Winter, who had been working for the Canadian 1 construction firm. Atco Eastern. in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, said: “I cannot say that I , was not tempted by the , offer. The girls were very ! attractive. But I have beenji * happily married for 16 years I, and I have five children.” His wife. Margaret, aged!l 34. said: “I suppose it wash flattering for him as it isj apparently the highest !i honour an Arab can bestow.,; But George would have had i to face up to me if he had i accepted.” Il When Mr Winter is -re-' called by his firm to work in 1 Rivadh, the capital of Saudi ' Arabia, in April, his wife t and family will be going J with him. | •‘l’m not going to trust I him on his own again after « this,” she said. I’