HILL AT DARWIN

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 66, 11 December 1930, Page 11

HILL AT DARWIN

Flight to Australia

FINAL HOP IN RAIN

111-luck Still Persists FORCED DOWN AGAIN By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Rec. December 10, 11 p.m.) Darwin, December 10. The ill-luck that has dogged the England-Australia flight of Flight-Lieutenant Cedric Hill, persists. lie completed the last stage of his Hight to the Continent to-day, but later was forced down at an isolated inland spot.

Cedric Hill, who had the ill-luck to crash at Atamboea on the last stage of his flight from England to Australia while running a neck-and-neck race with Air-Commander Kingsford Smith, arrived at Darwin from Koepang today. Flight-Lieutenant Hill arrived unexpectedly at 10.30 a.m., Darwin time, having left Koepang at 1.45 a.m., with a good moon. He ran into rain off Timor, otherwise the trip over the water of 4SO miles was uneventful. He saw the steamer Marella when

nearing Darwin. He circled overhead and tried to drop a message, which, however, missed the ship. The passengers were very excited. Referring to his crash some time ago, he said he would have beaten Hinkler’s record but for that mishap. He had carried out all his own repairs with the assistance of an Air Force crew. He would try to sell his aeroplane in Australia, but if It did not sell he would ship it back to England, where he is due on his old job in March. His plans now consist of a flight to Brisbane. Sydney, and probably to Melbourne. He left for Dally Waters at midday. “Jovial Young Man.” Cedric HUI is a tall, jovial young man—a typical Cornstalk. His aeroplane is blue and silver in colour, and is named “Jane,” after his wife, who is awaiting his arrival at Brisbane. He is most anxious to greet her. Hill is wearing a green coat, khaki shirt, green shorts, grey golf stockings, and black shoes. Before his departure for Daly -Waters, a local aboriginal prisoner handed him a white nosegay for “somebody Down South.” All goats were driven off the aerodrome before he hopped off. A far larger crowd of local people was present to see him depart than that which saw his arrival, which was unexpected. A message received later at Darwin states that Hill was forced down behind a school at Pino Creek, 150 miles south-east of Darwin. He was uninjured, but one wing of his plane was damaged, and it is not known whether he can repair it locally. LIFE OF THRILLS Hill’s War Adventures “DARE-DEVIL STRAIN” “He has always had a dare-devil strain in him,” said Flight-Dieutenant Cedric W. Hill’s father recently in referring to the latest and unluckiest England-Aus-tralia airman. Born near Warwick, Queensland, Hui was the son of a manager of the Maryvale station, and was educated at the Brisbane Grammar School. Anxious to fly. he went to England when the war broke out, and joined the Royal Flying Corps, commencing his training at the Manchestc Aerodrome. When he had qualified as a pilot he was sent to Egypt, being mentioned in dispatches for blowing up an Arab well from a height of 4000 feet. Captured by Turks. While engaged on a low reconnaissance flight in Palestine Hill was shot at from the ground, a bullet piercing his petrol tank and forcing, him to land behind the enemy lines. He put up a stout fight and a Turkish official report states that he resisted for six hours before lie was overcome and captured by a party of Turks. Never a docile prisoner of war, Hill attempted to escape, and as a punishment was sent to Yozgad, which had the reputation of being the worst of the Turkish camps. Upon his arrival Hill set out to improve, as far as he could, the conditions under which his comrades were living. Odd pieces of wood were turned into articles of furniture by his skilful hands. He met Lieutenant E. H. Jones, and with him formed another plan of escape. Conjuring tricks and feigned insanity were the chief ingredients of the plan and after playing upon the credulity of the camp commandant the airmen were transferred to a Constantinople hospital. Various tests were tried to find whether or not Hill’s madness was genuine, but he succeeded in maintaining the deception. After three years of captivity the two officers won through to freedom. Looked Toward Australia. At the Armistice, Hill was given a permanent commission in the Royal Air Force, and in 1923 he was promoted to the command of a flight. For the last two years he has won the revolver championship of the Royal Air Force, and with it the Barton Cup. Ever since the war Hill has been anxious to fly to Australia. He and another aviator proposed to make the trip, but his partner was killed in a crash while trying out the machine. On a second occasion, the Air Force refused him leave to undertake the flight. His fellow escapee, Lieutenant Jones, has paid him this compliment: “He had patience, determination, and a close tongue; he had a great heart, courage that no hardship could break, and loyalty like the sea.” . There is a possibility that If light-Lieu-

tenant Hill may attempt the return flight from Australia to England. Before leaving England on the trip which he has just completed, he repeatedly expressed to his wife his intention of making the two-wav trip. She, however, was not in favour of the proposal. He is on six months’ leave ot absence and may decide to spend as much time as possible in Australia, then attempt to fly back, depending upon the Imperial Airways England-India service to get him back in the case of further misfortune.