MISSING EXPLORER

Dominion, Volume 24, Issue 188, 7 May 1931, Page 9

MISSING EXPLORER

Absence of Search Party

PLANE FORCED DOWN

Failed to Find Courtauld

FLIGHT OVER ICEFIELD

By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright.

(Rec. May 6, 10 p.m.)

Copenhagen, May C. A correspondent telegraphs the “News-Chronicle” that ihe British Arctic air expedition’s Moth plane was forced down at Angmagsalik after a flight of 70 miles over the icefield without seeing anything of Augustine Courtauld or H. G. Watkins’s party which set out to rescue him.

An earlier message received at Copenhagen stated that after a vain attempt to reach the young explorer, Augustine Courtauld by sleighs, Mr. Watkins, leader of the British expedition, and his two companions, with only a few provisions, set out from the base a fortnight ago, and have not been heard of since. It is presumed that they are roaming about on the ice-sheet in the interior of Greenland. SECOND MACHINE Noted Airman to Assist Official Wireless. Rugby, May 5. One of the most experienced Arctic aviators, Major F. S. Cotton, left England to-day for Reykjavik, Iceland, to assist, if necessary, in succouring Augustine Courtauld, who remained alone on the Greenland Ice-cap during the winter and is missing. Major Cotton is accompanied by Lieutenant L. K. Barnes, lent by the Air Ministry as relief pilot, and Mr. C. K. Bond, wireless operator, and is taking a monoplane equipped for Arctie work. He will attempt to reach Courtauld, should the effort which is being made by Captain Ahrenberg fall. Within the past week preparations, which would normally take four months, have been completed to equip this supplementary expedition. , Major Cotton has done much flying in Labrador, and flew over 15,000 miles backward and forward over Newfoundland when searching* for the missing French Atlantic airmen, Nungesser and Coll.