AMY JOHNSON’S DEATH

Greymouth Evening Star, 23 March 1944, Page 7

AMY JOHNSON’S DEATH

NEW EVIDENCE LONDON. December 16. Leave was given 'by Lord Merriman in the Probate Court yesterday to presume the death of Miss Amy Johnson, the air-woman, on or since January 5, 1941, when a plane she was flying came down in the Thames Estuary. ' The application to presume death was made on behalf of Miss Johnson’s father. Mr John William Johnson and Mr Norman Spencer Wood, both of whom are executors.

Mr C. A. Marshall-Reynolds, for the executors, said that after Miss Johnson had set out to fly to Oxfordshire a parachutist and a plane were seen from the naval trawler Haslemere descending in the Thames Estuary. Lord Merr-rnan: Why the Thames Estuary if she was making for Oxfordshire? Mr Marshall-Reynolds said that she made a complaint at Blackpool that the comnass of the plane was defective. She -would not have it repaired, saying that she could “smell her way,” or something of that sort, anywhere in England. When the Haslemere got near the wreckage of the plane a figure was seen in the water and a woman’s voice called: “Hurry, please hurry.” The crew threw out a rope, but the

woman appeared too numbed'.'by the cold to grasp it. She floated under the stern, which came down on her head and she was not seen again. Several members of the crew said they saw a second figure, and- Lt. Cmdr. Fletcher, who was in command of the Haslemere, jumped into the icy water and swam towards it. He was picked up unconscious and died. ‘There were certain rumours that Miss Johnson had been carrying a man oassenger, and these upset her father very much,” Mr MarshallRevnolds said. “His solicitor, Mr William Charles Crocker, has taken great care to go into all the details, and I think there is no evidence whatever that she left with anyone in the plane at all. There is also evidence that she never called at any other airfield and that only one parachutist was seen coming down.”