LIFE-SAVERS’ COURAGE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20164, 6 February 1940, Page 8

LIFE-SAVERS’ COURAGE

SEARCH FOR BODIES MEN HOURS IN WATER SALVAGE OF BOMBER (Pur Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, this day. Courage of a high order was shown yesterday by life savers and Royal New Zealand Air Force men in an attempt to recover the bodies of the . three airmen killed in the Baffin . bomber crash which took place half a mile out to sea near the mouth of the Waimakariri River. The first on the scene were members of the ground party who were practising signalling on a nearby beach. Two men quickly stripped and swam out to the wreckage. When Alan Dalton, of the North Beach surf patrol arrived, lie thought they were members of the crew. He too swam to the wreck and helped the airmen in a fruitless search. The plane was lying on its back in fair surf and surrounded by bx’oken wires, fabric and a coating of oil. The men gave up the dangerous task and returned to the snore. Warm Appreciation In the meantime, more of the North Beach Surf Club members arrived with their reel, and Dalton and others swam tiie line cut. Another man who played a conspicuous part in the salvage work at this time was E. L. Kerr, of the Brighton patrol. He and Dalton were m the water for three hours before they gave up. Their efforts particularly, and those of other swimmers earned the warm appreciation of Wigram’s commanding officer, Wing-Commander Hodgson. The attempts to drag the wreckage closer by means of a light life-saving line proved useless. A rope was obtained from a farm and this Dalton tied round the wreck. Sumner’s lifeboat, Rescue 11, made a smart trip from her base at Scarborough, arriving at 2.30 p.m. to assist in the salvage work. She brought another towing hawser and a second line was eventually brought ashore. Aboard was W. Craig, of the Sumner patrol, who was soon in the water assisting a large gang of men released from their work near Bottle lake. Beaten by Deadweight The wreckage was dragged a little closer but the deadweight finally beat them'. The work was abandoned while the tide made and was resumed at ebb tide at 7.30 p.m. At-this time the wreckage was only 100 ft. from tlie shore. Two hundred men dragged the shattered machine a further 75ft. and then work had to be abandoned in tlie darkness. The salvage work was continued to-day. With special gear, from Wigram, the wreckage of the machine and its engine were hoisted on to a heavy Royal New Zealand Air Force truck on the beach this morning and taken to the aerodrome : where an expert examination will be made and will be followed by a report to the inquiry board. Kerr, of the Brighton patrol, re- i I turned to the scene late in the after-11 noon and again went out with other j I swimmers. They located the body of I Gunner Strachan and, recovering it! I by diving, brought it ashore in a belt, n Flight-Lieutenant Poulton’s body was | recovered shortly after 8 p.m. !"