DRAMATIC RACE

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXI, Issue 21548, 30 October 1944, Page 4

DRAMATIC RACE

SICtC u. 5. SAiLOR BROUGHT IN BY PLANE SHiP OVER Too MiLES OUT (p.A.) WELLINGTON. Oct. 26. A dramatic race against time was staged during last night and the early hours of this morning when the Eli . At- and r.oyai i is-;: usaiand iir.vy .tied in pishing up an Aiiti.-I i. an __iii.il V. ilii a DiU' J appendix in:,in a NiH iii ii.ivr.i vessel ow-i 100 ill! Illjill land. Shortly before 0 a.m. yesterday the R.N.Z.A.F. base at Hobsonville was asked if it could get a flying boat out to pick up a sailor from a vessel which was then over 200 miles from Hobsonville. The sailor’s life was in grave danger if he could not. receive expert medical attention urgently. Although Hobsonville lias only stored reserve aircraft available, the ground staff worked all night to put a Catalina flying-boat in readiness for a dawn take-off. The aircraft had to be brought from a store over a quarter of a mile from the landing apron' and had to be fuelled, checked, and tested. In the meanwhile the navy was keeping in touch with the American vessel by wireless and had pro-' dueed a naval doctor, who was picked up from Auckland by an air force’ naval launch at 3.30 a.m, to-day. The hying-boat crew also was assembled from various air force units, captained

by Plying Officer D. S. Beauchamp, D.F.G., Dannevirke, who previously had participated in air-sea rescues in the Pacific.

Shortly after 5.30 a.m. the aircraft taxied off, carrying a R.N.Z.N. doctor and R.N.Z.A.F. nurse from Hobsonville. The ship was sighted at about 7.30 a.m. The Catalina landed a few minutes later and the doctor and nurse were soon put aboard the ship, when the difficult task of transferring' the patient began. This took just over an hour, the Catalina setting s course for Auckland at 8.40 a.m. and the patient receiving treatment en route. The aircraft landed at 10.1 C a.m. at Mechanics Bay, where an air force launch was waiting, to transfer the patient to an ambulance at the landing steps. A few minutes later the sailor was on his way to hospital. Tils condition was reported later to be satisfactory. The doctor commented that the whole thing went like clockwork and the transfer of the patient from the ship to the aircraft could not have been bettered.