Strange ’Planes Seen

Gisborne Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 10474, 3 January 1928, Page 3

Strange ’Planes Seen

SUSPICIONS A ROUBED

SUPPOSED SMUG GLTNG PDAN

NEAR! WEST AUSTRALIAN 0

COAST

Suspicions - that two aeroplanes seen during the last month off the north-west coast o( Western Austinlia were being employed in a scheme to smuggle opium into Australia were confirmed by the statement of a. passenger-, oil the State motor-ship Koolinda, which arrived at I'rein antic recently. Interviewers sought passengers from .Broome, whore .the plane had been seen. A statement was obtained from Mr G. Nelson, who is eon-, nectod with the pearling industry at Broome, and it appears that the most feasible theory ol the presence of the planes is that Ihe machines were used by opium smugglers to evade defection by officials of the Customs Dopartment.

“LOOK, VERY BTG BIRD.”

Mr. Nelson was one of the few people who- saw one of the machines and reported its movements to the Broome customs officials. Toward evening on a day in Ihe middle of November, said Mr Nelson, a man on a lugger on which lie was working turned to him and said, “Look, very big bird.* ’ Mr Nelson saw a dark object in the sky. I''or a few moments it appeared to remain stationary, hut when it changed its course to the north Mr Nelson saw that it was a large • aeroplane or seaplane. As a lieutenant with the Imperial Forces during the war, Mr Nelson was accustomed to estimating (he altitude and courses of aornolanos and he judged that the machine was living at a height of between 2000 ft. "and PCO-Dfi. At the time the lugger was working at a point about sevCn miles south-west or Broome lighthouse. When the lugger returned to Broome ien da vs later Mr Nelson learned that the Customs Department had already been notified ljv Air and Mrs Penny, of Broome, who had KtaU'd that they had seen two planes on the same evening.

NO MOTHER SHIP SEEN

A. supplementary report was submitted by CMr Nelson, who was able to corroborate the evidence already in the hands of the authorities in regard to the course taken by one of the" - machines. Such importance was attached to the movements ot the unknown machines that evorv •lveiine of information was explored. Mr Nelson stated that the authorities had established that the pilot of the West Australian Airways plane which left Derby for Proome on thcdny the unknown machines were seen observed no vessel which could have been used as a mother ship by the planes. The airways nilot had flown at an altitude of about 9000 ft.. which would bring an expansive view of the sea under observation. The absence of a strange vessel, it was claimed, discounted the possibility of the planes having Been used by a foreign Power for military observation arc! strengthened the belief that they had come from an island near Java on a private mission.