CENTENARY AIR RACE.

Manawatu Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 4409, 25 October 1934, Page 3

CENTENARY AIR RACE.

SPEED EVENT WON BY SCOTT AND BLACK. TUMULTOUS WELCOME. .Melbourne, October 23.Before the gaze of a great crowd, Mr C. W. A. Scott and Mr T. Campbell Black crossed the finishing line on Flemington Racecourse, Melbourne, in their red De Haviland Comet, and claimed for Britain the £IO,OOO prize in the Macßobertson Air Race. The great race finished in torrential rain, at 3.24 p.nn (5.24 'p.m. New Zealand time, Mr Scott s time for the Mildenhall-Melbourne ■journey was 70 hours 54 minutes, or 1 hour 6 minutes less than three days. After passing the finishingline the plane went on to land at the R.A.A.F.. depot at Flemington. One hundred and fifty thousand people gathered at Flemington to witness the finish of the race, despite the ominous clouds of an approaching thundei’storm. Early in the afternoon heavy rain fell but the crowd continued to increase. Eyes,- searched the s'kv to see the winner of the greatest aerial event in history. Packed trains, trams, and motors streamed from the city. Air Force machines in mass formation circled the racecourse. As the Comet swept into view, swooped down and crossed the broad calico, line of the finishing mafib the crowd burst into cheers. The Comet, rose, circled again, then swept away toward the landing ground at Laverton, 10 miles away.

NO SLEEP SINCE LEAVING ENGLAND. After refreshments and a welcome by many people, - including Miss Jean Batten, .Scott and Black forced a way through the crowd, and entered the Moths to return to Flemington for the- official greet; ings. Interviewed, Scott said: —“A dreadful trip: That’s praising it. Neither of us had a wink of sleep. We had to be on the job all the time. We were feeling done .in on the run down, but are better now we are here. We thank the people for the marvellous welcomes on our progress through Australia. We are glad we have-arrived. We received the scare of our lives when the port engine stopped, and prepared our lifebelts. The last two and a half hours to Darwin were a nightmare. Had the two engines kept going the race would have been mine earlier.” On a dais draped with the Union Jack, Australian, American and Dutch flags, the airmen were welcomed by Lord Huntingfield (Governor), the Lord Mayor, and Sir MacPherson Robertson. Suffering from the utmost exhaustion, they

were hurried after the reception to a city hotel, determined to make up / lost sleep. Among those welcoming them was Mr A. 0. Edwards, owner of Scott’s Comet. “They appealed to me as great aviators,” said Mr Edwards. “I did not want someone who would brag, but who would do the job. These boys have certainly done it.” , . ORDEAL OVER TIMOR SEA Flying the last 300 miles with one engine, the port motor having seized over the Timor Sea, Scott and Black landed safely at Darwin at 9.8 p.m. Sydney time yesterday. . At 11.35 they left for Charleville, both engines roaring lustily. Scott said: “It was a struggle like hell all the way to get the machine through. When our port motor cut out we were punching the ship grimly through blinding rain, just Skimming the sea to get whatever visibility there was. I thought it was all up with us, our chances looked so hopeless. Black and T donned lifebelts and sat waiting for the crash we thought was inevitable. We did not dream that our - starboard motor would hold’ under the terrific strain, but it behaved magnificently. , We actually gained a height of 3000 feet, preferring to fly blind rather than risk a dive into the sea.”

AIRMAN’S ROMANCE. PROPOSAL OF MARRIAGE BEFORE START. ACCEPTANCE BY TELEPHONE. London, October 23. The Daily Mail reveals that Campbell Black proposed marriage to an actress, Miss Florence Desmond, a few hours before his departure from Mildenhall. Miss Desmond waited at Northcliffe House throughout the night in order to phone to Black immediately he arrived at Melbourne her acceptance of the proposal made to her in the bleak hours of the morning during the last-minute preparations at Mildenhall.

•'' “Our romance has been kept the closest secret,” says Miss Desmond. “I first met Campbell while spending a holiday at Le Touquet this year, after which we were almost inseparable. I knew the dangers of , this flight, and when Campbell proposed I wanted to say ‘yes’ there and then, but knew how he had set his heart on winning this race with Scott, and felt it would help him more if I delayed my answer until he succeeded, so I told him Tf you win this race I null give you my /answer.”

New Zealand’s congratulations to the winners ;of the air race were

expressed in the following message

which the .Governor-General sent a, “New Zealand sends you hearties Jr congratulations on your magnificen achievement.” /. ,

TWIO MORE PLANES ARRIVE

HOLLAND SECOND, U.S.A. THIRD. Parmentier and Moll, who landed on Albury racecourse after being lost -in a storm yesterday morning, resumed their flight and completed the course at 10.50 a.m., Melbourne time. They were followed at 1.35 p.m., by Turner and Panghorn, who might have annexed second place, but for engine trouble at Bourke. The place-winners in the speed, event, with their times, then, are as follow: — Scott and Black, Britain, 71 hours 18 minutes 1 Parmentier and Moll, Holland < 90 hours 16 minutes 2 Turner and Panghorn, U.S.A., 93 hours 4 minutes 3

The Manawatu entrants in the Centenary Air Race, McGregor and Walker, landed at Alor Star at 2.55 a.m., G.M.T., yesterday and departed at 3.1.0 a.m. for Singapore, where they arrived at 2.02 p.m. They-left-for Batavia at 2.45. They hope to reach Melbourne on Friday. Hewett and Kay, the other New Zealanders, are keeping one lap behind them, and are now en route to Rangoon.