Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1933. RACE TRADITION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LIII, Issue 285, 30 October 1933, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. MONDAY, OCTOBER 30, 1933. RACE TRADITION.

Or recent years ivomeii have made a rapid advance in various fields of activity, many taking- up the reins which have been dropped by their life partners through the removal of the latter by the hand of death. Whether in the pursuit of science, politics, aviation or exploration their energy and ability cannot be denied, and of those who read in September of the passing of Lady Clayton East Clayton as the result of a fall from her aeroplane at Brooklands in England few knew that the world was the poorer for the loss of a brave Englishwoman who had courageously taken up the work which had ceased on the death of her husband, a noted explorer, which had occurred twelve mouths previously from a disease believed to have been contracted in the tropics. Lady Clayton East Clayton’s marriage took place as late as February 29, 1932, and ' soon after its celebration her ' husband set out with Count L. E-. de Almasy to explore the unknown area of the Libyan Desert north of the Gilf Xebii* and to find the legendary lost oasis called Zerzura. After being lost for several days in the desert and suffering severe hardships the expedition returned without achieving- its object. In a few weeks Sir Robert was dead at the early age of 24 years as the result of developing a disease similar to infantile paralysis for which no cure could be obtained. Lady Clayton, with the courage and determination which has made so many women famous in English history, determined, if possible, to fulfil her husband’s ambition. In February of this year she set out on an attempt to find this last undiscovered oasis in a chain which formed an old caravan route from the Sudan to the Coast. Before she left she said, “I am only carrying on my husband’s work. We always did this sort of work to-o-ether. He left with his work unfinished. I want to try and finish it off.” She took with her ber husband’s plans and maps, flew her own aeroplane, and travelled unarmed. Before she left Hanworth aerodrome in England 6 he had to obtain the permission of the Egyptian Government to carry out the search. Her courageous effort, however, in turn proved unsuccessful, and she returned to London in May, attending- in that month a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society when Major Bagnold’s account of his last journey through the Libyan Desert was read. It had been arranged that she was herself to have lectured before the Society in the following season. In June Lady Clayton East Clayton made arrangements for a trek across Lapland and from that journey she returned only five days before her death. The daughter of a Hertfordshire vicar, .she was never known to be idle, and after a close study .of sculpture which enabled her to become talented in the art, she took up aviation and exploration work, air travel in particular occupying an important place among her many and varied interests. Thus are recorded the deeds and passing of an Englishwoman who worthily upheld the 'traditions of her race and endeavoured to shed lustre upon it during her short but notable career.