AIRSHIP DISASTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20690, 9 October 1930, Page 13

AIRSHIP DISASTER.

BODIES OF VICTIMS. ARRIVAL AT LONDON. SAD SCENES IN FRANCE. WONDERFUL TRIBUTES. HONOURS RAID TO BEAD. By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright. (Received October 8. 5.5 p.m.) LONDON. Oct. 8. T lie bodies of the 47 victims of the 8101 disaster arrived at Victoria station, London, at 1.42 a.m. to-day. Despatches from Boauvais state that touching scenes marked tho commencement from there of tho last journey of tho victims. The simple townsfolk were poignantly overwhelmed with grief as tho coffins were removed in 24 munition waggons to tho railway station from the Town Hall.

Each waggon was drawn by four horses and escorted by seven infantrymen. The vehicles drew up at the improvised chapel and tho coffins were placed on them and covered with Union Jacks and flowers.

Tho solemn silence was only broken by tho booming of a salute of 101 guns. Two thousand troops saluted and every head was bared as tho waggons were driven to their places in the cortege, which was led by a column of French cavalry. Next marched Algerian Spahis in picturesque flowing robes and bizarre tarbooshes. A military band followed and then tho long, pathetic procession of

waggons with their tragic burdens. Three' of the survivors, Messrs. H. J. Leech, J. H. Binks and A. V. Bell, still swathed in bandages, followed. Then came British and French representatives and a long procession of French infantry, gendarmerie and members of local societies. Allonne Gardens Stripped of Flowers. Along tho route to the railway station moving were paid to the bodies of the dead airmen. All tho buildings in Beauvais were draped with crape and all tho shops in the town were closed. Overhead aeroplanes circled as a French battery fired the salute. The Premier of France, M. Tardieu, tho Air Minister, M. Laurient Eynac, and many other distinguished Frenchmen were in the procession, also the British Ambassador, Lord lyrrelJ, tho Secretary of State for India, Mr. Wedgwood Benn, the Under-Secretary for Air, Mr. F. Montague, the Chief of tho Air Staff, Sir John Salmond, and numerous other British officials and mourners.

Thero wore present also the Mayor of Beauvais, and a deputation of citizens of the town, which had provided so much practical help. One wreath on a gun-carriage had been sent by the mothers of Beauvais to "the sorrowing mothers of Britain. Others were from the Freuch and British services. Near the railway station Flanders poppies bad been strewn by children in til© roadwayNot a single flower was left in any garden at Allonne. Every one was picked and placed on the coffins of the British dead. Departure From Boulogne. Thousands of peoplo stood in the rain as the coffins were placed on the floors of vans in a special train. This drew out, of the station as more guns thundered and bands played mournful music. When the train reached Boulogne a salvo of guns was fired and the French and British National Anthems were played by a band in the presence of a great silent crowd of citizens and civil and military authorities.

The coffins were then carried to the waiting British destroyers, Tempest and Tribune.

Mr A. V. Bell, ono of the survivors, while watching the embarkation of tho coffins fell in faint. Later he left Boulogne for England. Tho Tribune damaged her propeller shortly after leaving Boulogne, and had to return and tranship her coffins to the Tempest. England's Reception ol Her Dead.

At Dover thousands of people waited in rain to see the homecoming of the dead. Air Force hearers carried the flag-draped coffins one by ono from the Tempest to a special train. One of the vans was filled with the wreaths from France. A laurel wreath was hung on the engine. In London crowds of people began to invade Victoria station at 11 p.m. yesterday. They included working folk., men and women in evening dress from theatres and many French residents of London. Shortly after midnight tho police cleared tho station of all except ticket-holders and travellers. Then the huge crowd—estimated at 30,000—waited patiently in the drizzling rain. The Prime Minister and his daughter. Miss Ishbel MacDonnld, had motored to London from Llandudno, and were among the notable people and relatives of the victims at Victoria station when the train arrived from Dover. Common Burial at Oardington. Those at the station stood with bowed heads as the coffins were slowly borne out to 24 waiting vehicles which were driven in slow procession to a mortuary pending the lying-in-state in Westminster Hall. Twelve men in neat blue uniforms with peaked caps bearing the badgo of JllOl saluted the remains of their comrades. They were members of the wrecked airship's relief crew. The victims will be given a public funeral after tho lying-in-state in Westminster Hall, permission for which was given by the King. The public will be admitted all day on Friday. Tho coffins will bo carried in stale through London on Saturday, and taken to Bod ford, where they will bo placed on a train for ('aldington—tho scene of the airship's construction, where they will be interred in St. Mary's churchyard. Tho majority of the victims' relatives have assented to tho Air Ministry's suggestion for a common burial placo and memorial at Cardington owing to the impossibility of a complete identification of tho dead.

I)r. Eckener, commander of tho Graf Zeppelin, is to come to England to attend the service in St. Paul's, and probably will give evidence at the inquiry into tho disaster.