SIGNAL TO PLANE

Opotiki News, Volume III, Issue 317, 30 September 1940, Page 1

SIGNAL TO PLANE

BOY IN DRIFTING BOAT SURVIVORS OF LINER RESCUE IN ATLANTIC (News by Cable.) RUGBY, Sept. 27. How an exhausted child, Avho had spent eight days in an open boat in the rough Atlantic, signalled the name of the torpedoed evacuee liner City of Benares to the Sunderland flying boat Avhich came down to 100 ft. and circled over the drifting boat was told by the captain of the flying boat. “I could see people in her quite clearly,” he said. “They were prostrate and pretty Avell exhausted. Yet as I Avatched a little chap in Avhat looked like a Boy Scout’s uniform sitting down amidships' suddenly spotted us. He stood up at once and began waving. Then he picked up something white, probably a handkerchief, and began waving. I didn’t get the meaning for a second. Then it daAvned on me Avliat he was up to—‘City of Benares.’ “Weak as he was that kid signall cd the ship’s name which told us tho whole story. That was enough. We were off right away to get help.”