JEAN BATTEN

Southland Times, Issue 22915, 13 June 1936, Page 16

JEAN BATTEN

Many Trophies Received Miss Jean Batten arrived in London from France two nights ago to find a huge sack of mails awaiting her. Letters had been accumulating ever since she went to Spain and Morocco with her mother several months ago, and she has so far not been able to over ■ take her correspondence (wrate the London correspondent of The New Zealand Herald on May 16.) In Paris last Friday night she received the Legion of Honour from M. Watteau, president of the Aero Club of France. Permission for its bestowal on a British recipient has always to be acceded by the King. Miss Batten is the first British person to receive this very high French distinction for civil aviation. One of the first letters which she opened on her arrival this week contained the gratifying intimation that she had been awarded the Britannia Trophy for 1935, in recognition of her flight across the Southern Atlantic last year in her Percival Gull aeroplane. This honour is awarded by the Royal Aero Club of Britain to the British aviator who, in the opinion of the •committee of the club, shall have the most meritorious performance in the air during the year. Miss Batten’s name will be inscribed on the trophy as the holder for 1935. Miss Batten also learned, by the same mail, that the Ligue International des Aviateurs (Paris), by a vote of the aviation authorities throughout the world (conducted by the league), had selected her as the aviatrix ‘ who had done most to advance aviation during the year 1935.” In recognition of her meritorious work the league awarded her the Harmon International Aviatrix Trophy for 1935. In a letter informing Miss Batten of the award, the president of the league said it was desired that the honour should be publicly conferred and that arrangements were being made for a ceremony in keening with the occasion. This trophy, on which Miss Batten’s name will be engraved, remains at the French headquarters of the league, but she also receives a gold medal from the King of the Belgians, who is grand patron and protector of the league, and a facsimile model of the trophy. Life membership of the league is conferred on her, which carries with it an engraved plaque of honour and a dinloma of honour.

Miss Batten proposes shortly to return to Morocco by air to rejoin her mother.