Last Sight of Airmen

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 669, 22 May 1929, Page 9

Last Sight of Airmen

FLYING WRONG COURSE OVER KOEPANG SLENDER HOPE STILL (United P.A.—By Telegraph — Copyright) ; Reed. 9.5 a.m. SYDNEY, Today. j Sir Keith Smith received a cablegram from Koepang, stating that when , Flying-Officers Moir and Owen were over Koepang on Saturday, they were j flying in a north-north-easterly direc- j tion, which was almost at right angles | with that which they should have • taken if coming to Australia. Sir Keith is of the opinion that there still is a chance of the flyers, owing to the slow speed they were then making, having decided to land somewhere on Timor other than Atamboca, possibly on a beach, in which case it would be some time before they were discovered or in touch with communication. The Vickers firm has cabled to Sir Keith, asking him to associate them in the search for the missing airmen, with authority to expend £2,000. Some hope persists that the airmen may have landed somewhere on the north-west coast of Australia. Captain Lester Brain, who found the Kookaburra, says he believes that is what has happened. He is anxious to go in search of the missing men. Flight-Lieutenant Moir’s mother and sister are still hopeful that Tie will be found alive. They live just outside Sydney at Canleyvale. Moir’s age is about 30. Flying-Officer Owen’s father lives at \v arrnambool, Victoria. He has not seen, his son, whose age is 27, since last September, when he left home to make arrangements for the flight to England. Amalgamated Wireless, Limited, received a later message from Koepang stating that the two airmen only a small supply of provisions, no collapsible boat and only sufficient benzine for 20 hours’ flying. In a special interview a Vickers expert, Captain Acland, said Moir and Owen’s Vickers Vellore biplane did not carry a collapsible boat or life-saving suits.