FRUITLESS SEARCH

Taranaki Daily News, 16 November 1935, Page 9

FRUITLESS SEARCH

NO SIGN OF LOST AIRMEN HELP FROM AUSTRALIA CAPTAIN TAYLOR LEAVES BAY OF BENGAL SWEPT By Telegraph—Press Assn.—Copyright. Rec. 8.5 p.m. Sydney, Nov. 15. Captain P. G. Taylor and his co-pilot Mr. Harry Purvis, with Mr. John Stannage as radio operator, took off for Singapore at 2.30 p.m. in the teeth of a holding north-easter to search for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Mr. Pethybridge. Captain Taylor described the flying conditions as very bad. He said they might not get beyond Narromine to-day, They hope to reach Darwin on Sunday and Singapore on Tuesday. Their twinengined Gannet machine has been completely tested and is equipped with hand flares, a Verey light pistol, rubber rafts, medicine chest, telescope, binoculars and emergency rations. The Royal Air Force is continuing the search, says a Singapore message. A squadron of Vildebeestes left Singapore to-day for the most intensive search of the jungle island and the coasts again. Flying boats are continuing wide sweeps of the Bay of Bengal. A Penang message states that Mr. Melrose arrived there by train to-day and was furnished with spares by the flying club. He took off in a flying club plane for Victoria Point this morning. Mr. Melrose on Tuesday left Victoria Point for Mergui but after one hour’s flying engine trouble forced him to land on the beach. It was high tide and the plane entered the water, the propeller being damaged, but it can easily be repaired. The Royal Air Force bombers which have been engaged in the search have returned to Singapore, and the flyingboats, which have been in charge of the search operations, are expected to return. . The search, however, is being continued.