BODY FOUND ON MALTE BRUN

Timaru Herald, Volume CLV, Issue 22786, 10 January 1944, Page 4

BODY FOUND ON MALTE BRUN

Identified As Missing

Airman

Recovery Tarty Hindered By Weather

Tlie body discovered on Mount Malte Brun last week b.v Messrs Bruce S. Gillies and Harry L. Stevenson, has been identified as that of Leading Aircraftman Wilfred Frank Wallis, son of Mr F. L. Wallis, 37 Marlborough Street, Riccarton, who, with Sergeant William Patrick Morton, has been missing on a climbing expedition on the mountain since March 20,

1943. A recovery party left the Hermitage on Friday night after the weather had cleared in the Alps, and called at the Ball and Malte Brun huts before going out on the mountain on Saturday morning. The weather was again adverse and it was found impossible to recover the body, although it was identified as being that of Wallis, apparently by the clothing and articles it bore. It appeared that the other body—that of Morton—was buried under the ice and snow.

After marking the spot, the party returned to the Hermitage late on Saturday night. It will be necessary to await fine weather before another attempt is made to recover the body and a search is made for the other. Inspector D. L. Calwell, of the Timaru Police District, is in charge of the recovery partv which is led by Constable J. I. K. Preston (Fairlie) and includes Messrs Gillies and Stevenson and Guides H. Dorflinger and Franz Barter.