PAINFUL DEATH NEAR

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 72, Issue 91, 17 April 1929, Page 7

PAINFUL DEATH NEAR

PLIGHT OF AIRMEN ULM’S STORY OF HARDSHIPS Further details of the privations and disappointments suffered by the.crew of the Southern Cross during the 12 days that they waited for succour on a tropical / ustralian mud flat, are given in another despatch from Flight-Lieut. Ulm, (Copyright to the Sun throughout the World). Received April 16, 10.40 p.m. SYDNEY, April 16. In a further despatch Flight-Lieut. Ulin says: “The hour the Canberra flew over the “Coffee Royal” was one of the most memorable in our lives, for without exaggeration we were just on the point of complete starvation, and were utterly exhausted. Spring tides had covered the mudflats to the south, completely cutting off our main food supply of mud snails, and the few adjacent waterholcs in the foot hills were dried up and we were far too weak to climb to our best water supply, half way up Darlinghurst Hill. Even this was fast drying up. “Wo had a supply of bean weeds handy, but the sun was fas; drying even them. Our face., arms and legs were lacerated by the grass and bramble cuts, and flies were poisoning these sores rapidly. Painful death by starvation and thirst as not more than three or four days away. It can be realised in view of the condition we were in, and the awful 12 days we had been through, that we were literally almost insane with excitement on that memorable Friday morning. Before Les Holden flew away he dropped a note saying he would probably return the following day with more food. We then settled down to some steady eating. Wonderful Energy. “To me, several outstanding features of this experience arc left. Firstly the knowledge how much abuse the human frame will stand up to without breaking down altogether, and here I pay a tribute to my comrades’ wonderful efforts. None of us are by any means physically perfect. Three - f us normally weigh about ten : nd a half stone each. One (Litchfield) is still capable of hard physical work under the most trying conditions, though even he could not have lasted more than another two days. Smithy, the smallest of stature and the lightest of us all, caved in only on the night of the eleventh day. Prior to this he certainly worked the most strenuously of all. His energy was truly astounding. Mac and 1 arc practically on a level. We lasted well up to the ninth day, but thereafter were physically incapable of further real hard work. If we ever have to go through such trying times again, Smithy and I could desire no better comrades than Eitch and Mae. They are splendid. “.Mac is a born humorist. He is always cheerful and kept us amused all the time. Some people say that the mouth organ is not. worthy of the name of a musical instrument. Well, they have not heard Mac play one. When things were darkest he would strike up a lively tune and brighten us all up greatly. ‘•Radio was our greatest boon. Every night after Mac got our emergency aerial fixed, we received Sydney press news about the search for us. It was heartbreaking sometimes to note how away searchers were. If we had means to turn uur generators. Mac could have told searchers on the second night where to find us.”