TOUGH BUSHMEN AND TRAMPERS BACKBONE

Wanganui Chronicle, 1 November 1948, Page 6

TOUGH BUSHMEN AND TRAMPERS BACKBONE

or okiAacniiKd OiiAwuxNE, oiuiday ("Chronicle” 3tail i-teporieri.- iiaraened ousuimea, Tampers, pig nunters, employees oi Luc State i’ ores I service, Public works Tc pavement employees and /umv personnel were tne backbone oi Liie party which orougnt me oocnes of iz ox me personnel ox tne ill-lated Electra io the base at the top or tne iviangdiuruiuru valley yesteraay. lire taSK ol bringing mem ironi tins spot, ffobO Leet aoove sea level and eight miles irom the Horopito base, was unaertaKen oy Army personnel ana state forest Service employees in tne main. riaraened to the rigours of mountaineering and with an uncaiv power oi finding their way where tracks existed, tne advance par, made a great climo from its overnignl camp near EaKe Surprise to the wreckage and then pack to tne base with tne bodies ol the victims. That the job was a strenuous one and called for stamina and willpower tu Lace up to tne exhausting task of negotiating rocky laces, traversing deep falls of soft snow and making a way across treacherously slippery snow, was evidenced by tne appearance of most oi the men when they arrived back at the base at Horopito yesterday aiternoon. Even the hardened bushmen and trampers had had enougn, while those of lesser physique were almost done in. Some ol tne men dropped to the ground with latigue when they arrived out with snowburnt laces and haggard leatures. Some had blistered and torn feet and one and ail had the same ambition —a iiot bath and a comfortable bed.

"Conditions were terrible last night. It rained cats and dogs, and we were soon drenched to the skin,” said one tough looking bushman. The wind was strong and no one could sleep. "1 wouldn’t go up there again lor £loy. All 1 want is a good binder and a warm bed," Jie added.

Another tramper said that Friday nigiit was.one of the wildest nights he had experienced on the mountain. When the wind and rain started lie had thought that ii would be impossible for them to continue to the wreckage in the morning. The tramp from the base at Mangaturuturu to the wreckage, which was believed to be from 65U0 to 7UUU feet above sea level, was tough going the whole way. Fortunately tne snow was fairly hard when the party set out and good progress was made. The fit men soon got ahead of tne others and the party spread out.

Difficulty was experienced in seeing the wreckage when the leaders got close to it, said bushmen. The result was that a climb was made up th£j_idge and when the wreckage was sigmed it was about 600 feet below. A hazardous descent then had to be made to the plane and the time for this was estimated to have taken from 45 minutes to more than an hour, it was at’this point 200 yards away from the crash that many oi the less lit men were unable to proceed and had to return. The descent to the plane was both treacherous and tricky. On the way back, however, the parties went straight down the valley. Had they been able to come un this way the last wearying portion would nave been saved and more men would probably have been available for the carrying oi the stretchers. FIRST MAN AT WRECK. The first man to reach the wreckage was Mr. L. Davis, of Ohakune, and he was . lowed closely by Mr. J. Briggs, u displayed remarkable speed in covering the last part of the journey.

Four constables were included among those who reached the plane and assisted to carry back the bodies. They were Constables A. Ward (Ohura), who was in charge of the party, H. M. Munro (Taumarunui), G. Adsett (Ohakune) and C. Dudley (Wanganui).

The party had to wait about an hour at the wreckage until two Haryards from Ohakea dropped stretchers in canisters attached to orange-hued parachutes. The dropping of the ’chutes was very accurately carried out and some of the ’chutes dropped within a lew yards pi the wreckage. The Harvards had to approach the wreckage from the top of the valley and dive down it, said a tramper. As soon as the ( stretchers were assembled the bodies were placed on them and the gruelling journey back started. About 50 men reached the wreckage and they were hardly enough to handle the stretchers and the men had a tough time until they caught up with a relief party farther down. The stretchers sagged too much and in the deep snow made carrying them difficult. Several trampers suggested that toboggans would have been more appropriate in the snow. “The going was terrible and I

wouldn’t like to do it again,” said one man. Tired and footsore, he dropped to the ground exhausted. In most cases four men were attached to each stretcher, but two or three of the stretchers were handled by six men.

A tribute to the work of the trampers, bushmen and Maoris who reached the wreckage was paid by Constable A. Ward. He said the men had shown great fortitude in carrying out their task. He also paid tribute to the work of the Army personnel who went to the wreckage and also assisted in bringing down the bodies. Two State Forest Service men had carried first aid equipment but it was fortunate that its services were not required by the party. “You would not find a better bunch of men anywhere,” commented Mr. T. Shout, warden of Tongariro National Park. “It is in a time like this that you see the best in men. Some of the voung chaps did a great job and we have some good material for the future.”