H—37a

Followed at intervals the other bodies at periods varying from half an hour to one hour until about 5.30 the twelve bodies that had been found were there. The photographer called Hill was at the plateau camp. At the time I did not know his name. I saw the incident between Mr. Hill and Sergeant Carlyon, and was called across about three or four seconds after it happened. I then learned from Sergeant Carlyon that he had reprimanded Hill for taking a photograph. I agreed with the action Sergeant Carlyon took. I saw the body he photographed, and I think it would have been better left unphotographed. I told Mr. Hill not to break camp again. He actually went farther forward than he was entitled to, in my opinion. No other photographer made that break. By the break I mean going farther up the track from the plateau. I put them on their honour when I told them not to go farther forward. They could have gone and probably I would not have missed them. The men who were returning to the plateau bringing the bodies back were absolutely done ; no other word for it. Some of them had been without food for about thirty hours. I had to send out reliefs from base camp, and even those men were crying out for relief. We had no one else to send, so that about 2.30 we had to call for volunteers. Pressmen were still there then. None of them volunteered. They were equipped to go as far as the snow-line. There were a number of messages passing from wireless transmitting-set at plane to the plateau. There must have been hundreds. Similarly from the plateau to Horopito. I myself was largely concerned with the work of receiving and transmitting. I transmitted messages only to see authentic messages went out. My messages were from the base camp. I don't know what messages were sent out from Horopito. While on the plateau I received no message as to information given to Mr. Nash or Prime Minister's Department or National Airways Corporation at all. I saw the message first when I returned to Horopito. That is the first I knew of it—that is, on the Sunday. While on the plateau or engaged in the search I received no instruction restricting issue of information to press. Had the reporters been there at the time Mr. Christie was there I would have sent them up, too. The Wanganui Herald, Ist November, referring to my prohibition of the reporters going farther forward than the plateau, says reason given by me that an instruction forbidding newspaper men to go to the scene of the crash had been received from Air Department. I had received no instruction whatever and had given no such reason. I did remark they may have trodden on somebody's toes. That was said in relation to some request made to me by Wing Commander Kean. He was there at the time. Herald also states I answered questions and gave answers freely. All information at that time in my possession was given to them, but at that time I had very little information. It was not until about 5.30 that the bulk of the information came down from the crash-site. By that time some of the reporters had left the plateau, but at the same time I told some of the reporters that they had nothing to worry about, that Mr. Christie was up there and I had no doubt he would tell them everything he knew which was more than I knew at that time. Christie would get back to the plateau, I should say, at about 2or 2.30. I know he was very tired and almost all in. Further to reference made in the Herald that 'I gave information freely, I have a letter from the Taranaki Daily Herald from the managing editor (the letter was the thanks for co-operation and was handed in). I know Mr. Ellis, a pressman, personally. He was on the staff of the Taranaki Daily News, the paper which gave this letter. He was stationed in Taumarunui with Mr. Christie and was recently transferred to New Plymouth. On the Saturday at the plateau Mr. Ellis was not told by me he could be given no information. In reply to a question I told Mr. Ellis he had nothing to worry about, but his offsider was up at the plane and would have full details. Mr. Snedden from the New Zealand Herald was there at the time and a few others. W T hen the twelve bodies had been brought in Friday afternoon some hundred men remained on the plateau for the night. On Sunday early the work of transporting bodies to Horopito commenced, and I left the plateau at 6.15 a.m. I was the last party

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