Ray Parer

/i USTRALIAN newspapers recently gave prominence to a reported offer made by Mr. Ray Parer of his services to the Spanish Government. It was asserted that Mr. Parer, who is of Spanish descent, was prepared to go to.

Spain to fight as an airman in the ser vice of the Spanish Government forces against the Franco (or Fascist) forces.

Later, in October when he was shown the published report, Mr. Parer denied that he had stated he was willing to go to Spain.

Everyone in Papua and New Guinea knows the adventurous Australian air man, He was one of the first free-lances to reach the Morobe goldfield with an aeroplane, in which he carried cargo and passengers at a time when rates were at their peak. He has made many pion eering flights, and his narrow escapes from death are beyond number. The writer thinks he was the first man to fly a plane between Port Moresby and Wau, over some of the ugliest mountains in the world.

This writer was at Mascot, N.S.W., one day more than 15 years ago, and he has a vivid recollection of witnessing the arrival of Ray Parer and Lieut. J. C.

Mclntosh in a funny little “bus” that literally was tied together with pieces of fencing wire and bootlaces. Heaven knows how long they had taken in their flight from London to Sydney, and how many times they had hit Mother Earth in un premeditated places but the fact re gains that they actually completed the journey, which was one of the most re markable in the annals of aviation.—R,