Rescued From

N. Guinea

How Commercial Airmen and Machines Picked up 74 Australians

DETAILS of a hazardous enterprise, by which 78 Australian soldiers and civilians, some time ago, were rescued from a remote and isolated part of New Guinea, were released during the month by the Australian authorities.

It was carried out by well-known com mercial airmen, flying somewhat ancient air-liners, which were released from the Empire air mail service three or four years ago. All the airmen were mem bers of the Qantas staff.

Unarmed and without escort, and fly ing under bad-weather conditions, the air-liners went high over the central ranges of New Guinea, and then drop ped down into a tiny settlement in the heart of the wilderness. There, 78 Europeans, mostly Australians, were waiting for them.

Eighteen of the waiting men had walked hundreds of miles through the jungle, to escape the enemy.

Details of the rescue were given by the operations manager of Qantas Empire Airways (Captain Lester Brain).

The airmen who took part were: Cap tain O. D. Denny (in charge), Captain E. C. Sims, Acting-Captain E. R. Nicholl, Radio-Officers F. S. Furniss, R. J. Ander son, and L. W. Louttit, and Engineers R.

Carswell and D. E. Chambers.

Captain T. ODea, of Guinea Airways, was guide.

All volunteered for the job.

“At the outset, the risks of possible enemy action against the slow, unarmed aircraft were evident, but it was doubted whether these were as great a hazard as flying over rugged mountains, under dif ficult and tricky weather conditions,” said Captain Brain.

“There was no other way of escape open to the evacuees, except a long, arduous walk over the mountains to the coast.”