Flying-Boat Wrecked At Lord Howe
p. 10 · Read in the full issue
The “write-off” of a Sandringham flying-boat following storm damage to her at Lord Howe Island in July may speed up a decision on whether the island will get a land airstrip.
ANSETT Flying Boat Services, which owned the Sandringham, one of two it used on the service from Sydney, do not plan to replace her until they know what the future of the flying-boat service is going to be.
“What’s the point in spending a small fortune on another flying-boat if the Government decides to put in a landing strip?” said the company’s general manager, Captain Stewart Middlemiss.
“We have been attempting to get a decision on the strip one way or another for a long time, and now somebody better make up their mind.
In the meantime we’ll fly one aircraft and hope the islanders will be sympathetic to the difficulties. We’ve done a pioneering job there and the service is no money-maker.”
The damaged Sandringham was the recently-overhauled Pacific Chieftain, which reached Lord Howe from Sydney on July 4, with a big party of NSW bowlers en route to Suva for the South Pacific Bowls Carnival.
Overnight the aircraft broke from her moorings and grounded on the lagoon beach. Almost every able bodied man on the island turned to and got the aircraft back into the lagoon, but the following day, after another wild night of weather, the Sandringham was found partly sub merged at its new moorings.
Attempts to bring her ashore failed and she was eventually blown ashore in such a damaged condition that she was stripped and abandoned.
A second Sandringham which picked up the bowling party later had to turn back to Noumea and the party arrived in Suva too late for the carnival.
Three stages in the life and death of the flying boat "Pacific Chieftain . Top shows how she was found on the beach the first morning after she broke away from her moorings. Sand bags on one wing helped right her, and she was taken into the lagoon again. Next morning (lower left) she was found with one wing under water, and after vain salvage efforts she was finally dragged to Old Settlement Beach (right) and stripped.— Photos: Dick Morris.