AN EARLY RHODESIAN AIR CRASH
LADY YOUNG AND HER GYPSY MOTH, 28th FEBRUARY 1935
Lady Young prepares for take-off At 08.10 on 28th February 1935, Lady Young, wife of Sir Hubert Young, the Governor of Northern Rhodesia, took off from Livingstone in her own Gypsy Moth to join her husband in Lusaka where he was attending to the transfer of the capital of Northern Rhodesia from Livingstone. Lady Young had not fully recovered from a bout of malaria, and was accompanied by the Senior Government Medical Officer, Dr T.R.F.Kerby. It was an overcast morning and visibility was very poor, but Lady Young was widely renowned as an expert pilot and there were no fears for her safety.
The distance to be flown was 291 miles, and her ETA at Lusaka was 11.00.
Shortly before 11.00, Sir Hubert and a welcoming group of friends and officials gathered at the Lusaka aerodrome eagerly scanning the sky for a first glimpse of the litle aircraft. When there was neither sight nor sound by 11.15, those present began exchanging apprehensive glances. Soon afterwards, it was realised that something serious may have occurred, and immediate steps were taken to organise search parties. Messages were telegraphed and telephoned along her route, and within a very short while two aircraft and numerous Police and railway personnel were involved in the search. Patrols by rail-trolley and road were sent out, and a medical centre was set up at Monze, with a fully-equipped hospital train. .
A report was received that the plane had been seen near Choma at about 09.30 that morning, slightly to the west of the normal course, and another later siting to the east of the course. Other reports of sitings were received, but could not be substantiated. The search continued throughout the night, using flares and torches, but to no avail. By early next morning, 1st March, 200 men of the Northern Rhodesia Regiment together with six White officers, 200 Police and 170 railwaymen joined the operation which now had about 600 men on the ground. There were in addition many civilian volunteers. An operations base was established in Choma, under control of the Governor.
As the days progressed, more aircraft joined in the search. These included a flight of six Wapitis very promptly despatched by the South African Air Force, two Leopard Moths from the Johannesburg Light Plane Club, a Puss Moth of the Katanga Aero Club in Elisabethville, an Imperial Airways Atalanta, a WACO belonging to Mr. N.D. McGill of Livingstone. and a Gypsy Moth piloted by a Mr Elton of Melsetter, Southern Rhodesia. A Westland Wessex and then a Leopard Moth, newest and fastest of the RANA fleet, entered at a later stage. At one time there were nineteen aircraft involved in the search, their names so evocative of that period.
The area from Livingstone to Broken Hill was carefully mapped, and thoroughly swept by very low-flying planes. Ground patrols operated throughout the day and using flares at night. The quest was concentrated largely twenty miles on either side of the railway line, as it was thought the plane could not have strayed much further off course than that. From Lusaka, special searches were made of the flooded Kafue Flats, as there was a possibility that the plane may have crashed and sunk in the marshy ground.
This became the most extensive ground and air search ever undertaken in Northern Rhodesia, and probably in the whole of Southern Africa at that time.
Unfortunately it was taking place far to the north of the site where Lady Young had crashed. Over a hundred miles to the north, in fact ..........
Mr. Cameron at his trading store
After taking off from Livingstone, Lady Young encountered areas of high turbulence. Visibility was poor, but by means of her compass, she was able to keep her little plane on course. Some time later she saw below a large river which she took to be the Kafue. Lusaka could not be far away. She passed over the river, but instead of the sprawling buildings of Lusaka, she saw what she recognised as the Kariba Gorge. She was far off course and had petrol reserves for only about twenty minutes flying time. It appeared that the turbulence had loosened the locking screw of her compass, which was now wildly inaccurate. It was imperative to find a reasonably safe place in which to land.
In an extremely inhospitable terrain, the only possibility that offered itself was what appeared to be a patch of mealies. As they braced themselves for impact, Lady Young realised that it was in fact a patch of 14 foot high kaffircorn. The stalks entwined themselves around the undercarriage, and the plane toppled over, coming to rest on its back. Lady Young managed to scramble out of the wreck, but Dr. Kerby was trapped in his harness, covered in petrol. He managed to free himself, and to their great relief, they found each other still alive. The only injury was a cut on Lady Young’s nose. The time was about 11.40. Shortly afterwards, some Africans appeared from a nearby kraal and told them there was a white man somewhere in the area. This was Mr. G. W. Cameron, a locust ranger and trader.
"On Guard"
Lady Young wrote a note on the back of an envelope, and asked them to take it to the white man as quickly as possible. The note read :
“Urgent. To the first white man who receives this note. Lady Young and Dr. Kerby have had a forced landing at a native village. This appears to be near the Kariba Gorge (the Southern Rhodesia side of the river). Please immediately telegraph to Sir Hubert Young at Lusaka. Lady Young and Dr. Kerby are both unhurt, but the machine is badly damaged. We are going to follow the messenger who carries this note, and shall be grateful if you will come to meet us please”.
Shortly after dusk, Mr. Cameron arrived at the village, with food, blankets, tea, a small tent and a mosquito net. He told them that he had sent their note on to the Native Commissioner at Gokwe, by runners. They spent the night at the village. The position of the crash was later estimated to be 17.3 Lat. and 28.50 Long., or 16.55 Lat. and 28.45 Long., by different flyers over the area.
It was not until 4th March that the searchers in Northern Rhodesia would learn what had happened. When the news reached them, Sir Hubert threw a party - chastely described by the Press as “sundowners” but by participants in the search, as “what a party !”
Native Commissioner Marr in his radio shack.
Soon after 5 p.m. on Monday, 4th March, a runner arrived at the Native Commissioner’s camp at Gokwe, bearing the dramatic message from Lady Young. Mr. F. Marr, the NC (callsign ZELJC), immediately set about transmitting the information by Morse Code. At 5.15 he made contact with Mr. R.A.Jubb (callsign ZEIJN), the Government Meteorological Officer in Bulawayo, and it was promptly passed on to the relevant officials in Southern and Northern Rhodesia. Daventry picked it up, and within minutes a message that had been carried by runners 90 miles on foot for four days through Southern Rhodesia’s wildest country was flashed around the whole world.
A Native Department patrol sets out.
The N.C. despatched two messengers, Zhara and Mangwiro, to ride through the night with a message for Lady Young and bundles containing champagne, cigarettes and food. Unfortunately by the time they arrived 90 miles away, Lady Young and her party had already departed by another route.
Next day, 5th March, a Westland Wessex, first aircraft to land on the recently-completed landing strip at Gokwe, was also despatched with champagne, cigarettes, sandwiches and other supplies for the stranded party. Gokwe appears to have held an inexhaustible supply of champagne in those days ! A message was included informing Lady Young that the N.C. was setting off in a car and a truck to cut a road through to Cameron’s camp, to rescue them. Mrs. Marr, wife of the N.C. (who was coping with the sudden emergency and influx of visitors in the way of all Native Department wives), had provided bed linen for the making of parachutes in which the champagne and other supplies were to be dropped to Lady Young.
Mr. R.A. Jubb with the portable radio set used by Mr. Marr.
The pilot was unable to find Cameron’s camp in that wilderness, and so returned to Gokwe. Lady Young and her party were therefore unaware that the search was under way, and set forth on foot and machila for Gokwe. Unfortunately, this was by a different route from that which was being cut by the N.C. who had with him a portable radio set provided by the 1st Battalion of the Rhodesia Regiment. This was a low-powered set, and was unfortunately unable to receive messages later sent to inform him that it had been learned Lady Young’s party was proceeding by a different route. Mr Marr was able to make radio contact only when he had reached Cameron’s camp, by which time the missing party was approaching Gokwe. All his efforts to cut a road through to Cameron’s camp were in vain, but were very favourably commented on.
Mr. Marr transmitting at Cameron's store.
But to get back to the crash. The next morning, Friday, 1st March, Lady Young, Dr. Kerby and Mr. Cameron walked to his camp, which was about six miles from the crash. They spent the day resting there, considering their next move. Knowing how difficult their journey would be, Mr. Cameron had a machila made with branches and bark for Lady Young. They had a long way to go, and at 6.45 on 2nd March the little caravan set forth – Lady Young walking part of the way to spare the machila carriers. That day they covered about 16 miles in hot and difficult conditions, and spent the night at an African village. The next day was more difficult, and a shorter distance was covered.
Mr. Cameron arranged everything possible for the comfort of his wards. He had provided a small tent and a mosquito net for Lady Young, and they were able to bathe every day. The “bath” consisted of a hole scooped in the ground, lined with a piece of canvas, and filled with water. It was essential to keep up appearances, and the men shaved each day, Dr Kerby borrowing Mr. Cameron’s “cut-throat” razor.
On Monday 4th they made good progress, and spent the night at the village of Chief Sileya. Tuesday was very hot and the going rough. Wednesday was another good day and that night they slept in a village which they calculated was 26 miles from Gokwe. Setting off very early on the morning of Tuesday 7th March, it was not long before they heard the sound of a motor car, and near Sweswe were picked up by Capt. Bugler of the BSAP. Their long hike was over. They had walked about 70 miles.
Sketch map.
They were received by Mrs. Marr at the NC’s house in Gokwe, where their first request was for a hot bath. At 4 pm they took off in the waiting Westland Wessex, arriving to an enthusiastic reception in Lusaka at 6 pm. – seven days and seven hours after their original ETA !
The Westland Wessex which took Lady Young
and Dr Kerby back to Lusaka
Once Mr. Cameron had delivered his charges safely at Gokwe, he turned and quietly set off on foot back to his camp ninety miles away.
Lewis Walter
Fish Hoek, Cape
July 2012
End
My thanks to Mrs. Dorothy Marr, daughter-in-law of Native Commissioner Frederick Marr, for documents and information concerning him, and to Mrs. Dee Dowson for getting them safely to me. Also to Dave Newnham, Mike Hamence, Ron Jarman, Nick Baalbergen, Mitch Stirling, Tony Richardson, Bill Wiggill and Sean Morgan for information and references
The wreckage of Lady Young’s plane was eventually dismantled and removed to Que Que.
She became President of the Flying Club in Lusaka, and when they held their first rally in 1937, she won the Landing Competition !
This article can also be viewed at http://rhodesianheritage.blogspot.com/2012/07/lady-young-and-her-gypsy-moth.html
ORAFs records its thanks to Lewis and all those members that assisted him with this project.
Comments are always welcome - send them to Eddy Norris at ora...@gmail.com
Eddy Norris
Irene - RSA. |
