Tárogató, 1941-1942 (4. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1941-07-01 / 1-2. szám
TÁROGATÓ 13 Who are the men who succeed in a noble manner? They are those who can rise out of failure and shake it off; who when they err accept their error, and say; “Now I know where I am weak, that I will never do again”; who look their sin straight in the face, and say: “It is bad and vile but it can be redeemed by effort, lived down by perseverance in good.” Who do not despair and hide their faces in a cowardly remorse. Who make their mistakes, their failures, the stepping-stones to their success. —Stopford Brooke. “The United Churchman.” United Church Missionary Aids Wrecked Fliers A telegram was received at Musgrave Harbor on Monday, Feb. 24th from the Chief of Police in St. John’s, ordering Constable Hiscock of Carmanville to organize a search for the occupants of the missing bomber on which Sir Frederick Benting had been travelling, and which had been located by planes ten miles to the South West of Musgrave Harbour. As no horse was available, the United Church Missionary at Carmanville, Rev. F. W. Mitchinson, put his dog team at the disposal of the Constable and accompanied him to Musgrave Harbour to render whatever assistance he possibly could. They set out at 5 P.M., and by good luck, (for neither of them was sure of the way) arrived in the early morning at Musgrave Harbour. Here they learned that the pilot, Captain Mackay, had been brought out by four trappers. His head had been badly cut in the crash and the bandages applied either by himself or Sir Frederick, had not been removed when Mr. Mitchinson saw him. He told our missionary he had no recollection of having put the bandages on. He had been rendered unconscious when the plane hit the ground, and when he recovered, found that his head had been bandaged, presumably by Sir Frederic Benting. When questioned about the accident, Capt. Mackay told Mr. Mitchinson one of his engines failed when flying about fifty miles out to sea, and he was ordered to return. His radio then went out of commission. In order to keep altitude he instructed the crew to bail out everything possible to lighten the plane, which they did. But the plane continued to lose height, and when it became obvious that he must crash, he gave the order for all the occupants of the plane to bail out. He thought the order had been obeyed, and it was only when he recovered consciousness that he discovered the other three were still in the plane. Bird and Snailem were dead. It appears that Bird was about to jump from the plane when it struck, as his parachute was on his back, his hand almost at the rip cord, his feet were protruding outside the door as far as the ankles. Snailem was found in the door leading to the pilot house. Capt. Mackay thinks he must have been on his way forward to tell him something. He found Sir Frederick alive but badly injured and delirious. At one moment he thought he was at home, then he would dictate letters to his office secretary that Mackay would pretend to take. While waiting for help the pilot made Sir Frederick as comfortable as possible. He bandaged one arm that he thought was broken, covered him with a coat and a parachute and set off for help. The snow was deep and he had to strap boards to his feet with adhesive tape in order to walk. When he got back to the plane five hours later, he found Sir Frederick about forty-five yards from the plane — dead, his private papers at his side. To add to the tragedy, Capt. Mackay could hear the searching planes overhead but had no means of signalling. He had in the bomber hundreds of very light cartridges, but he could not find the pistol to fire them. It was later found about fifty yards from the plane. He managed to write in the snow with his boot — “Mackay — Three Others Dead,” and at last he was sighted by a plane pilotted by his best friend. They dropped supplies and a sleeping bag into which he crawled, and being exOUR ENGLISH SECTION. Our Mistakes
