State Library of NSW
[Page 251]
4.
him to send up a machine to test the weather. I went up and found that it was just possible to make sufficient headway against the wind to get to Rendcomb on the 'Bristols' though it was hopeless for the others. Now here the plot thickens. At 2 p.m. Segrave went up followed by four Bristols – one had a dud engine & stayed on the ground. Segrave I got into formation with S and another and we started off against the wind – we never sighted the other two. After a few minutes the weather began to get bad and clouds came up below us – we were flying at 4000 ft – till we could not see the ground. S went down under the clouds & we followed. When I got through the clouds I found myself at 900 feet in the most appalling weather. With much difficulty I found out where I was (about 6 miles from Beaulieu) and promptly flew back to the aerodrome and landed.
It never occurred to me to make any further attempt to get to Rendcomb and I expected to find the others back on the aerodrome. I was much surprised and worried to find that they had not returned and that one of my Bristols had been crashed to pieces in getting off – luckily no one hurt. About 8 pm I got a wire from S who had got to Rendcomb, but no news
This page has its status set to Completed and is no longer transcribable.