Leaving

The flying boat on which we had travelled to Lord Howe Island was blown aground by a gale, leaving us castaway (unfortunately in winter) for a week before another flying boat was able to retrieve us. We began our take-off run from alongside the stranded flying boat, with choppy seas. Airport runways are always smooth, but not so for flying boats. Our first takeoff run needed to be aborted because the boat was being badly affected by waves: we left without problem on the second attempt.

Islander, the flying boat on which we left, is now in a museum in the USA. The damaged flying boat Beachcomber was repaired and eventually went back to England, where it has pride of place in a special museum.

Second photo in note. View on black.