Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 - 1955), Tuesday 27 June 1950, page 1


SURVIVOR TELLS OF TERRIFIED SCREAMS

Sole survivor Edgar Forwood was admitted to Royal Perth Hospital at 5.15 a.m. —about seven hours after the crash — following a nightmare 130-mile dash by Perth Ambulance men. Though talkative and apparently cheery, Forwood could give very little indication of the cause of the crash. When he was first picked up, he spoke of the aircraft "going up and down" and of the terrifying screams of the passengers. Later, in Royal Perth Hospital, he told police that the first thing he remembered was walking round near the burning aircraft. "I can remember walking round and round," he said. "It seemed like hours. I tried to get to the other people in the aircraft but it was too hot." When ambulance men arrived to administer first-aid, Forwood was lying on a bed of

leaves alongside a fire built by Frank McNamara. He was covered with an overcoat. "I could hear the groans and yelling of the passengers inside the aircraft," he told ambulance men. During his uncomfortable stretcher ride through the bush, Forwood asked how the other passengers were, but said nothing more of the crash, except to thank his rescuers. "I appreciate all you boys are doing for me," he said. He was admitted to hospital suffering severe shock and third degree burns to his face, hands and legs. His condition, four hours later, was described as fair. He was still conscious. Mr. Forwood, who is a bachelor, is managing director of the engineering company Forwood Down and Co. Ltd., of Adelaide. He arrived last Wednesday night by the Amana, on his first visit to Perth to inspect the West Australian branch of his business.