Questioned in the Hlouse of Commons to-day regarding the Air Force calamity, in which Squadvon-Leader '4. 'G. dones-Williams and Flight-Lieutenant, N. Lil. Jenkins lost their lives, the Under-Secretary for Air, 'Mr. Fred' Montague, stated that machine in which the airmen were Attempting to make a record non-Stop flight to South Africa crashed the hills thirty miles south of Tunis. in cloudy, stormy weather.
added that. the Consul-General had proceeded to the scene at dawn today to obtain the fullest information and to bring the bodies of the leers to the military. hospital in Tunis.
Mr. Montague said that the Air Ministry had: already despatched a technical adviser to Tunis to facil-{tate an expert enquiry on the spot. Meanwhile no cause could be assigned for the accident, The Under-Secretary in conelusion informed the House that responsible French authorities had given the greatest possible assistance (cheer:
Mr. Montague later stated that while deploring the lives Tost of two Fallant oticers of such outstanding Promise the House would join with him in conveying to their relatives fan expression of most profound sympathy.
It is that whi ready left for Tunis investigate the cause of the di jor it is not Likely' that. the formal rvice of al f "court of inquiry will be held in view fof, the. special "ciresmatances which the disaster occurred.
Among air experts little doubt is felt that the disaster occurred some time before 8 p.m. on Tuesday. This falculation is based on the fact that the men reported their position by wireless at 4 p.m. when they were 66 miles off Sardinia and should have sent out another message four hours later.—The before four hours had while had covered some~400 miles Darkness would have fallen befor 8 pin. and all the circumstance point to the machine getting off its) course in a storm that was raging and crashing into the mountains without the pilots being able to seo the high ground that was in front of them—British Wireless through)
Reuter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.