Flights. British. — (a) A British aeroplane, the “Princess Xenia” arrived in Bushire on the 13th June piloted by Captain Barnard with the Duchess of Bedford on board. The aeroplane left Bushire for Karachi but after a short flight returned owing to engine trouble, and had to remain in Bushire until the 22nd of August, when it reached Karachi. The same aeroplane returned to Bushire on the 2nd September and left next morning for Croydon. Captain Barnard’s flight was one of 5,000 miles in 4½ days. His various stoppages from Karachi were Bushire, Aleppo and Sofia, whence he flew 1,400 miles to Croydon. (b) His Majesty’s seaplane “Iris” with Sir Phillip Sassoon on board, passed over Bushire on the 16th October on its way to India. The machine was later held up at Henjam owing to a mishap to the engine. On its way back from India, the machine had to land at Jask, again owing to engine trouble. The Royal Air Force, Karachi, rendered necessary assistance and eventually arranged a machine to convey Sir Phillip Sassoon and party back to England. The “Iris” finally passed over Bushire on the 1st November on her way to Iraq. Although permission had been obtained, the machine did not land at Bushire. (c) On the afternoon of the 17th October, aeroplanes Nos. H.-22 and J. -7307 of the Royal Air Force arrived from Basrah, with nursing sister Miss K. East of the Civil Hospital on board to attend a serious case of sickness. As permission had been granted by the Persian Government for one machine to land only, permission for the second to leave had to be obtained from Tehran. This was received on the 19th October when both machines flew back to Basrah. (d) The Royal Air Force aeroplane “Hinaidi” arrived from Jask on the 26th October with Sir Phillip Sassoon and Sir Denys Bray, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., C.B.E., the Foreign Secretary to the Government of India, on board [see (b) above]. It left again after a delay of a few hours for Baghdad. (e) The Ryan monoplane “Spirit of Australia’’ with Captain Frank Hurley, Flying Officers S. J. Moir and H. Owen of the Royal Australian Air Force, arrived at Bandar Abbas from Karachi on the 14th November. The Persian military authorities detained the machine on the excuse that Capt. Hurley had no permit to land at Bandar Abbas, although he had permission to land at Bushire. At the request of the Political Resident, the Governor of the Gulf Ports wired to Bandar Abbas to allow the machine to leave and the Legation was also asked to make the necessary representations at Tehran. On the 18th November the machine was allowed to leave Bandar Abbas. It reached Bushire the same day and left for Basrah en route for England. (f) A Royal Air Force aeroplane No. Y.-7745, Pilot, Lt. D. F. Anderson which was flying from Baghdad to Karachi, made a forced landing on Bahmanshir Island near Mohammerah on the 12th December on account of engine trouble. (g) The Royal Air Force "Victoria" machine with Sir Denys Bray, K.C.I.E., C.S.I., C.B.E., Foreign Secretary to the Government of India on board arrived from Basrah on the 16th December and the same day left for India via Bandar Abbas and Jask. (h) Two “Victoria” machines of the Royal Air Force, Nos. J. 7926 and J.-8919 in charge of Squadron Leader R. I. Chapman arrived at Bushire on Christmas Day and left for India via Jask. (i) Messrs. Vincent and Newall in two De Haviland nine “A” machines arrived at Bushire and left for Karachi on the 23rd April with halts at Bandar Abbas and Jask. Dutch. – (a) Two Dutch mail aeroplanes arrived from Amsterdam during the month of September en route to Java via Karachi and Calcutta.
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