Pilot Tells of Rescue Effort

Retired Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) pilot Hugh Francis, 79, yesterday reminisced about rescuing 11 Tongans who were stranded on Minerva Reef in 1962. RNZAF navigator Mike Palairet said they were told of the missing Tongans stranded on the group of submerged atolls in the Pacific Ocean, south of Fiji and Tonga. The two were among a group of RNZAF veterans who arrived in Fiji to be part of an unveiling ceremony at the University of the South Pacific yesterday at the site of the former base for 5 Squadron from 1940 to 1967.

Mr Francis and Mr Paleiret provided all the information to the pilot of the RNZAF Sunderland Flying Boat, Mr Grimmond, who flew to Minerva Reef.

Mr Francis said nearing the reef, the air crew could see the survivors waving at the plane. They also saw drums floating in the ocean with SOS written on them. Mr Francis said he later saw some of the stranded sailors on a small boat they built from timber taken from a Japanese fishing boat grounded near them.

“On the sides of the boat they wrote SOS,” he said.

He said he landed the flying boat near to them and could see that they were really happy.

All the stranded sailors boarded the plane and were flown to Suva.