Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1948-12-28
II Airmen Rescued From |cecap
By Jet-Assisted CAT Using Skis;
Carrier Is Still 1000 Miles Away
Men Being Flown
ToU. S. Air Base
In Greenland

NC1NC o11 lllC21 W11O 11oNC UCS14
Rstranded on an icecap ir
Greenland were rescued today by
a plane from an Air Force base
in Greenland, Air Force head
quarters announced.
They were picked up by a CA
transport equipped with skis anc
jet-assisted takeoff devices and
flown from the scene where seven
OF the men had been trapped since
December 8.
The rescue plane, piloted by 1t
Col Emil Beaudry of Westover
(MassD Air Force Base, was sched-
uled to land early this afternoon at
BLUE Vests an air base in Green
land, 270 miles northwest of the T.
50o-foot icecap.
The rescue, drst reported in an
intercepted radio message from
plant ground installations at
Goose Bay, Labrador, came as the
carrier Saipan plowed northWard
through stormy seas in an effort to
reach the men with helicopters.
Carrier 1000 Miles Away.
The huge carrier left Norfolk, Va,
an Christmas Day and took a ter
rife pounding from winds that often
hit a l00-naile velocity during the
last two days. The flattop today was
still almost 1000 miles from its
planned rescuse launching point.
The Air Force said it had been
in error in saying that Is men
were trapped on the icecap. The
Air Force fixed the number at II
in announcing the rescue and eX-
planned there had been uncertainty
whether one or two men occupied
q glider that made the last previous
rescue attempt. Only one man was
aboard.
The rescuing CAT landed on the
crusted snow at $50 AMI, loaQed
the men aboard, and took off at
1908 am.
Previous rescue efforts have been
conducted from BLUE West-I. an
Air Force base about 10 miles from
the icecap.
Supplies Dropped Regularly.
Following the crash of the CAT
plane that marooned seven men on
December 8, Bit was grounded
nearby in rescue attempt Deem
Der Is and two more men joined the
stranded group. Another two were
added December II when a glider
was damaged in a rescue try. The
18th man found himself in a SIM
lar situation December %.
Supplies were dropped regularly
to the men and radio contact was
maintained during most of the time.
Air Force officials said that if the
men are in good condition thye may
remain at BLUE Vests until they
can be returned to BLUE Vest.
All of the men were stationed at the
latter base and five of them have
their families there.
Col. Beaudry pilot of the rescue
plane, is a World War II veteran
bomber pilot with 200 combat hours
in the European theater A native
of Manchester. N. H, he attended
Eoston University and entered the
Air Force in 1941.
Rescue Plans Co-ordinated.
The rescue message was received
shortly after an Air Force announce
ment that Col. Bernt Balchen, the
Air Forces foremost Arctic expert,
arrived safely in Greenland early
today. He had flown $500 miles
from Alaska to join the rescue OPP
Grafton at BLUE Basel. When
he was overdue, there was specula-
ton that bad weather had forced
him down in Labrador.
Meanwhile. the Navy and Air
Force had co-ordinated plans for
rescue operations. Both teams of
rescuers were preparing to exploit
the first break in foul weather and
winds. While better weather was in
prospect for the Saipan. the carrier
was not believed likely to reach the
Greenland area before Thursday.
There was no immediate an
nouncement from Navy headquar-