Show I Ben Bennett ett Discovered By Commander Byrd Byrd's NEW YORK April 25 AP AP- AP Floyd Bennett born in Warrensburg Warrensburg Warrens Warrens- burg N. N Y in 1890 was for the first thirty-five thirty years of his life an rn obscure obscure ob ob- ob- ob score figure whose potentialities awaited only the moment of opportunity opportunity opportunity for development That moment came caine In Ia 1925 when Commander Richard E. E Byrd was given the pick of the whole navy from which to choose mechanics mechanics' for his Greenland expedition with Donald Donald Don Don- ald aId MacMillan Byrd discovered Bennett a virtually virtually virtually vir vir- unknown aviation on mechanic aboard a man of war war a a. navy grease ball indistinguishable from his fellows under the smear of ot oil oi that was the garb o of his profession He was not even especially well wel known on his own ship FINE PILOT But once he ho had his chance Byrd writes in his recently published published published pub pub- book Skyward he showed he was a good pilot and one of the finest practical men in the navy for handling an airplanes airplane's temperamental tal mechanisms And above that he was a a. rea reaman real man fearless and true true one one in a million From the moment that Byrds Byrd's 5 keen eyes penetrated the film o ot at grease coating the grubby mechanic and found a man the two were in in- in separable To think of Byrd was to think of Bennett and vice versa ersa and therefore much of the material that throws light on the sort o of person Bennett really was must o of necessity come from Byrd Together Bennett and Byrd endured en endured endured en- en dured the hardships of Greenland and together a year later t they ley flew over the north pole PRAISED BY BYRD Bennett said Byrd after that tha flight is a man of the greatest en energy energy energy en- en ergy endurance and skill both as a navigator and as a n mechanic I would not like to be in the arctic without him and I would take him before any other man in the world As soon as the pole had been crossed Byrd told Bennett an aerial crosing of the Atlantic was his next aim and Bennett asked tobe to tobe tobe be taken along We go together said Byrd bu buIt but It was It-was was not to be On April 36 16 6 of or last year the Fokker Fokker Fokker Fok- Fok ker plane America crashed on its Initial test flight light and Bennett was wasso wasso so 0 seriously injured that he could take no part in the flight to lr France ONLY NERVOUS ONCE Bennett had superb control o ohis or of his emotions but during that test flight realizing that the plane pIano was nose heavy he ho gave the only sign of nervousness he ever displayed That sign Byrd says was to lick his lips and at the time Byrd nudged Lieutenant Georgo George Noville and nodded toward Bennett The plane under the guidance of Anthony Anthom Fokker Its designer l landed landed land md- ed cd at sixty miles an hour hou and turned over All AIl but Fokker were injured Bennett by far the most seriously He was hanging upside down in the wreckage of the pilots pilot's seat his leg smashed blood pouring over his face blinded With oil He lIe believed he was dying but his first of his companions LOOK OUT FOR FIRE We Ve heard a strained voice says Byrd crying Look out for for fire fhe It was Bennett the man in a million Bennett fearless and true Byrd himself with a broken brokon arm made his way to his comrade ade and did what he could for him until l help lp should come Guess uess Im I'm done for Commander Comman- Comman der er Bennett Dennett told him and arid Byrd Erd though replying Nonsense old man thought he was right For a n week it that Bennett would die but he pulled through He was up on crutches before the re re- re built bult America left for France and during the past year he ho seemed to r regain gain his old strength lIe He was on a lecture tour when the chance came to go as chief pilot of New ew York City's official relief Plane to aid th the tha trans-Atlantic trans Bremen lIe Ho had a severe cold but nothing could stand in Ia the way of his Ills intention to carry aid to the themen themen themen men who had crossed the ocean he himself had once hoped to fly On April 18 he and Balchen who also left a sick bed to go with the relief party flew to Detroit in one of Commander Byrds Byrd's South Pole Planes They were put to bed In the Ford hospital but would not stay there On the they took off in a 1 Ford ord plane fa for I Bay and amI made the miles in about nine hours But Bennetts Bennett's cold developed Into I I and after waiting a day Y F For or- or ri 19 2 B pushed on without t him B Bennett ennett was taken b by plane to Q Quebec on Sunday April 22 2 2 and andis h his is wife herself suffering Buffering from a s severe evero attack of went vent t here there t to be with him Commander Byrd cancelled all aU his engagements engagement a and nd joined the Bennetts Bennetta at th the hos hos- pital ital p |