Clipper, January 17, 1946

              $79,650 Netted 1945 Banner Year for PAA; Records
Set in Traffic and Flight
In Victory Loan
Final report on the recent Victory Loan Drive was made by Chairman Gus Wunder, Chief of the Metal Shop. PAAers contributed a total of $79,650.
Special commendation was given Bill Burton of Bermuda, Charlie Bounds, until recently at Horta, and Henry Snowdon, of Lisbon, for their efforts in the purchase of $1,475 in bonds at their respective stations. The Federal Credit Union was also cited for the purchase of $30,-000 in Victory Bonds.
Coordinators who worked with Gus Wunder on the drive were: Marge Lundberg, Public Relations; Evelyn Reimers, Executive; Ruth Knoepfel, Medical; Rita Shields, Industrial Relations; Marie Wood, Communications; “Mimi” Harris, Ground Operations; Guy Storer, Maintenance; Pierre De Remer, Flight Operations; Dick Todd, Traffic; Audrey Smithson, Service of Supply; A1 Munro,Accounting; Mary Terry, A-0 Division, and Dorothy Koch, Airways.
A record number of 20,025 transatlantic passengers were carried by Clippers during 1945, the Atlantic Division announces in its seventh annual traffic report.
To handle the increased demand for transatlantic travel, which was more than 50% above 1944, the company replaced the Clippers with faster land planes late in the year, lowered passenger and express rates and increased schedules to London from twice a week to daily flights.
In the 6Vi years of operation since the Dixie Clipper’s initial conquering of the Atlantic on June 28, 1939, the Clippers have transported a grand total of more than 88,000 passengers.
In carrying the record 1945 load, the flying boats and DC-4 land planes crossed the Atlantic a total of 419 times between the United States and Europe. This does not include twice-weekly trips to Bermuda. The four flying boats and, later, the six land planes, traveled a distance of approximately 1,750,-000 miles on these flights, preliminary figures show.
Other than passengers, the Clippers transported 203,000 pounds of Clipper Express, 339,000 pounds of U. S. mail and 183,000
pounds of foreign mail.
Outstanding among 1945 passengers were business men going to Europe to restore production facilities or sales connections. Other travelers included Archduke Otto of Austria, Rear Admiral William Leahy, Vice Admiral Emory S. Land, Senator Claude Pepper of Florida, Mayor Roger Lapham of San Francisco, Sir Cedric Hardwick, British movie actor, Ray Milland, American movie actor and “Oscar” winner, Sister Elizabeth Kenny, originator of the Kenny infantile paralysis treatment. Billy Rose, Broadway producer, and Mrs. Reginald Vanderbilt.
Outstanding “mercy” case was August’s rush flight of five-year-old Weymouth Pedlar 10,000 miles from South Africa to this country for medical treatment of a throat stoppage which was threatening his life. Treatments are progressing successfully.
Two major innovations for passengers service and comfort were made during the year — addition of stewardesses in March and introduction of moving pictures while in flight in November.
Records that will stand for some time were set in four categories by the flying boats before they were retired. On the 2,000-mile run over the North Atlantic — the most direct and most used route to Europe — a record 34 passengers, plus 12 crew, were carried. On the 1,870-mile South Atlantic run 56 passengers were Hown from Africa to Brazil. A Bermuda Clipper leaving NBA carried the greatest number of commercial passengers ever lifted off the ground — 64, plus a 13-man crew. For the fourth record, three different Clippers carried 191 passengers into and out of the marine terminal in a 24-hour period.
Aside from the many vital express items carried by the Clippers, the most interesting cargo was a purple orchid corsage for the wedding of an Irish lass, and a doll from ex-Mayor La Guardia to a British girl who was not able to replace hers in London. Another unusual weekly cargo are the photographic pages for reproducing in New York the Transatlantic edition of the London Daily M ail.
To speed clearance of incoming express the first entry office at any airport was established by U. S. Customs at La Guardia Field at PAA’s suggestion, resulting in cutting clearance time from the previous two to seven days down to one hour.
Security as it affected the Clippers closely paralleled the progress of the war. At the start of the year the camouflage was removed from the ships and regular commercial operations resumed. Two days after V-E Day schedules were made public and interviews of passengers by the press resumed. Several days later, certain businessmen were allowed priorities to travel and this was later ex-(Continued on Page 2)
UNO Delegation Feted at NBA
The greatest newspaper coverage since the beginning of the war occurred recently when seven United Nations Organization delegates and their secretaries arrived at NBA. Every press association and newspaper, including foreign agencies, were represented.
The committee is here to select six eastern United States locations, one of which will be chosen as the “capital of the world” or headquarters of the UNO.
Upon arrival the members were greeted Py Grover Whalen, Chairman of the Mayor’s reception committee. A recording of the reception was made by John Cooper of NBC and was broadcast over WEAF on the 6 p.m. news.
Cocktails and a buffet luncheon were served the delegates and approximately 40 members of the press and radio, newsreel men and photographers in the Passenger Service Dining Room.
United Nations Organization reconnaissance delegates and their secretaries pose for our photographer in the Passenger Service Dining Room at NBA during the reception planned for them by PAA.
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