Readers of Polar Record with an extremely long memory or who possess a complete run of the journal, might refer to a paper published as long ago as 1932 on the topic of von Gronau's flight from Germany and over Greenland to the USA in the preceding year.

Fig. 1.

The Dornier Wal 2053 flying boat landing on the Innuksuak River and approaching Port Harrison (Inukjuak).

Fig. 2.

The flying boat at the wharf in Port Harrison (Inukjuak) for refueling.

Fig. 3.

The flying boat at the wharf in Port Harrison being refueled.

Fig. 4.

31 August 1931 the flying boat preparing for take-off en route to Chicago.

Fig. 5.

The flying boat taking off.

The purpose of the expedition was to establish a commercial air route between the two countries using flying boats. On 29 August 1931, Wolfgang von Gronau and crew Fritz Albrecht, Franz Hack, Ghert von Roth were searching for a petrol dump as they were low on fuel and lost. Port Harrison, (Inukjuak) situated on the west coast of northern Quebec was known as a place where fuel could be obtained. The crew believed that it was some 100 miles away with uninhabited and impassable land in between. The Polar Record article continues about the poor weather conditions but in fact it cleared suddenly, and Port Harrison was reached on the same day. It was found that there was only five minutes petrol remaining. The aircraft stayed at Port Harrison for two days and took off again on 31 August.

This is when the author's father, the Revd. Arnold C. Herbert took the photographs, presented in this note, of their flying boat, Dornier Wal D 2053, as it landed and refueled to continue its flight to Chicago.

Herbert was not, of course, part of the expedition, he just happened to be posted at Port Harrison as a missionary for the Anglican Church and remained there from 1930 to 1936. Besides the Inuit settlement, there was a Hudson Bay Company post and one of Revillon Fr'eres established for the fur trade. It seems probable that the fuel for the flying boat was obtained from them.