BA1410/3/31: Junkers seaplane Atlantis (Captain H. Bertram and A. Klausmann) stranded 150 miles north of Wyndham, July 1932

Summary

In 1932, German aviators Hans Bertram and his mechanic, Adolph Klausmann, were flying from Cologne (Germany) to Australia, on a goodwill flight on behalf of Junkers Aircraft. Their aircraft was a Junkers W33c floatplane named "Atlantis", registered D-1925. On 14 May 1932, whilst flying across the Timor Sea from Koepang, Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia) to Darwin, a violent storm pushed them off course. They landed near Rocky Island, 160km from Wyndham, 480km west of their destination, with little fuel and water, and no food. Having not been found by searchers, they took the aft end of a float from the aircraft to use as a boat, with a makeshift sail and rudder. On 27 May 1932, they sailed out to sea, and headed west. The currents and winds were strong, and they were exhausted in trying to make it to the shore. On 15 June 1932, searchers found the Junkers aircraft on the beach with a note saying "27 May 1932. Australia. Today we left the plane in float as a boat in a westerly direction. Bertram." On 22 June 1932, they were found close to death by some Aborigines, and kept alive for another week until a rescue party arrived. On 6 July, they were taken to Wyndham on a boat and hospitalised. The photographer, Alan Sloan, was living in Wyndham at this time.