Robertson received the M.B.E.; Emmerson, Murphy and Appleby the British Empire Medal, Hercod received the Queen's Commendation for Bravery, and Whelan and Bottomer earned the Commander-in-Chief's Commendations.

Their next big operation came nine months later. on January 19th, 1960, a Martin Mercator, belonging to the United States Navy, was missing in the Taurus mountains of southern Turkey. The aircraft was carrying sixteen men.

The call-out came at 6.30 p.m. on the 19th, and within the hour twenty members of the team were assembled at the mountain rescue section. The first Hastings took nineteen men, two Land-Rovers and one trailer in addition to the rescue equipment. The Americans have an air base at Adana, between the Taurus and the Mediterranean. The Hastings landed at 11.40 p.m. and the team members spent the night there while a signal was sent for the remainder of the team and a radio equipped Land-Rover.

The officer in charge was Flying Officer Thomas, the N.C.O.: Flight-Sergeant Davis. The nucleus - who had done most of the high-altitude work on Suphan - were Emmerson, Bottomer, Whelan, Murphy and other climber, Ralph Hetherington.

After only four hours' sleep at Adana, fifteen of the team were co-opted to fly in the search aircraft as look-outs, for the Mercator had not yet been found. Four men were left behind to prepare the vehicles, complete preparations for the expected imminent departure, and to receive the rest of the team when they arrived. The United States Air Force had a team of Air Police and another of para-medics standing by.

Both British and Americans had search aircraft up, but it was one of the Hastings, again from 70 Squadron, which sighted the wreck.

The Mercator had crashed on the northern face of Karanfil Dag, a peak of 10,154 feet. It had gone in at a height of 9,000 feet. The mountain rescue men had the opportunity to study the wreckage and its surroundings from the air, even to trace a provisional route to the site. There was no sign of survivors, although tracks were visible leading towards the wreckage from the valley. It transpired that these had been made by the local villagers.

At 12.50 p.m. the rescue convoy left Adana. In addition to their own transport there were several large American lorries, and a jeep belonging to the Air Police. The weather this day was good. Visibility was perfect (this, and the fact that the Mercator was on track when it crashed, accounted for its being spotted comparatively quickly).

They drove west to Tarsus over the fertile Cilician plain . They were surprised to find it so cold, for they were on the shores of the Mediterranean, yet the temperature was 40° at sea level. This was ominous when they considered that the aircraft wreck was at 9,000 feet.

At Tarsus they turned away from the sea and drove inland towards the mountains. The road left the plains with their poplars and willows, and started to climb through gorges where river, road and railway were squeezed together between the cliffs. Pines grew where they could, otherwise it was bare limestone, rather reminiscent of the Alps.

They came through the mountains by a pass called the Cilician Gates (where Alexander had been before them on his way to destroy Darius and the Persian Army) and emerged into a desolate upland region which was at once `mountain country'. At 6,000 feet the Cilician Gates were just clear of snow, but here there was a smell of the peaks and the roads were tracks. The shepherds wore great stiff cloaks that looked as if they had come out of a mould, and their dogs had iron spikes on their collars about three inches long - perhaps to give them the advantage over the wolves? Continue to page 7