Hemingway Adventure

Butiaba, Uganda

Ignored by grazing cows, a wind-direction indicator is all that's left of the air-strip on which Reggie Cartwright's de Havilland Rapide burst into flames on 24 January 1954.

I look around. The wind-direction arrow squeaks and readjusts itself, the only landmark in the featureless bush. It's hard to think that anything important ever happened here.

Hemingway's survival of two consecutive air crashes was news across the world, and generally the cause of much rejoicing. But it had come at considerable cost. Writing to Harvey Breit ten days later Hemingway assessed the damage.

I ruptured the kidneys, or maybe only one, the liver, the spleen (whoever she is) had the brain fluid ooze out to soak the pillow every night, burnt the top of the scalp off, etc. Also...had to take two breathes in the fire which is something that never really helped anybody except of course Joan Of Arc.

He didn't mention the sprained arm and leg and the crushed vertebrae and the paralysed sphincter and the temporary loss of hearing and eyesight.

Hemingway after the second crash, when he suffered burns and internal injuries from which he never fully recovered.

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Series: Hemingway Adventure
Chapter: Butiaba, Uganda
Country/sea: Uganda
Place: Butiaba
Book page no: 193

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