▁in ▁progress ▁there . ▁The ▁two ▁B - 1 7 s ▁therefore ▁fle w ▁on ▁to ▁B atch elor ▁Air field , ▁where ▁they ▁touched ▁down ▁at ▁ 0 9 : 3 0 . ▁Mac Ar thur ▁awarded ▁Silver ▁Stars ▁to ▁the ▁cre ws ▁of ▁the ▁two ▁bom bers . ▁Bre tt ' s ▁chief ▁of ▁staff , ▁Brig ad ier ▁General ▁Ralph ▁Roy ce , ▁was ▁on ▁hand ▁to ▁gre et ▁them , ▁and ▁Bre tt ▁had ▁sent ▁two ▁Australian ▁National ▁Air ways ▁DC - 3 s ▁to ▁bring ▁them ▁to ▁Melbourne . ▁However , ▁Jean ▁now ▁refused ▁to ▁fly ▁any ▁further , ▁so ▁Mac Ar thur ▁asked ▁for ▁a ▁motor cade ▁to ▁take ▁them ▁to ▁the ▁nearest ▁railway ▁station , ▁which ▁was ▁at ▁Alice ▁Spr ings , ▁ ▁away . ▁S uther land ▁had ▁received ▁word ▁of ▁an ▁incoming ▁Japanese ▁air ▁ra id , ▁and ▁asked ▁Mor house ▁to ▁interven e . ▁Mor house ▁told ▁Mac Ar thur ▁that ▁Arthur , ▁who ▁had ▁suffered ▁badly ▁from ▁se as ick ness ▁and ▁air s ick ness , ▁was ▁on ▁an ▁int ra ven ous ▁feed , ▁and ▁could ▁not ▁guarantee ▁that ▁he ▁would ▁surv ive ▁the ▁trip ▁across ▁the ▁desert . ▁Mac Ar thur ▁then ▁agreed ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁plan es ▁to ▁Alice ▁Spr ings . ▁S uther land ▁had ▁H uff ▁hur ry ▁everyone ▁onto ▁the ▁aircraft , ▁which ▁took ▁off ▁as ▁the ▁air ▁ra id ▁sir en ▁sound ed . ▁ ▁At ▁Alice ▁Spr ings , ▁the ▁party ▁split ▁up