Alex Henshaw and Arthur Clouston share a joke in front of Comet G-ACSS, named The Burberry, at Gravesend in November 1937. In company with Mrs Kirby Green, who was responsible for arranging financial backing for the flight with Burberrys, Clouston left Croydon on November 14 to break the out-and-home Cape record. The couple broke the record by the handsome margin of three days 16hr 2min.
On February 6, 1938, at 0402hr, Clouston and Victor Ricketts took off from Gravesend bound for New Zealand, hoping to make the round trip of 25,000 miles within 12 days. The first landing was made at Adana after 11 hr having covered 2,000 miles at an average speed of 182 m.p.h. Shortly afterwards Adana was flooded; the Comet was unable to take off, and the record attempt was abandoned. Two days later the Comet was damaged on landing at Cyprus with a flat tyre. An SOS was sent to Jack Cross at Gravesend, where the Comet was maintained, and he was immediately flown out to Cyprus by Alex Henshaw to effect repairs. These pictures show the aircraft in various stages of ignominy. The Comet had to be jacked up and repairs were carried out on the site. Henshaw flew to Alexandria to pick up a new propeller and after this was fitted Clouston flew the Comet straight out without any prior test flight, in company with Jack Cross. Victor Ricketts returned in the Vega Gull with Henshaw. When the Gull returned to Gravesend it was met by Cross, who asked Henshaw with a grin, “What kept you so long?"
