Charles Edward Kingsford-Smith MC AFC (1897 - 1935)

Ancestors

Visit : VWMA Virtual Memorial Charles Kingsford-Smith

Contents 1 Biography 1.1 First World War 1.2 Professional Life 1.3 Personal Life 1.4 Final flight 1.5 Legacy 2 Sources 3 See also 4 Acknowledgements

Biography

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC AFC, known informally as 'Smithy', was a pioneer of the aviation industry, acclaimed around the world. He served in both the Australian Imperial Force and Australian Flying Corps (fore-runner of the Royal Australian Air Force), however not as a pilot, as well as the Royal Flying Corps and Royal Air Force during the First World War. During the 1920s and early 1930s he set many aviation records around the world and opened his own airline in 1930.

Lieutenant Charles Kingsford Smith MC

First World War

Smithy enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on the day after his 18th birthday, serving briefly as a Gunner in the artillery. He embarked on 31st May 1915 aboard the HMAT Ajana A31, for the Middle East, where he served as a Sapper in the 4th Signal Troop, 2nd Division Signal Company, 4th Light Horse Brigade, including at Gallipoli.^[1] After the evacuation of the peninsula he served as a motorcycle dispatch rider in Egypt and then on the Western Front, in France.^[2] By October 1916 he had been promoted to Sergeant and transferred to the Australian Flying Corps; without being allocated to a squadron. His appetite well and truly whetted for flying, he successfully pursued discharge from the AIF and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Flying Corps. After further flight training he was promoted Flying Officer and posted to No.23 Squadron in France.

In his first month as a pilot he brought down four enemy planes as well as enemy balloons, before being brought down and wounded, requiring some toes to be amputated (different sources state varying numbers of toes). Smithy was awarded the Military Cross (MC) for conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty. After promotion to Lieutenant in April 1918 he served as a Royal Flying Corps / Royal Air Force flying instructor.

Professional Life

In early 1919, Charles Kingsford Smith joined Tasmanian Cyril Maddocks, to form Kingsford Smith, Maddocks Aeros Ltd, flying a joy-riding service mainly in the North of England. Later, Kingsford Smith worked as a barnstormer in the United States before returning to Australia in 1921. He did the same in Australia and also flew airmail services. He and Charles Ulm became the fist crew to fly around Australia in 1927. In 1928, they made the first Trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia; following which he was appointed honorary Squadron Leader, Royal Australian Air Force and awarded the Air Force Cross in the King's Birthday Honours.^[3] He made the first non-stop crossing of the Australian mainland, the first flights between Australia and New Zealand, and the first eastward Pacific crossing from Australia to the United States. He also made a flight from Australia to London, setting a (then) new record of 10.5 days.

1930 Flight from Ireland to Newfoundland

Kingsford Smith's and Charles Ulm's airline, Australian National Airways, began operations in January 1930 with Kingsford Smith piloting one of five new Avro 618 Ten aeroplanes, similar to Smithy's Southern Cloud, on the Sydney-Melbourne route. He was made an honorary Air Commodore of the Royal Australian Air Force in November 1930. Although the airline folded in 1931 following the crashes of two of the planes,^[4] in the King's Birthday Honours 1932, he was created Knight Bachelor for his services to aviation.^[5]

He next established a well-supported business out of Mascot aerodrome, Sydney, conducting flying lessons.

In May 1935 he began a trans-Tasman airmail service. Still dogged by business failures, but for the bravery of his co-pilot [Capt Patrick Gordon (PG) Taylor] who climbed out to obtain oil from the dead engine to transfer it to the overheating engine on the other side, while their aircraft slowly descended over the Tasman Sea. Permission was given by morse code for them to dump the mail for New Zealand into the sea to lighten the aircraft and remain airborne. Sydney radio stations picked up the messages and relayed them to the public; almost live. Such was the crowd in the bull paddock that was Sydney airport running toward the approaching aircraft, that 'Smithy' had to cut his two remain motors to avoid killing people But for all that the inaugural flight would have ended in disaster.

Personal Life

Born Charles Edward Smith on 9th February 1897 at Riverview Terrace, Hamilton, Queensland, Australia, he was the fifth son and seventh child of William Charles Smith, a banker, and his wife Catherine Mary Kingsford.^[6] The name Kingsford was added to the family surname in Canada; William went into real estate business there in 1903 and later became a clerk with the Canadian Pacific Railways. The family returned to Sydney in 1907.

Smithy married twice: firstly on 6th June 1923 at Marble Bar, Western Australia, to Thelma Corboy.^[7] They later separated and divorced in May 1929. He married Mary Powell on 10th December 1930 in Scots Presbyterian Church, Melbourne, Victoria.^[8]

Final flight

Kingsford Smith disappeared in the Andaman Sea off the coast of Burma on 8th November 1935 at approximately 02:50am, while attempting an England to Australia speed record. Both Smith and his mechanic, Tommy Pethybridge, were killed. The plane used was a Lockheed Altair, registration number VH-USB. The only piece ever located was a wheel and undercarriage leg floating in the sea; this is now in the NSW Powerhouse Museum - Sydney

Legacy

• His most famous aircraft, the Southern Cross, is preserved and displayed in a purpose-built memorial near the International Terminal at Brisbane Airport.
• The major airport of Sydney, located in the suburb of Mascot, was named Kingsford Smith International Airport in his honour.
• The federal electorate surrounding the airport is named the Division of Kingsford Smith, and includes the suburb of Kingsford.
• Smithy appeared as the primary face on Australia's $20 note from 1966–93 and on a special centenary of his birth $1 note issued in 1997.
• An 8d (seven cents) postage stamp was issued in 1958 to commemorate the thirtieth anniversary of the first Tasman crossing.
• Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial is located in the foyer of Sydney Technical High School auditorium.
• Kingsford Smith Drive, one of the main roads connecting the Brisbane CBD to the Brisbane Airport, is named in his honour.
• Sir Charles was deservedly amongst the inaugural inductees into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012. ^[9]

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial embarkation roll: 1017 Sapper Charles Kingsford Smith; accessed 23 Apr 2019
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial biography and timeline: Lieutenant Charles Edward Kingsford-Smith; accessed 12 Jun 2018
3. ↑ Australian Honours: Charles Kingsford Smith AFC; accessed 23 Apr 2019
4. ↑ Wikipedia: Australian National Airways; accessed 23 Apr 2019
5. ↑ Australian Honours: Air Commodore Charles Kingsford Smith, Knight Bachelor; accessed 23 Apr 2019
6. ↑ Queensland Birth Index #1897/C/9077
7. ↑ Western Australia Marriage Index #1/1923
8. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #10762/1930
9. ↑ AAHOF; accessed 6 Oct 2022

See also

• Howard, Frederick. Kingsford Smith, Sir Charles Edward (1897–1935). Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1983, accessed online 12 Jun 2018.
• Australian_Museum:_Charles_Kingsford-Smith.
• Application_for_Pilots_Licence_by_Charles_Kingsford-Smith.
• WW1 AIF Service record - National Archives of Australia - KINGSFORD-SMITH Charles Edward : Service Number - 1017 : Place of Birth - Brisbane QLD : Place of Enlistment - Liverpool NSW : Next of Kin - (Father) KINGSFORD-SMITH N/A
• Wikipedia profile: Charles Kingsford Smith; accessed 12 Jun 2018.
• WikiTree: Australian Knights and Dames; accessed 7 Aug 2024.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Drew McClenaghan and Joanne McClenaghan for creating this profile.