Australian aviation history digital archive

30/11/202223/11/2024

In its mission to preserve and promote Australia’s aviation heritage, the AHSA hosts the following digital archives. Click on the image to go to the selected archive.

CAC Factory Reports 1937 – 1943

1924 WGCDR Stanley Goble and FLTLT Ivor McIntyre continued their around-Australia flight in Fairey IIID A10-3 on Sunday 11 May 1924 (journey day 36, flying day 14). At 9:10 a.m. on the 11th, they lifted off from Carnarvon at last, in fair conditions. There had been no rain at Carnarvon for many months and Goble assured people there that wherever the seaplane went they always got rain. The jest soon came true, for 70 miles south they ran into a NW monsoon and continued the remaining 220 miles to Geraldton between 100 and 500 feet in blinding rain. They landed in a rough sea at 10.25 am. Local residents gave them hot coffee and biscuits, and the Mayor waded out up to his neck in his best Sunday suit to lend a hand. Children were rather enthusiastic; McIntyre caught three of them doing acrobatic stunts on the elevator wires. He promptly pulled them off and put them ashore. After leaving at 1.25 pm the petrol was switched from the main tank to the auxiliary tank. Forty minutes later, flying downwind in the rain at 200 feet, the engine suddenly cut out. Frantic pumping by both Goble and McIntyre got pressure in the main tank and the engine started just before the plane reached the water. A landing was made in the open sea, and it was found that someone (the children?) had removed the binding wire from the drain cock on the auxiliary tank and the petrol had emptied into the sea. Taking off again was rather a hair-raising affair. The lower wings were awash and Gottschalk's 14 stone weight did not help, but McIntyre managed to lift the plane off. They landed on the Swan River, Perth, at 2.15 pm. on the 11th May. Source: The First Round-Australia Flight, 1924 by Neville Parnell, AHSA Journal, vol 6, no 12, December 1965 and NAA: A9376, 92, Round Australia seaplane flight 1924 - Wing Commander Goble and Flight Lieutenant McIntyre

1940 South Australian air ace, FLGOFF Les Clisby, recorded four aerial victories in the one day and took several prisoners on 11 May 1940. After graduating from RAAF flying training in June 1937, Clisby was one of 25 RAAF pilots who immediately went to England to get experience and prepare for war, receiving RAF short service commissions. Clisby was posted to No 1 Squadron (RAF) based at Tangmere in southern England which deployed to France at the outbreak of World War 2. With the German offensive in the spring of 1940, Clisby was embroiled in fierce air to air combat. On 1 April he shot down his first aircraft, a Messerschmitt Bf-110 twin-engined fighter, over Moselle followed by a more capable Messerschmitt Bf-109 fighter on 2 April. Clisby became known as an aggressive pilot rushing headlong into aerial combat irrespective of the odds and often alone. On 10 May Clisby shot down two Dornier 17 medium range bombers only to be hit himself by friendly French anti-aircraft fire. On the next day (11 May 1940) he shot down three Bf 109 fighter aircraft before the rudder of his Hurricane was damaged by enemy gunfire. On the same day, he also shot down a Heinkel He-111 medium range bomber which landed in a field. Noting the crew getting out of the aircraft, he proceeded to land beside it and chased the aircrew that were making a run for it. Firing his revolver, he brought down one of the crew in a rugby tackle and forced the others to surrender at gunpoint. Marching them to nearby French authorities, he proceeded to hop back into his aircraft and rejoin his squadron. Reporting on the incident several weeks later, Time Magazine quoted his Commanding Officer “It was a bit uncommon for pilots to bring back prisoners.” Source: Air Force Association - SA Division

1952 Percival Proctor Mk III G-ALSM ditched into the Timor Sea, between Koepang, Indonesia, and Darwin NT on 11 May 1952. The aircraft had been purchased in the UK by Martin Cherry, of Sydney, on 3 April 1952. He planned to fly it to Sydney with his new bride as a honeymoon flight. On 11 May the aircraft went missing en route from Koepang to Darwin during the delivery flight to Australia. A large-scale air search was called off after 8 days. RAAF Lincoln and Dakota, a Qantas DC-4, Indonesian Air Force AURI provided a B-25 Mitchell and Catalina from Timor. There were 2 fatalities. Source: aviation-safety.net website