AHSA Newsletter October 2016 – Aviation Historical Society of Australia

1926 The British aviator Alan Cobham arrived in Darwin after flying from England in de Havilland D.H. 50J, G-EBFO on 5 August. The aircraft was fitted with floats and Cobham took off from the River Medway at Rochester. He was accompanied by mechanic R.W. Ward who had replaced his initial mechanic A.B. Elliot, who was shot and killed in Iraq. Upon arrival in Darwin, the aircraft was taxied to HMAS Geranium, where the navy assisted with the replacement of floats with wheels on Mindi Beach for the over-land flight to Melbourne. This flight became the first time that an aircraft had flown from England to Australia and returned. Source: National Film & Sound Archive

1994 Clive Robertson Caldwell, DSO, DFC & Bar passed away on 5 August 1994. Caldwell was the leading Australian air ace of World War II. He is officially credited with shooting down 28.5 enemy aircraft in over 300 operational sorties, including an ace in a day. In addition to his official score, he has been ascribed six probables and 15 damaged. Caldwell flew Curtiss P-40 Tomahawks and Kittyhawks in the North African Campaign and Supermarine Spitfires in the South West Pacific Theatre. He was the highest-scoring P-40 pilot from any air force and the highest-scoring Allied pilot in North Africa. Caldwell also commanded a Royal Air Force (RAF) squadron and two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) wings. Source: Wikipedia