This Day in History: 1929-04-01

After a forced landing the previous day, Charles Kingsford Smith, Charles Ulm, Harold Litchfield and Tom McWilliams were stranded west of Wyndham, WA for a second day on Monday 1 April 1929. Ulm recorded the following entries in his log: “Smithy and myself spent practically the whole day improvisiong a belt drive for the radio generator. We had no tools. The flies are awful. Eight o’clock Sydney time, listened in again. Food has run out, but plenty of water. All are very weak. Mac and self are the worst, because we get no sleep. Got Sydney on the radio and they say a launch has left Wyndham to search the Drysdale River, also that a plane was to leave Derby in search. Litchfield fixed our position this morning about 120 miles from Derby and about 180 miles west of Wyndham. The plane is our main hope. We used one third of a tin of gruel which we were taking to a sick child at Wyndham. Turned in about 8.20 aftehard physical work by Smithy and self trying to turn the radio fast enough to get out a message, but doubtful if it is any good. Monday night: Smithy and Litchfield had less than one hour’s sleep, Mac half an hour, myself none. The mosquito bites are appalling. All are much weaker. Have named this place “Coffee Royal.” Smithy and myself trudged through the mangrove swamps searching for oysters but found none. Saw a small kangaroo on Sunday, but have seen nothing since Monday afternoon. Moved the plane round to slightly drier ground.” Two newspapers, The Sun (Sydney) and The Herald (Melbourne) organised with Western Australian Airways to send an aircraft to search for the missing crew, and a deHavilland aircraft under the command of Captain Woods flew from Port Hedland to Fitzroy Crossing on its way to the Wyndham area. This forced landing and its consequences became known as the “Coffee Royal” affair. Sources: Parnell, N. and Boughton, T., Flypast, A Record of Aviation in Australia, Australian Government Publishing Service, Canberra, 1988; Morning Bulletin (Rockhampton, Qld), Mon 15 Apr 1929, Page 9, “LIEUTENANT ULM’S LOG”; The Sun (Sydney), Mon 1 Apr 1929, Page 1, “The Sun” Sends ‘Plane to Rescue of Southern Cross

Log book entry by Charles Ulm on 1 April 1929 while stranded at “Coffee Royal”