Pictures Collection
nla.pic-vn3930635
Sydney Morning Herald/Sydney Mail
The Premier the Hon. B.S. Stevens Christens Ulm’s Plane Faith in Australia Avro Ten VH-UXX, at Mascot 1933?
black and white photograph; 11.3 × 15.9 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-vn3722833
Charles Ulm and Amelia Earhart, Oakland Aerodrome, California, United States 3 December 1934
black and white photograph; 21.5 × 27.7 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-vn3930605
Charles Ulm and J.L. Skilling Being Farewelled in front of Stella Australis Plane VH-UXY by American Officials, Oakland Aerodrome, California, United States 3 December 1934
black and white photograph; 18.9 × 22 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-vn4198893
Caricature of Charles Ulm, Eiffel Tower, Paris 1929
pen and ink on paper; 25 × 12.9 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-vn3930634
Bag Used to Transfer Oil on the Southern Cross Jubilee Air Mail Tasman Flight 15 May 1935, C. Kingsford Smith, P.G. Taylor, John S.W. Stannage
leather briefcase; 10.0 × 40.0 × 25.5 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-an6803908
The Southern Cross Aeroplane on the Airfield, RAAF Base Fairbairn, Canberra, ACT c. 1943
gelatin silver photograph; 14.5 × 19.9 cm
Pictures Collection
nla.pic-an23529718
William Dargie (b. 1912)
Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm 1961
oil on canvas
Courtesy National Portrait Gallery, Canberra Gift of the Sydney Airports Corporation 2001
Unknown photographer
The Southern Cross on Display at the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial
Courtesy Brisbane Airport
Unknown photographer
The Southern Cross on Display at the Sir Charles Kingsford Smith Memorial
Courtesy Brisbane Airport
Kingsford Smith Succeeds
advertisement for Bonds in The Examiner (Launceston, Tas.), 19 June 1928
Newspapers and Microforms Collection
nla.cat-vn2100064
The World’s Greatest Hopper! Los Angeles Times, 6 June 1928
Hats off to Our Airmen: A Song and Toast to Kingsford Smith and His Comrades
front cover of sheet music
Music collection
nla.mus-an6160984-s1
Kingsford Smith to Fly the Tasman
advertisement for Bonds in The Examiner (Launceston, Tas.), 26 June 1928
Newspapers and Microforms Collection
nla.cat-vn2100064
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Listed below are the publications and collections consulted in researching this book. For detailed references visit www.michaelmolkentin.com.
Archival sources
National Library of Australia, Canberra
Austin Byrne, Papers of Austin Byrne, 1932–1993, MS 3736
Ernest and Virtie Crome, Papers of Ernest and Virtie Crome, 1784–2005, MS 1925
Norman Ellison, Papers of Norman Ellison, circa 1900–1971, MS 1882
Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm, Interview with Kingsford Smith and Ulm, 1928, for 2BL radio, ORAL TRC 39/2
Charles Kingsford Smith, Internal NLA correspondence regarding acquisition of Kingsford Smith’s papers, TRIM file 202/04/00111
Charles Kingsford Smith, Navigation charts used by Sir Charles Kingsford Smith …, MAP RM 2811
Charles Kingsford Smith, Papers of Charles Kingsford Smith, 1917–1935, MS 209
Charles Kingsford Smith, Papers of Charles Kingsford Smith, 1921–1929, MS 5918
Henry Lyon and James Warner, Interview with Henry Lyon and James Warner, 1958, for 2GB radio, ORAL TRC 22/4
Charles and John Ulm, Papers of Charles and John Ulm, 1803–2010 MS 9923
National Archives of Australia, Canberra and Melbourne
Aircraft history file – VH-USU – S/N-SCA-28. Make – Fokker, model – F-VIIB/3M “Southern Cross”, J778 VH-USU Part 1
Aircraft history file – VH-USU – S/N-SCA-28. Make – Fokker, model – F-VIIB/3M “Southern Cross”, J778 VH-USU Part 2
Kingsford Smith flight from San Francisco & Australia and Australia to New Zealand, MP124/6 415/201/406
Purchase of Monoplane ‘Southern Cross’ from Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, A432 1935/1295
Sir C. Kingsford Smith Pacific flights proposed flight USA to Australia, A705 21/1/61 Part 1
Sir C. Kingsford Smith Pacific flights USA to Australia 1928, A705 21/1/61 Part 2
State Library of New South Wales, Sydney
Charles Ulm, Charles Thomas Phillippe Ulm papers, 1927–1934, with miscellaneous papers of Mary Josephine Ulm, 1928–1935, MLMSS 2209
Charles Ulm, Charles Ulm – photographs and albums, 1928–1934, PXD 921
Charles Ulm, The Charles T.P. Ulm collection of historical aviation records, Parts 1 and 2, 1919–1987, MLMSS 3359
Ian Mackersey Papers (privately held), Auckland
Charles M. Hodge, log of radio messages received from Southern Cross
Henry Lyon, manuscript memoir, no date
James W. Warner, ‘The trans-Pacific flight’, manuscript memoir, c. 1929
Published sources
Bob Boulton, Aviators of the Charles Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith Era. Sydney: Echidna Publishing, 1993.
Stanley Brogden, The History of Australian Aviation. London: The Hawthorne Press, 1960.
Pedr Davis, Charles Kingsford Smith: The World’s Greatest Aviator. Sydney: Summit Books, 1977.
Norman Ellison, Flying Matilda: Early Days of Australian Aviation. Sydney: Angus & Robertson, 1957.
Peter FitzSimons, Charles Kingsford Smith and Those Magnificent Men. Sydney: HarperCollins, 2009.
Lloyd S. Gates, ‘Harry Lyon and the Southern Cross’, American Aviation Historical Society Journal, vol. 24, no. 4, Winter 1979.
Ralph M. Heintz, ‘How the Americans Described the Southern Cross Flight’, Popular Hobbies, vol. IV, no. 3, August 1928.
Ralph M. Heintz, ‘Southern Cross: A Radio Victory’, Popular Mechanics, August 1928.
Charles Kingsford Smith, My Flying Life: An Authentic Biography Prepared Under the Personal Supervision of and from the Diaries and Papers of the Late Sir Charles Kingsford-Smith. London: Andrew Melrose, 1937.
C. E. Kingsford Smith and C. T. P. Ulm, Story of “Southern Cross” Trans-Pacific Flight 1928. Sydney: Penlington & Somerville, 1928.
Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm, ‘Our Conquest of the Pacific’, The National Geographic Magazine, vol. LIV, no. 4, October 1928.
Ian Mackersey, Smithy: The Life of Charles Kingsford Smith. London: Warner Books, 1999.
Ward McNally, The Man on the Twenty Dollar Note. Sydney: A.H. and A.W. Reed, 1976.
Neville Parnell and Trevor Boughton, Flypast: A Record of Aviation in Australia. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1988.
Ellen Rogers, Faith in Australia: Charles Ulm and Australian Aviation. Crows Nest: Book Production Services, 1987.
Beau Sheil, Caesar of the Skies. London: Cassell, 1937.
James W. Warner and John Robert Johnson, ‘The Trans-Pacific Flight’, Liberty, 19 April 1930.
Richard Williams, These Are Facts: The Autobiography of Air Marshal Sir Richard Williams. Canberra: Australian War Memorial and Australian Government Printing Service, 1977.
Newspapers
The Argus (Melbourne)
The Barrier Miner (Broken Hill)
The Canberra Times The Courier Mail (Brisbane)
The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
The Guardian (Sydney)
The LA Examiner
Mercury (Hobart)
The New York Times
The Sun
The Sydney Morning Herald
Cartoon by Tom Glover th
at appeared in a newspaper in Captain Harry W. Lyon’s personal papers; Manuscripts Collection, MS 5312
INDEX
Note: Bold page numbers refer to illustrations
A
advertising associated with flight 84
airmail services 11, 173, 175, 180, 181
Airspeed Envoy (plane) 179
Albert Park, Suva, dramatic landing and
crowds 107–108, 109, 115, 117, 119
Allan, Scotty 176, 179
Alsop, Ray 102
Altwater Kent Company 156
Amalgamated Wireless Association, receiving station, La Perouse 55
American National Geographic Society Medal 156
Americans (crew) see Lyon, Harry (navigator); Warner, Jim (radioman)
Anderson, Keith 11–12, 12, 14, 172
dies searching for Southern Cross 172–173
fall out with Ulm 24, 31
family helps finance plane outfitting 29
plans for trans-Pacific flight 24
refuses to return to United States 31
returns to Australia 30
sails to Hawaii to find landing grounds 28, 85
sails to San Francisco 14
suggests name for aircraft 28
Atlantic Union Oil Company 30
Auchenflower, Brisbane 147
Australia, reception of Southern Cross in 142–163
Australia–New Zealand flights 171
difficult weather conditions 171
official airmail service 173, 180, 181
Australia–Singapore route 176, 177
Australian coastline, sighting of 147
Australian National Airways Limited 175
Avro X flying over Sydney Harbour 172
Brisbane–Sydney daily service 173, 174–175
Christmas airmail service to Britain 175
difficult times 175
established 172
hires pilots 174
picnic lunch on board 173
purchase Avro X aircraft 174
suspension of services 175, 176
Sydney–Hobart service 175
Sydney–Melbourne service 175
Ulm proposals to prevent insolvency 176
voluntary liquidation 176
Australian newspapers
attitude towards airmen 75–76
celebrity status makes fliers household names 119
innovative manner in which press reported the flight 155
interest in fliers’ personal lives 119
push to bring Americans to Australia 121
see flight as an Australian triumph 76
see also The Sun
Australian–US relations 162
Australians, changing perception of
Americans 162, 163
Aviation Service Company 12
Avro Avian aircraft 175
Avro X aircraft 172, 174, 176
B
Bavin, Thomas 29
Bishop Museum, Honolulu 85, 86
bound for Brisbane 130–140, 147
aircraft escort them in 147
confidence among crew 135
crew site landfall 147
fuel concerns 139
instrument flying 138, 139
landing at Eagle Farm aerodrome 3, 140
navigation 136–137
off course 147
Pacific storm 130–133, 137–139
bound for Suva (2–3 June 1928) 80–83, 84–93
concerns about their position due to storms 102–103, 104
crossing the equator 96–109, 166–167
dead reckoning 91, 102
departure from Hawaii 88–89
emergency landing places 85–86, 85, 87
engine problems 92
fuel calculations/worries 86, 88, 102, 104–105
instrument flying 101
land sighted 105, 107, 108
landing at Albert Park, Suva 107–108, 109, 115, 117, 119
as longest ocean flight attempted at the time 86, 89, 90
night flying 102
preparations on Hawaii for flight to Suva 85–86
radio navigation problems 90
severe weather conditions 90, 91, 92, 101–102, 103–104, 105
bound for Sydney see Sydney
Brearley, Norman 11
briefcase, used to move oil 181
Brisbane
ANA daily service to Sydney 174–175
anticipation of landing in 135
bound for 130–140, 147
landing at Eagle Farm aerodrome 3, 140, 146, 148, 149
motorcade, speeches and crowds 150, 151
newsreels of arrival into 161
off course on way to 147
Southern Cross flies over 149
Bristol Tourer biplane 12, 14
Britain
airmail service 175
Faith in Australia flight to/from 175, 176, 177
Miss Southern Cross flight to Australia 176
Southern Cross flights to 172, 174
Southern Cross Junior flight to Australia 175
Britain–Australia solo record 175, 176
British International Airlines Limited 176
Bronte, Emory 41
Bruce, Stanley Melbourne (Prime Minister) 161
Buggy, Hugh vi
C
Campbell Jones, H. 13, 14
Canberra
crew met by Prime Minister 161
reception at Parliament House 161
Southern Cross flies to 161
Canton Island 85, 86
Charles Kingsford Smith papers vi, 6, 135
Charles T.P. Ulm Collection v
Crome, Ernest, Southern Cross (painting) 100
crossing the equator (3–5 June 1928) 96–109, 166–167
Cullenward, Eric 56
D
Dargie, William, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith and Captain Charles Ulm (painting) 184
Davis, William 72
dead reckoning 44, 57, 71, 91, 102
‘digger spirit’ 161
Diggers Aviation Co. 11
Dole Air Race (San Francisco–Hawaii) 25, 41
deaths and accidents 24, 27
runners up 75
winners 72, 73
Drain, Dorothy (Australian Women’s Weekly editor) 185–186, 187
Duntroon aerodrome 161
E
Eagle Farm aerodrome
cars take fliers to central Brisbane 150
crew thrust onto rickety dais 149, 150
departure from 144–145, 153–154, 153
massive crowds at 3, 140, 148, 149, 150
official speeches 150
Southern Cross lands at 3, 140, 146, 148, 149
Ulm climbs from cockpit 149
Warner and Lyon exit aircraft 146, 149–150
Earhart, Amelia (aviatrix) 178
Earth Inductor Compass (EIC) 42, 43, 44, 59, 103, 136
Eichwaldt, Alvin 24
Ellis, Captain Sam 117
Ellison, Norman 152–153
Enderbury Island 86, 87
engine noise 24, 41–42, 44, 45, 55
engines 28, 42, 92
Essendon aerodrome
massive crowds at 160
Southern Cross lands at 160
ex-war fliers 10, 174
F
Fadden, Sir Arthur 185
Faith in Australia (plane) 175, 176, 177, 177
Faye, Lindsay 86
federal government
awards party £5,000 150, 156, 159, 161
criticised for ‘paltry’ contribution 156
offers aviation prize to fly from England to Australia 10–11
purchases Southern Cross 181, 183
Fédération Aéronautique Internationale Trophy 156
Fiji v
bound for Suva (2–3 June 1928) 80–83, 84–93, 96–109
central business district, Suva 118
civic receptions and ball 120
crew relax
ing in 111
crowds cheer departure 122–123
crowds welcome Southern Cross 114, 115–116, 115, 117, 119
departure from 112–113, 127
fuel and supplies shipped to Naselai 120
inspection of possible take-off sites 118, 120
interlude in (5–8 June 1928) 110–111, 114–127
land sighted 105, 107
Naselai delays and departure 123–127
reception by Mayor and Fijian chiefs 116, 116
Southern Cross flown to Naselai 122
Southern Cross lands at Albert Park, Suva 107–108, 109, 115, 117, 119
travel time from Hawaii 115
Warner’s brush with death during landing 108
first day’s flying (31 May 1928) 36–39, 41, 44, 47
flying endurance record 29
flying into the night (31 May–1 June 1928) 50–61
communication with ships 60
‘fireworks’ from the engines 55
moon and clouds 59, 61
rain squalls 60
‘sailing lazily on the Milky Way’ 61
speed and drift estimation 59
sunset 54
Fokker F.VII (aircraft) 3, 23, 41
engines 28, 42
fuel tanks installed 28
Kingsford Smith flies from Seattle to San Francisco 28
named Southern Cross 28
purchased 27
radio and navigational equipment 31, 32
G
Geraldton–Derby airmail service 11
Goebel, Art 72, 73
Gole, Lachlan 135
Great Pacific Airways Limited 177
The Guardian 152–153
H
Hancock, Captain George Allan
as chief benefactor for the flight 33, 76, 135–136, 141
generosity erodes cultural barriers between Australia and US 162
presents Southern Cross to Ulm and Kingsford Smith as gift 156
purchases Southern Cross 30–31
Harper, Locke 27, 28
Hawaii
arrival in Honolulu 72, 74–77
course changes 69–70
crew sleep at Royal Hawaiian Hotel 72
crowds welcome crew 63, 72, 73, 74, 75
departure for Fiji 80–83, 85, 88–89
false hopes seeing land 71
Mauna Kea sighted 67, 71
nearing 64–77
slow descent looking for land 69
Southern Cross flies to Barking Sands, Kauai 85, 86
Southern Cross lands at Wheeler Field, Oahu 68, 72, 76
travel time from Oakland 72
Ulm’s organisational skills in 85, 86
Warner transmits fears they were lost 69, 70–71, 72, 74
Hegenberger, Albert 41
Hinkler, Bert 174, 175, 176
Flying the Southern Cross Page 14