Charles Kingsford-Smith, or by his nickname Smithy, was the best-known early Australian aviator. Smithy was a beloved Australian hero until he was lost on a flight from Allahabad, India, to Singapore whilst flying

Sir Charles Kingsford Smith (Smithy)

Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith, (February 9, 1897 - November 8, 1935), often called Charles Kingsford-Smith, or by his nickname Smithy, was the best-known early Australian aviator. Smithy was a beloved Australian hero until he was lost on a flight from Allahabad, India, to Singapore whilst flying in the Lady Southern Cross.

Smithy was born in Brisbane on the 9th of February 1897 in Brisbane and was one of seven children. Smithy and his family seemed to be continually on the move for a few years. They first moved to Sydney in 1899 and then moved to Vancouver, Canada in 1905. Smithy’s family later returned to Australia in 1907. As the family returned, however, he almost drowned at Bondi Beach but was rescued by a newly formed life saving patrol and was revived by a conveniently placed nurse.

After returning to his home land of Australia, Charles attended St Andrew's Cathedral School in Sydney where he was a treble chorister in the cathedral choir. He then studied electrical engineering at Sydney Technical College (now known as Sydney Technical High School). He was reportedly expelled from this school. At 16 he became an engineering apprentice with the Colonial Sugar Refining Company.

After that, he enlisted for duty in the armed services in 1915 and served at Gallipoli. Initially, he performed duty as a motorcycle dispatch rider, before transferring to the Royal Flying Corps, earning his wings in ...

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(The Military Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for distinguished and meritorious services in battle on land.)

During his time in the army, Smithy was caught in the line of fire and his plane was shot out of the sky. During this struggle his foot was injured and two toes had to be amputated. Even after the incident he was eager to get back up in the air. His Commanding officer wrote to his parents after he was wounded, saying that he was one of the finest flyers he had ever seen.

Smithy was also a part of the Freemason’s society and was initiated a Mason in Gascoyne Lodge No. 62, Grand Lodge of Western Australia, on April 9, 1925. (Freemasonry was a fraternal society where people came together through similar beliefs)

One heroic flight, above all his many others, confirmed Smithy as one of the greatest pioneering pilots of all time. On 31 May 1928 he took off from California with Charles Ulm and two American crewmen in a three-engined Fokker, the Southern Cross. For aircraft of this era it was a large distance to fly, over water all the way. They flew via Hawaii and Suva to Brisbane, fighting storms and near exhaustion, completing the journey in less than 84 flying hours.

For his achievements, Kingsford Smith was given honorary rank in the RAAF and awarded the Air Force Cross. He continued on more record-breaking flights to show the feasibility of air passenger and mail services. In 1932 he was knighted for his contribution to aviation.

Most Australians loved Smithy’s dare-devil attitude and his larrikin streak. But he was followed by tragedy: a former colleague, Keith Anderson, died during a search when Smithy went missing briefly in the Northern Territory in 1929; then in 1931 a company aircraft Southern Cloud was lost with all passengers and crew. Finally, in 1935, Kingsford Smith disappeared off Burma while attempting yet another record-breaking flight.

Now, about 71 years after Smithy mysteriously disappeared he is remembered as a hero by most Australians. The icon now has many memorials and has had an airport named after him. He was also on the $20 paper note until 1994, when the $20 polymer note was introduced to replace it.

I think that Smithy was a hero but he was only human and he had quite a few problems like drinking and womanizing.

Josh Hura

9 Red History 2006

Bibliography

Bradbury B. California Freemason

(Internet). San Francisco

Available from http://www.freemason.org/cfo/mar_apr_2002/twochucks.htm

Australian War memorial. Fifty Australians: Charles Kingsford Smith

(Internet). Canberra. ACT

Available from http://www.awm.gov.au/fiftyaustralians/28.asp

Wikipedia Foundation (Unknown)

(Internet) Unknown