First England-Australia flight

Brothers Captain Sir Ross Smith K.B.E., M.C., D.F.C., A.F.C. and Lieutenant Sir Keith Smith K.B.E. were aviation pioneers, famous for their epic flight from England to Australia in 1919. Born in metropolitan Adelaide the brothers both served in World War I where they gained their flying experience. Keith Smith joined the Royal Flying Corps in Britain in 1914. Ross Smith first served with the Australian Light Horse at Gallipoli. While recovering from injury he learned to fly, and subsequently transferred to the Australian Flying Corps in 1916.

In 1919 the Australian Prime Minister Billy Hughes announced an air race, offering a prize of 10,000 pounds for the first aviator to fly from London to Australia in 30 days or less. Ross as pilot, Keith as assistant pilot and navigator and their two mechanics James Bennett and Wally Shiers, decided to compete. The flight was made in a Vickers Vimy plane; a former bomber with an open cockpit. Their route began in Hounslow, England on 12 November 1919 and took them across parts of Europe, the Middle East, India and south east Asia to the finish in Darwin. The enormous challenge the trip presented is evident in the notebook kept by Ross in which he made detailed notes and sketches regarding potential landing sites during the flight. Included here are notes and sketches made by Ross of a possible landing field on a racecourse in Singapore. The flying conditions were poor throughout the trip with many hazards including extreme weather conditions encountered along the way. A diary of the trip was kept by Keith and recorded that conditions and visibilty were poor right from their take-off in England. With an open cockpit plane, it was also very cold and they were soon glad of their sheepskin boots and fur gloves and face masks.

On the 10 December, almost 28 days after leaving England, the Vickers Vimy landed at the newly constructed Darwin Aerodrome to win the race. Despite the heroic nature of their achievement, upon landing the crew still had to take time to fill out the required quarantine and customs reports. These make interesting reading as they record the names of the places where the plane landed along the route. As recognition for their amazing success Ross and Keith received knighthoods, while the mechanics, Sergeants W.H. Sheirs and J.M. Bennett, were commissioned and awarded Bars to their Air Force Medals. The 10,000 pounds prize money was divided equally among the four men.

The crew were much in demand around Australia after the race with special events and appearances organised around the country. Commemorative items were also produced such as the hand fan by John Martin & Co. On the 23 March 1920, the crew flew the Vickers Vimy to Adelaide to be welcomed home by a huge crowd. A panoramic photograph taken from the plane captured their flight over the city. In the photograph the plane is flying over the intersection of North Terrace and King William Street with the partially completed Parliament House visible to the right of the plane.

The brothers planned more flights, but these came to an end when Ross Smith and James Bennett were killed in a test flight on 13 April 1922 in front of a crowd of onlookers.

Sir Keith married and during his career provided valuable service to Australian aviation eventually serving as a director of Qantas. He died in Darlinghurst, New South Wales at the age of 64 on 19 December 1955.

The Vickers Vimy aircraft in which the crew accomplished their landmark flight is exhibited at Adelaide Airport.