|
An Australian test pilot, Bert Hinkler, made the
first solo
flight from England to Australia.
Arthur Lunn tells the story of a forgotten hero.....
(Courtesy
of Hampshire Life Magazine)
Bert Hinkler and his Puss Moth on a Carreras cigarette card
Things become a little clearer when we realise that, in the early
1920s, Aldershot was the name of an aeroplane that was built at A V Roe's factory at Hamble, and for those with
aeronautical interests here are a few details. The Avro Aldershot was a single-engined, long-range, heavy bomber - that is how it
was described back in 1922. Today, 625 miles is no longer considered 'long range', nor is its maximum speed of 110 mph
thought excessive.
Two pilots sat side by side on the upper deck, with dual controls, a single machine-gunner behind them facing and firing to
the rear. The test flying was done by Bert Hinkler, an Avro company pilot. The plane was fitted with a. lOOOhp engine and was delivered
to the Royal Aircraft Establishment, Famborough, for evaluation on
January 10th, 1923. In its day the Aldershot was probably the biggest and most powerful single engined aircraft in production
and for Bert Hinkler it was what he termed a "two cushion job", he was short, and in most cockpits he needed at least one cushion, but
the Avro Aldershot was big enough to merit two cushions.
Fifteen production models were delivered to 99 Squadron RAF, stationed in Norfolk. These remained in service for just two years
from 1924.
The Avro Aldershot at the A V Roe works at Hamble in
1922
The AVRO name lives on, absorbed into RAE Systems, as are
many other famous names in British aviation, and thus still keeping some associations with Southampton, Farnborough and
Brooklands. Having described the aeroplane, let's find out what we can
about the man, this Aussie test pilot, Herbert John Louis Hinkler, who was born in Bundaberg, Queensland, although some
biographers try to claim he was a Hampshire lad. Known to all as 'Bert', he was a hero for many schoolboys in the 20s and 30s -
especially after he became one of that intrepid band of men and women - the long distance flyers. To be included in a series of 50
Famous Airmen & Airwomen cigarette cards of that time meant you had really arrived on the aviation scene - 'fag-cards'
(cards that were placed in a packet of cigarettes for collectors)
were the popular, universal encyclopaedia of children's knowledge during
the 20s and 30s - you could buy a 'slip-in album' to keep your cards in which was available at Id per copy from any tobacconist.
But how could someone like Bert be anything but a Boy's Own
hero, when we read that in 1921, in a small plane, an Avro Baby, he flew 800 miles non-stop, from Sydney to Bundaberg. He landed in
the main street and taxied up to his own front gate - this was the stuff that heroes were made of.
It had always been his ambition to fly solo from England to Australia, (preferably to his home town of
Bundaberg) and this he achieved in 1928 - and of course he was flying an Avro. Once a long
distance record had been established there was always a pilot ready to go one better and it was just such competition that was to seal the
fate of 'Bert the Bunda boy' as the popular press had christened him, even though be was nearly 40 years old.
By 1932 the England to Australia solo flight time had been reduced to under nine days by C W A Scott in a D H Moth, when
Bert Hinkler decided he would have another go. The early omens were not good and his departure, flying a De Havilland Puss Moth,
was delayed by bad weather until January 7th/1933. He crossed the Alps in atrocious weather, but it was the high, snow-covered
Apennines, the backbone of Italy, that sealed his fate. He lost his way in a blizzard, crashed into the mountains and the site of the
tragedy was soon covered by a layer of snow. The wreckage was not found until the following spring, when his body was recovered.
The Italian people showed great respect for this aviation pioneer and he was buried in Florence with full military honours.
Bert had spent much of his adult life in England, and for a time had lived with his wife Nancy at a house called Mon Repos at
Thornhill Park, Southampton. During the 1940s his widow sold the house and moved to South Africa. When the new owner of Mon
Repos was clearing out the house he discovered many of Bert's original documents and these raised a great deal of interest in
Australia. They were returned to Australia in a four engined Constellation - called Bert Hinkler - which made the journey 'down
under' in just one and a half days compared with Bert's fifteen and a half day solo flight in 1925.
 |
Bert Hinklers house "Mon Repose", was removed
brick by brick from Southampton and rebuilt in his
former hone of Australia,
in 1983 |
|