Born at Hamilton, Brisbane, Australia; 9 February, 1897.
Graduated from Sydney Technical College as an Electrical
Engineer at age 16.
In World War I, Kingsford-Smith served first in the
australian ground forces in the Middle East and later as
a fighter pilot in France. He achieved six aerial victories
and earned the Military Cross for gallantry in action.
From the end of the war until 1927, Kingsford-Smith championed
commercial aviation throughout Australia. In that year he
travelled to the United States to purchase and prepare a
Fokker tri-motor aircraft for his assault on the Pacific. The
ship was named "Southern Cross" after the great constellation
of the southern skies. On 31 May 1928, Kingsford-Smith took
off from Oakland, California and without major incident arrived
in Brisbane via Honolulu and Fiji eight days later. The world
was electrified by this daring conquest of the Pacific Ocean
by air.
In succeeding years, piloting "Southern Cross" Kingsford-Smith
established a host of records.
On 6 November 1935, seeking another speed record on a flight from
England to Australia, the intrepid airman and his companion disappeared
in typhoon weather over the Bay of Bengal.
In the Golden Age of aviation this champion of commercial avaition and
daring pioneer aviator held more trans-oceanic flight records than any
other pilot. Died 6 November 1935.
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