Summary

Australia
1969 (AD)
Mint: Lega

Other Details: Medal issued by the Military Historical Society of Australia in 1969 to commemorate the first flight from London to Australia in 1919. An air race was organised to induce aviators to make the journey within 30 days, and on 19 December Ross and Keith Smith arrived Darwin in Vickers Vimy 28 days after leaving London. As winners of the race they were awarded a prize of £10,000. They were accompanied by flight mechanics Sgt. W.H. Shiers and Sgt. J.M. Bennett. The Smith brothers both served in World War I, Ross in the Light Horse and later in the Australian Flying Corps, and Keith in the Royal Flying Corps.

Physical Description

Four men standing on exergue line; in exergue, SERIAL NUMBER / 14; around above, MILITARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, below, OF AUSTRALIA 1969 Globe depicting route of flight with bi-plane above; around above, LONDON TO AUSTRALIA; below, NOV-DEC 1919

Obverse Description

Four men standing on exergue line; in exergue, SERIAL NUMBER 14; around above, MILITARY HISTORICAL SOCIETY, below, OF AUSTRALIA 1969

Reverse Description

Globe depicting route of flight with bi-plane above; around above, LONDON TO AUSTRALIA; below, NOV-DEC 1919

Edge Description

Plain

Significance

An air race was organised to induce aviators to make the journey within 30 days, and on 19 December Ross and Keith Smith arrived Darwin in Vickers Vimy 28 days after leaving London. As winners of the race they were awarded a prize of £10,000. They were accompanied by flight mechanics Sgt. W.H. Shiers and Sgt. J.M. Bennett. The Smith brothers both served in World War I, Ross in the Light Horse and later in the Australian Flying Corps, and Keith in the Royal Flying Corps. -National Library of Australia web site http://www.nla.gov.au/pub/nlanews/2001/sep01/fthompson.html; Australian Dictionary of Biography. -D. Tout-Smith 23/1/2004.

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