Litchfield and McWilliams

[planeimages]

Can anyone shed some light on Harold Litchfield and Tom McWilliams who flew with Charles Kingsford Smith?

Books?

Dave?

Thanks

Peter

[flyjoe180]

Ian MacKersey's 'SMITHY, The Life of Sir Charles KIngsford Smith'
ISBN 0-7515-2656-8

www.ianmackersey.com/kingsford_smith_book/kingsford_smith_book.html

[corsair67]

I think someone is working on an article about trans-Tasman flights............ ;D

[planeimages]

"You'd be right. But not quite what you might think. Watch this space.

Ian Mackersey's tome is brilliant but even that does not cover every detail. I was looking for something written in the period perhaps.

I didn't know there was a place called "Kamberra". Perhaps a bit of a Monty Pythonesque misspell? The other place is not a misnomer for camber on cars.

Thanks

PF

[corsair67]

I haven't read MacKersey's book about Kingsford-Smith, so might have to hunt down a copy.

Kamberra is a strange name alright, but it helps when someone wants to search this forum for posts about Canberra bombers - without every post I've ever written popping up.

[planeimages]

Ah, so. Good one.

Best you read Ian Mackersey's tome on CKS. Buy his Wright book, too. Although I haven't read his book on Jean Batten there would be no doubt that it would be XLNT.

[Dave Homewood]

Was T.H. McWilliams' full name Thomas Harrison McWilliams? If so his probate is listed on the National Archive site www.archway.archives.govt.nz and from them you might be able to get a date of death, and thus check newspapers for obituaries. It states this guy died in 1978. Sound like the same man?

[Dave Homewood]

Peter the National Archives also have files on the 1928 crossing which might hep you.

One is:
Christchurch Regional Engineer's Office files
Historical Information - Trans Tasman flight - Southern Cross 1927 - 1928
CAWM CH550 15/15 2

and


Inwards letters and registered files [record group]
Aviation - Trans Tasman flight by Kingsford Smith application for position of wireless operator 1928 - 1928
AD 1 35/261/5/1

and

Inwards letters and registered files [record group]
Trans-Tasman flight by Kingsford Smith messages supplied by Farewell Spit, Campbell Island and Stephens Island lighthouses 1928 - 1928
M 1 22/3/163

They may reveal some details I guess.

[planeimages]

Many thanks Dave .TH sounds like him and the date would be in the ballpark.

[Dave Homewood]

FLIGHT OVER TASMAN

Fiancee’s Wait 30 Years Ago

The nerve-racking experience of waiting for news of her fiance, radio operator on the historic flight of the Southern Cross 30 years ago yesterday, was vividly recalled in Christchurch yesterday by Mrs T. H. McWilliams, of Wanganui. Mrs McWilliams arrived yesterday with her husband after the now smooth flight across the Tasman of a few hours.

Speaking of the anxious hours she lived 30 years ago yesterday, she marvelled at the advance in radio transmission. The ordeal she went through waiting for news to be picked up from the tap-tapping of her husband at the morse code key, in the old Southern Cross can hardly be imagined today. Officials in the cable and telegraph offices in New Zealand had been in constant touch with her whenever a message was picked up from the plane. The relief after the period of silence when the radio equipment of the Southern Cross had been damaged was an overwhelming moment in her life, she said. Very few people had had power radios of their own in those days and in any event there were no talking messages transmitted even if they had.

Mrs McWilliams was living in Marton at the time of the Southern Cross flight where she waited out her vigil.

Return Journey
Her next ordeal was to say farewell to her fiance again when he set off with Kingsford Smith for the return journey. As she travelled back by train, boat and train again, from Blenheim to her home in Marton, railway officials had kept her informed at each station of the aircraft’s progress.

Yesterday, it was a very different story. Mrs McWilliams said that the trip over from Sydney had been effortless and normal and the only exhaustion was that caused by a party and a very late night en route. But in those days before her marriage to the adventurous radio operator she became well acquainted with fear and anxiety. Her fiance was to be lost for 13 days in the north-west of Australia, then embark on a record-breaking flight to England, before the couple married and settled down in Wanganui. Mr and Mrs McWilliams have two sons. One is carrying on the family spirit of adventure and is at present in Toronto in the course of "seeing the world”; the other, with flying in his blood, is a pilot for National Airways Corporation.

Mr and Mrs McWilliams have been in Australia attending the Kingsford Smith anniversary celebrations and have been on holiday at Surfers Paradise in Queensland.


PRESS, 12 SEPTEMBER 1958