Charles or Ross?

jbs · 13 February 2002, 03:30 PM

Hey all,

"Seventy-Five Years Before, a brash young Australian pilot named

Ross Smith, his navigator brother, Keith, and mechanics Jim Bennet and Wally Sheirs flew a Vickers Vimy over this same spot..."

from National Geographic, May 1995 the "Vimy Issue"

Did Ross also go by Charles, or is someone else?
ALso was the AUssie who completed the flight (Ross?) knighted for his actions?

THanks in advance,
jbs

cam · 14 February 2002, 05:49 AM

jbs,

>Did Ross also go by Charles, or is someone else?

One of the other Aussies would be better to answer this in more detail,

Ross Smith and Charles Kingsford-Smith were both post WWI flight record setters. But they were different people. Kingsford-Smith ( or Smithy ) served with the RFC and did his great flights in the 20's and 30's. Ross Smith was ex-AFC and his brother Keith was ex-RFC, they did it in 1919 when they flew from England to Australia in a Vimy. Both Ross and his brother Keith got knighted for it I believe. Kingsford-Smith got knighted for his flights as well.

cam