First round Australia aerial survey flight

Air Force’s acting Chief of the Air Staff, Wing Commander S.J. (‘Jimmy’) Goble, and pilot, Flying Officer Ivor McIntyre, alighted off St Kilda Beach, Melbourne, in a Fairey IIID seaplane A10-3, at the end of the first round-Australia flight.

Since departing from Point Cook air base on 6 April, they had spent 90 hours in the air, travelled 13,700 kilometres, surviving bad weather, poor maps, damage to their aircraft, compass failure and fatigue to complete an aerial survey of the Australian coastline.

A crowd of 10,000 welcomed them back and cheered their triumph, which earned both men the award of Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE).