Smith brothers were two Australian brothers who made the first flight between the United Kingdom and Australia. In 1919, the Australian federal government offered a £10,000 prize to the first Australian who would fly from the United Kingdom to Australia in 30 days or less. The two brothers, together with the mechanics James Bennett and Wallace Shiers, flew a Vickers Vimy bomber from Hounslow, England, to Darwin, Australia, in just under 28 days. They completed the course on Dec. 10, 1919, and were the only crew to finish it in time. Both brothers were knighted for their achievement. Bennett and Shiers were awarded decorations and promotions from the Royal Air Force.
Sir Keith Smith
(1890-1955) was a pilot and aircraft engineer. He was born on Dec. 20, 1890, in Adelaide, South Australia. He trained as a pilot in the United Kingdom during World War I (1914-1918) and served with the Royal Air Force. He later became the representative in Australia for a British aircraft manufacturing company and held high positions in a number of airline companies. He died in Sydney on Dec. 19, 1955.
Sir Ross Smith
(1892-1922) was also a noted pilot. He was born in Adelaide on Dec. 4, 1892. During World War I, he served as a soldier with a light horse regiment. He joined the Australian Flying Corps in 1917. In the later stages of the war, Smith was appointed personal pilot to the British soldier T. E. Lawrence . Smith helped Lawrence in his efforts to win the support of the Arabs for the Allies. In 1918, Smith broke the record for the world’s longest flight by flying 2,350 miles (3,782 kilometers) from Cairo to Calcutta (now Kolkata). He and James Bennett were killed in England on April 13, 1922, while testing an airplane.
In 1986, Sir Ross Smith’s widow established the Sir Ross & Sir Keith Smith Fund. The fund awards grants, scholarships, and sponsorships in the field of aeronautics.
