Charles James Melrose
Encyclopedia
Charles James Melrose (13 September 1913 – 5 July 1936) was an Australia
n aviator
who held a number of flying records, was the youngest and only solo flier to finish the Melbourne (Macrobertson) Centenary Air Race in 1934. He flew a DH80A Puss Moth named 'My Hildergarde' to England just after his 21st birthday in order to compete in the race, reaching Croydon in just over 8 days. That in itself was an unofficial record and astounded everyone. Then in November 1935 he was again returning to Australia in a Percival Gull Four when he helped in the unsuccessful search for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
around the Bay of Bengal. Melrose had been the last person to sight Kingsford Smith's Lockheed Altair in the night air as it flew above him.
On his return from the Air Race Melrose was considering giving up racing and turning his mind to commencing an air taxi service the likes of which were virtually non-existent in the mid 1930s.
to Melbourne
. His unfortunate passenger was Lt Col Alexander George Campbell, DSO and mining manager. Two days later, over one hundred thousand people lined the streets of Melbourne to pay their last respects to this fine young flier.
in New South Wales
and Melrose Park
in South Australia
are both suburbs name after him, as well as James Melrose Road, which travels along the southern boundary of Adelaide Airport. The town of Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK, where the 1934 Air Race originated, has also named a street after him - Charles Melrose Close.
Boy Phoenix, C James Melrose. Helen Blake 2008.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
who held a number of flying records, was the youngest and only solo flier to finish the Melbourne (Macrobertson) Centenary Air Race in 1934. He flew a DH80A Puss Moth named 'My Hildergarde' to England just after his 21st birthday in order to compete in the race, reaching Croydon in just over 8 days. That in itself was an unofficial record and astounded everyone. Then in November 1935 he was again returning to Australia in a Percival Gull Four when he helped in the unsuccessful search for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith
Charles Kingsford Smith
Sir Charles Edward Kingsford Smith MC, AFC , often called by his nickname Smithy, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned global fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia...
around the Bay of Bengal. Melrose had been the last person to sight Kingsford Smith's Lockheed Altair in the night air as it flew above him.
On his return from the Air Race Melrose was considering giving up racing and turning his mind to commencing an air taxi service the likes of which were virtually non-existent in the mid 1930s.
Death
He died in July 1936, at the age of 22, when his new high-wing monoplane, a Heston Phoenix, broke up in turbulence over South Melton, Victoria on a charter flight from DarwinDarwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
to Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. His unfortunate passenger was Lt Col Alexander George Campbell, DSO and mining manager. Two days later, over one hundred thousand people lined the streets of Melbourne to pay their last respects to this fine young flier.
Legacy
Melrose ParkMelrose Park, New South Wales
Melrose Park is a suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Melrose Park is located 17 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government areas of the City of Ryde and is part of the Northern Suburbs area...
in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and Melrose Park
Melrose Park, South Australia
Melrose Park is a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia in the City of Mitcham. It is bordered by South Road, Daws Road, Winston Avenue and Edward Street. Until 1989, Melrose Park was part of the suburb of Edwardstown...
in South Australia
South Australia
South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...
are both suburbs name after him, as well as James Melrose Road, which travels along the southern boundary of Adelaide Airport. The town of Mildenhall, Suffolk, UK, where the 1934 Air Race originated, has also named a street after him - Charles Melrose Close.
Sources
The Jimmy Melrose Story, Australia's Youngest Air Ace. Eric Gunton 1990.Boy Phoenix, C James Melrose. Helen Blake 2008.