Elwyn King
Encyclopedia
Elwyn Roy King DSO
, DFC
(13 May 1894 – 28 November 1941) was a fighter pilot
and ace
in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) during World War I
. He scored twenty-six victories in aerial combat, making him the fourth highest-scoring Australian aviator of the war. King entered service as a Lighthorseman in 1915, before transferring to the AFC in 1917. Operating with No. 4 Squadron
on the Western Front
, he achieved seven of his "kills" in the Sopwith Snipe
, more than any other pilot. His exploits earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross
and the Distinguished Service Order
. Returning to Australia in 1919, King went into business before joining the Royal Australian Air Force
following the outbreak of World War II
. He held several training commands prior to his sudden death in November 1941, at the age of forty-seven.
, New South Wales
. He was the son of English-born Elizabeth Mary (Miller) King and Richard King, an Australian laborer. Elwyn attended public school, and further educated himself in mechanical engineering via correspondence. Having been employed repairing bicycles, automobiles, and farming equipment, he was working as a motor mechanic in Forbes
when he joined the Australian Imperial Force
under the name Roy King on 20 July 1915.
in February 1916. The unit was engaged in the defence of Suez Canal
in May, and spent the following months undertaking patrols and sorties into the Sinai Desert
.
King transferred to the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) on 13 January 1917, and was sent to Britain to join No. 68 (Australian) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps
(later No. 4 Squadron AFC
) as an air mechanic on 18 April. He was posted to a training squadron for flying instruction in August. On 15 October, he gained his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
. Rejoining No. 4 Squadron in November, he was promoted to Lieutenant
on 15 January 1918, before arriving in France for active duty on 21 March.
s in support of Australian ground troops, meaning that King and his fellow pilots were engaged in hazardous low-level work, with little opportunity for air-to-air combat. The burly six-foot, three-inch King—nicknamed "Bo" or "Beau"—also had problems landing the Camel; his large frame crammed into its small cockpit impeded control stick movement. The resulting rough landings annoyed his Commanding Officer
, Major
Wilfred McCloughry, brother of ace Edgar McCloughry
. On 14 May 1918, King sent a two-seat German scout out of control, but clouds prevented him from confirming its destruction. By 20 May, however, he had been credited with his first aerial victory, over a Pfalz D.III
near Kemmel
-Neuve Église
. The following month he shot down his first balloon and two more aircraft, a Pfalz and an LVG
, in the vicinity of the Lys.
On 29 July, King led a flight of six Camels from No. 4 Squadron escorting Royal Air Force
DH.9
light bombers in a raid on Armentières
. In an action that the official history of Australia in the war highlighted as an "example of cool and skilful air fighting", the DH.9s completed their bombing mission while the Camels drove off an attacking force of at least ten German Fokker
s, three of the Australians including King claiming victories, without any Allied loss. King scored two victories, a balloon and an LVG, near Estaires
during a bombing raid on 10 August. On 16 August, as part of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive
, he participated in another raid, a major assault against the German airfield at Haubourdin
, near Lille
, that resulted in thirty-seven enemy aircraft being destroyed. During the action, described by the official history as a "riot of destruction", King set on fire a hangar housing four or five German planes. He was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
(DFC) on 8 September. The award, promulgated in the London Gazette
on 3 December, cited his "gallant and valuable service in bombing and attacking with machine gun fire enemy billets, trains, troops etc", during which "he insures success by descending to low altitudes, disregarding personal danger". On 15 September, King was promoted to Captain and flight commander
, and by the end of the month had taken his score to eighteen. He registered his final victory in a Camel on 2 October when he sent down his fourth balloon by unloading his bombs on it. He then converted with the rest of No. 4 Squadron to the upgraded Sopwith Snipe
, whose larger cockpit was a better fit for him.
King scored with the Snipe on both 28 and 29 October, the latter at Tournai
, in what is frequently described as "one of the greatest air battles of the war". Amid a confrontation involving over seventy-five Allied and German fighters, King evaded five enemy Fokkers that dived on him, before destroying an LVG in a head-on attack. The next day, he downed three Fokker D.VII
s, two without having to fire a shot. As he zoomed up from shooting one down out of control, he cut off another. This second Fokker pulled up to avoid collision and toppled on top of a third Fokker. 4 November brought one of the war's last air battles, near Leuze
. King's destruction of two D.VIIs in the space of five minutes, the latter in flames, capped his combat career. His tally of seven victories with the Snipe in the closing days of the war made him the highest-scoring pilot in this type. King's final wartime score included six aircraft driven down out of control, thirteen aircraft and four balloons destroyed, and three other aircraft destroyed in shared wins with other airmen. This made him second only to his great friend and fellow No. 4 Squadron pilot, Captain Harry Cobby
, as the most successful ace in the AFC, as well the fourth most successful of all the Australian aces in the war (his top-scoring compatriots, Robert A. Little
and Roderic Dallas
, flew with the British Royal Naval Air Service
and Royal Air Force). King was recommended for a bar
to his DFC that was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Order
and awarded on 3 June 1919. The recommendation noted his victories in the air and cited him for having "proved himself a very brilliant patrol leader" and for being "a magnificant example at all times to all pilots in the squadron". He was also belatedly Mentioned in Despatches for his wartime service in July 1919.
, near Cologne
, Germany, in December 1918. The unit returned to England in March 1919, and King sailed with it back to Australia on 6 May. He left the AFC on 11 August 1919 in Melbourne
, before taking up employment with Larkin-Sopwith Aviation Company of Australasia Limited, racking up a number of commercial aviation firsts transporting mail, newspapers, and press photos. In 1920, he refused to join the newly established Australian Air Corps—forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF)—because it had not then offered a commission to Frank McNamara
VC
. King soon left aviation to go into business with another pilot, founding Shipman, King, and Company Pty Limited. Importing and manufacturing machinery, the company was successful and King was able to take up motor racing. On 31 March 1925, he married twenty year-old Josephine Vida Livingston in Melbourne. They would have a son and a daughter.
In December 1939, soon after the outbreak of World War II
, King joined the RAAF as a Squadron Leader
. Initially offered flying duties, he was transferred to command pilot training in the new year. On 2 January 1940, he became the inaugural Commanding Officer
of No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School (3EFTS) in Essendon
, Victoria. Part of the Empire Air Training Scheme
, 3EFTS initially comprised a significant civilian presence, many of the aircraft and staff under King's control being from private airline companies and the Royal Victorian Aero Club
; by July, however, all private machines had been pressed into RAAF service and the civilian element largely ceased. King took over No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School at Narromine
, New South Wales, on 21 December. Promoted to Wing Commander
, he led No. 1 Service Flying Training School
at RAAF Point Cook from 7 July 1941, before being posted in October to command the newly established Station Headquarters Point Cook, as a Group Captain
. King died unexpectedly of cerebral oedema
on 28 November. He was survived by his wife and children, and cremated. His funeral at South Yarra
was attended by hundreds of mourners from the military and civil aviation world, including the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Sir Charles Burnett
, and a representative of the Minister for Air
; the pallbearers included Air Vice Marshal Henry Wrigley
, Air Commodore
Raymond Brownell
, and three Group Captains.
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
, DFC
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(13 May 1894 – 28 November 1941) was a fighter pilot
Fighter pilot
A fighter pilot is a military aviator trained in air-to-air combat while piloting a fighter aircraft . Fighter pilots undergo specialized training in aerial warfare and dogfighting...
and ace
Flying ace
A flying ace or fighter ace is a military aviator credited with shooting down several enemy aircraft during aerial combat. The actual number of aerial victories required to officially qualify as an "ace" has varied, but is usually considered to be five or more...
in the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He scored twenty-six victories in aerial combat, making him the fourth highest-scoring Australian aviator of the war. King entered service as a Lighthorseman in 1915, before transferring to the AFC in 1917. Operating with No. 4 Squadron
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
on the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
, he achieved seven of his "kills" in the Sopwith Snipe
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
, more than any other pilot. His exploits earned him the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
and the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
. Returning to Australia in 1919, King went into business before joining the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
following the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He held several training commands prior to his sudden death in November 1941, at the age of forty-seven.
Early life
Elwyn Roy King was born on 13 May 1894 at The Grove, near BathurstBathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
, 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...
. He was the son of English-born Elizabeth Mary (Miller) King and Richard King, an Australian laborer. Elwyn attended public school, and further educated himself in mechanical engineering via correspondence. Having been employed repairing bicycles, automobiles, and farming equipment, he was working as a motor mechanic in Forbes
Forbes, New South Wales
-Notable residents:*Carolyn Simpson - Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales; Member of the first all-female bench to sit in an Australian court*NSW Deputy Premier Carmel Tebbutt was born and raised in Forbes....
when he joined the Australian Imperial Force
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
under the name Roy King on 20 July 1915.
Early service
Embarking for Egypt aboard HMAT Themistocles on 5 October 1915, King became a member of the 12th Light Horse12th Light Horse Regiment (Australia)
The 12th Light Horse Regiment was a light horse regiment of the Australian Army. It was originally raised in 1915 for service during the First World War, the regiment served in the Middle East against the Turks before being disbanded in 1919...
in February 1916. The unit was engaged in the defence of Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
in May, and spent the following months undertaking patrols and sorties into the Sinai Desert
Sinai Peninsula
The Sinai Peninsula or Sinai is a triangular peninsula in Egypt about in area. It is situated between the Mediterranean Sea to the north, and the Red Sea to the south, and is the only part of Egyptian territory located in Asia as opposed to Africa, effectively serving as a land bridge between two...
.
King transferred to the Australian Flying Corps (AFC) on 13 January 1917, and was sent to Britain to join No. 68 (Australian) Squadron of the Royal Flying Corps
Royal Flying Corps
The Royal Flying Corps was the over-land air arm of the British military during most of the First World War. During the early part of the war, the RFC's responsibilities were centred on support of the British Army, via artillery co-operation and photographic reconnaissance...
(later No. 4 Squadron AFC
No. 4 Squadron RAAF
No. 4 Squadron is a Royal Australian Air Force squadron responsible for training forward air controllers. The squadron was previously a fighter and army co-operation unit active in both World War I and World War II.-World War I:...
) as an air mechanic on 18 April. He was posted to a training squadron for flying instruction in August. On 15 October, he gained his wings and was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant
Second Lieutenant
Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...
. Rejoining No. 4 Squadron in November, he was promoted to Lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
on 15 January 1918, before arriving in France for active duty on 21 March.
Fighter ace
No. 4 Squadron initially flew its Sopwith CamelSopwith Camel
The Sopwith Camel was a British First World War single-seat biplane fighter introduced on the Western Front in 1917. Manufactured by Sopwith Aviation Company, it had a short-coupled fuselage, heavy, powerful rotary engine, and concentrated fire from twin synchronized machine guns. Though difficult...
s in support of Australian ground troops, meaning that King and his fellow pilots were engaged in hazardous low-level work, with little opportunity for air-to-air combat. The burly six-foot, three-inch King—nicknamed "Bo" or "Beau"—also had problems landing the Camel; his large frame crammed into its small cockpit impeded control stick movement. The resulting rough landings annoyed his Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
, Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
Wilfred McCloughry, brother of ace Edgar McCloughry
Edgar McCloughry
Air Vice Marshal Edgar James Kingston McCloughry CB, CBE, DSO, DFC & Bar was an Australian World War I fighter pilot and flying ace. He shot down 21 aircraft and military balloons during the war, making him the 6th highest-scoring Australian ace...
. On 14 May 1918, King sent a two-seat German scout out of control, but clouds prevented him from confirming its destruction. By 20 May, however, he had been credited with his first aerial victory, over a Pfalz D.III
Pfalz D.III
|-See also:-Bibliography:* Gray, Peter and Owen Thetford. German Aircraft of the First World War. London: Putnam, 1962. ISBN 0-93385-271-1.* Grosz, Peter M. Pfalz D.IIIa . Berkhamsted, Herts, UK: Albatros Publications, 1995. ISBN 0-94841-425-1.* Guttman, Jon. Balloon-Busting Aces of World War 1 ...
near Kemmel
Kemmelberg
The Kemmelberg, also known as Kemmel Hill or Mont Kemmel, is a 156m high hill near Kemmel in the municipality of Heuvelland in West Flanders, Belgium....
-Neuve Église
Neuve-Église
Neuve-Église is a commune in the Bas-Rhin department in Alsace in north-eastern France.-References:*...
. The following month he shot down his first balloon and two more aircraft, a Pfalz and an LVG
LVG
Luftverkehrsgesellschaft m.b.H. was a German aircraft manufacturer based in Berlin-Johannisthal, which began constructing aircraft in 1912, building Farman-type aircraft. The company constructed many reconnaissance and light bomber biplanes during World War I.The raid on London in 1916 was...
, in the vicinity of the Lys.
Royal Air Force
The Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
DH.9
Airco DH.9
The Airco DH.9 - also known after 1920 as the de Havilland DH.9 - was a British bomber used in the First World War...
light bombers in a raid on Armentières
Armentières
Armentières is a commune in the Nord department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in northern France. It is part of the Urban Community of Lille Métropole, and lies on the Belgian border, northwest of the city of Lille, on the right bank of the river Lys....
. In an action that the official history of Australia in the war highlighted as an "example of cool and skilful air fighting", the DH.9s completed their bombing mission while the Camels drove off an attacking force of at least ten German Fokker
Fokker
Fokker was a Dutch aircraft manufacturer named after its founder, Anthony Fokker. The company operated under several different names, starting out in 1912 in Schwerin, Germany, moving to the Netherlands in 1919....
s, three of the Australians including King claiming victories, without any Allied loss. King scored two victories, a balloon and an LVG, near Estaires
Estaires
-References:*...
during a bombing raid on 10 August. On 16 August, as part of the Allies' Hundred Days Offensive
Hundred Days Offensive
The Hundred Days Offensive was the final period of the First World War, during which the Allies launched a series of offensives against the Central Powers on the Western Front from 8 August to 11 November 1918, beginning with the Battle of Amiens. The offensive forced the German armies to retreat...
, he participated in another raid, a major assault against the German airfield at Haubourdin
Haubourdin
-References:*...
, near Lille
Lille
Lille is a city in northern France . It is the principal city of the Lille Métropole, the fourth-largest metropolitan area in the country behind those of Paris, Lyon and Marseille. Lille is situated on the Deûle River, near France's border with Belgium...
, that resulted in thirty-seven enemy aircraft being destroyed. During the action, described by the official history as a "riot of destruction", King set on fire a hangar housing four or five German planes. He was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross
Distinguished Flying Cross (United Kingdom)
The Distinguished Flying Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly to officers of other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying in active operations against...
(DFC) on 8 September. The award, promulgated in the London Gazette
London Gazette
The London Gazette is one of the official journals of record of the British government, and the most important among such official journals in the United Kingdom, in which certain statutory notices are required to be published...
on 3 December, cited his "gallant and valuable service in bombing and attacking with machine gun fire enemy billets, trains, troops etc", during which "he insures success by descending to low altitudes, disregarding personal danger". On 15 September, King was promoted to Captain and flight commander
Flight (military unit)
A flight is a military unit in an air force, naval air service, or army air corps. It usually comprises three to six aircraft, with their aircrews and ground staff; or, in the case of a non-flying ground flight, no aircraft and a roughly equivalent number of support personnel. In most usages,...
, and by the end of the month had taken his score to eighteen. He registered his final victory in a Camel on 2 October when he sent down his fourth balloon by unloading his bombs on it. He then converted with the rest of No. 4 Squadron to the upgraded Sopwith Snipe
Sopwith Snipe
The Sopwith 7F.1 Snipe was a British single-seat biplane fighter of the Royal Air Force . It was designed and built by the Sopwith Aviation Company during the First World War, and came into squadron service a few weeks before the end of that conflict, in late 1918.The Snipe was not a fast aircraft...
, whose larger cockpit was a better fit for him.
King scored with the Snipe on both 28 and 29 October, the latter at Tournai
Tournai
Tournai is a Walloon city and municipality of Belgium located 85 kilometres southwest of Brussels, on the river Scheldt, in the province of Hainaut....
, in what is frequently described as "one of the greatest air battles of the war". Amid a confrontation involving over seventy-five Allied and German fighters, King evaded five enemy Fokkers that dived on him, before destroying an LVG in a head-on attack. The next day, he downed three Fokker D.VII
Fokker D.VII
The Fokker D.VII was a German World War I fighter aircraft designed by Reinhold Platz of the Fokker-Flugzeugwerke. Germany produced around 3,300 D.VII aircraft in the summer and autumn of 1918. In service, the D.VII quickly proved itself to be a formidable aircraft...
s, two without having to fire a shot. As he zoomed up from shooting one down out of control, he cut off another. This second Fokker pulled up to avoid collision and toppled on top of a third Fokker. 4 November brought one of the war's last air battles, near Leuze
Leuze, Aisne
Leuze is a commune in the Aisne department in Picardy in northern France....
. King's destruction of two D.VIIs in the space of five minutes, the latter in flames, capped his combat career. His tally of seven victories with the Snipe in the closing days of the war made him the highest-scoring pilot in this type. King's final wartime score included six aircraft driven down out of control, thirteen aircraft and four balloons destroyed, and three other aircraft destroyed in shared wins with other airmen. This made him second only to his great friend and fellow No. 4 Squadron pilot, Captain Harry Cobby
Arthur Henry Cobby
Air Commodore Arthur Henry Cobby CBE, DSO, DFC & Two Bars, GM was an Australian military aviator...
, as the most successful ace in the AFC, as well the fourth most successful of all the Australian aces in the war (his top-scoring compatriots, Robert A. Little
Robert A. Little
Robert Alexander Little DSO & Bar, DSC & Bar is officially regarded as the most successful Australian flying ace of World War I, with a total of forty-seven aerial victories. Born in Victoria, he travelled to England in 1915 and learnt to fly at his own expense before joining the Royal Naval Air...
and Roderic Dallas
Roderic Dallas
Roderic Stanley Dallas DSO, DSC & Bar was an Australian fighter ace of World War I. His score of aerial victories is generally regarded as the second-highest by an Australian, after Robert Little; however there is considerable dispute over Dallas's exact total...
, flew with the British Royal Naval Air Service
Royal Naval Air Service
The Royal Naval Air Service or RNAS was the air arm of the Royal Navy until near the end of the First World War, when it merged with the British Army's Royal Flying Corps to form a new service , the Royal Air Force...
and Royal Air Force). King was recommended for a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his DFC that was upgraded to the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
and awarded on 3 June 1919. The recommendation noted his victories in the air and cited him for having "proved himself a very brilliant patrol leader" and for being "a magnificant example at all times to all pilots in the squadron". He was also belatedly Mentioned in Despatches for his wartime service in July 1919.
Interbellum and World War II
Following the end of hostilities, No. 4 Squadron joined the British Army of Occupation in BickendorfBickendorf
Bickendorf is a municipality in the district of Bitburg-Prüm, in Rhineland-Palatinate, western Germany....
, near Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
, Germany, in December 1918. The unit returned to England in March 1919, and King sailed with it back to Australia on 6 May. He left the AFC on 11 August 1919 in 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...
, before taking up employment with Larkin-Sopwith Aviation Company of Australasia Limited, racking up a number of commercial aviation firsts transporting mail, newspapers, and press photos. In 1920, he refused to join the newly established Australian Air Corps—forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force
Royal Australian Air Force
The Royal Australian Air Force is the air force branch of the Australian Defence Force. The RAAF was formed in March 1921. It continues the traditions of the Australian Flying Corps , which was formed on 22 October 1912. The RAAF has taken part in many of the 20th century's major conflicts...
(RAAF)—because it had not then offered a commission to Frank McNamara
Frank Hubert McNamara
Air Vice Marshal Francis Hubert McNamara VC, CB, CBE was an Australian recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest decoration for valour in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to a member of the British and Commonwealth forces...
VC
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
. King soon left aviation to go into business with another pilot, founding Shipman, King, and Company Pty Limited. Importing and manufacturing machinery, the company was successful and King was able to take up motor racing. On 31 March 1925, he married twenty year-old Josephine Vida Livingston in Melbourne. They would have a son and a daughter.
In December 1939, soon after the outbreak of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, King joined the RAAF as a Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader
Squadron Leader is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence. It is also sometimes used as the English translation of an equivalent rank in countries which have a non-English air force-specific rank structure. In these...
. Initially offered flying duties, he was transferred to command pilot training in the new year. On 2 January 1940, he became the inaugural Commanding Officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
of No. 3 Elementary Flying Training School (3EFTS) in Essendon
Essendon, Victoria
Essendon is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 10 km north-west from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Moonee Valley...
, Victoria. Part of the Empire Air Training Scheme
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
, 3EFTS initially comprised a significant civilian presence, many of the aircraft and staff under King's control being from private airline companies and the Royal Victorian Aero Club
Royal Victorian Aero Club
The Royal Victorian Aero Club is an Australian aero club based at Moorabbin Airport in Melbourne. Originating in 1914 it is amongst the world's oldest Aviation organisations...
; by July, however, all private machines had been pressed into RAAF service and the civilian element largely ceased. King took over No. 5 Elementary Flying Training School at Narromine
Narromine, New South Wales
Narromine is a town located about 40 kilometres west of Dubbo in the Orana region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the centre of Narromine Shire. At the 2006 census, Narromine had a population of 3,599 people...
, New South Wales, on 21 December. Promoted to Wing Commander
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
, he led No. 1 Service Flying Training School
No. 1 Flying Training School RAAF
No. 1 Flying Training School was a flying training school of the Royal Australian Air Force . It was one of the Air Force's original units, dating back to the service's formation in 1921, when it was based at RAAF Point Cook, Victoria. The school underwent a number of reorganisations during its...
at RAAF Point Cook from 7 July 1941, before being posted in October to command the newly established Station Headquarters Point Cook, as a Group Captain
Group Captain
Group captain is a senior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries. It ranks above wing commander and immediately below air commodore...
. King died unexpectedly of cerebral oedema
Cerebral edema
Cerebral edema or cerebral œdema is an excess accumulation of water in the intracellular or extracellular spaces of the brain.-Vasogenic:Due to a breakdown of tight endothelial junctions which make up the blood-brain barrier...
on 28 November. He was survived by his wife and children, and cremated. His funeral at South Yarra
South Yarra, Victoria
South Yarra is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 4 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area are the Cities of Stonnington and Melbourne...
was attended by hundreds of mourners from the military and civil aviation world, including the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Air Chief Marshal
Air chief marshal is a senior 4-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir Charles Burnett
Charles Burnett (RAF officer)
Air Chief Marshal Sir Charles Stuart Burnett KCB, CBE, DSO was a senior commander in the Royal Air Force during the first half of the 20th century. During the Second World War, he served as Chief of the Air Staff of the Royal Australian Air Force.-Early life:Charles Burnett was born in Browns...
, and a representative of the Minister for Air
Minister for Defence (Australia)
The Minister for Defence of Australia administers his portfolio through the Australian Defence Organisation, which comprises the Department of Defence and the Australian Defence Force. Stephen Smith is the current Minister.-Ministers for Defence:...
; the pallbearers included Air Vice Marshal Henry Wrigley
Henry Wrigley
Air Vice Marshal Henry Neilson Wrigley CBE, DFC, AFC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . A pioneer aviator and theorist, he piloted the first trans-Australia flight from Melbourne to Darwin in 1919, and subsequently laid the groundwork for the RAAF's air power doctrine...
, Air Commodore
Air Commodore
Air commodore is an air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Raymond Brownell
Raymond Brownell
Air Commodore Raymond James Brownell CBE, MC, MM was a senior officer in the Royal Australian Air Force and a First World War flying ace. Born in Hobart, Tasmania, Brownell was working as a clerk with a firm of accountants when he enlisted in the Australian Imperial Force on the outbreak of the...
, and three Group Captains.