Ivor McIntyre
Encyclopedia
Ivor Ewing McIntyre CBE
, AFC
& Bar
(6 October 1899 – 12 March 1928) was a pilot
in the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF). He came to national attention in 1924 when he and Wing Commander
(later Air Vice Marshal) Stanley Goble
became the first men to circumnavigate
Australia by air. Two years later McIntyre piloted the first international flight undertaken by an RAAF plane and crew, under the command of Group Captain
(later Air Marshal
Sir) Richard Williams. The English-born
McIntyre had served with the Royal Naval Air Service
and Royal Air Force
in World War I
, before joining the RAAF. He died in an aircraft crash in 1928.
, England
, Ivor McIntyre joined the Royal Naval Air Service
(RNAS) in 1917, seeing action in World War I
as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. He transferred to the Royal Air Force
(RAF) on its creation as an independent armed service, and was a Lieutenant
when awarded the Air Force Cross
in the 1919 New Year Honours
. McIntyre was granted a Short Service commission in the RAF as a Flying Officer
on 12 December 1919. He joined the Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) in the early 1920s.
In 1924, McIntyre and Wing Commander
Stanley (Jimmy) Goble
, another World War I veteran of the RNAS, became the first men to circumnavigate
Australia by air. McIntyre was lead pilot while Goble, who was Chief of the Air Staff at the time, acted as commander and navigator
. The pair took off from Point Cook, Victoria
, on 6 April 1924 in a single-engined Fairey IIID
floatplane
. They flew anticlockwise along the eastern coast to Thursday Island, crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria
to Darwin
, then continued along the Western Australian and South Australian coasts. Along the way they faced adverse weather, fatigue and illness, and had to deal with engine problems and fuel leaks.
McIntyre and Goble returned to Victoria after covering 8450 miles (13,598.9 km) in 44 days. As they flew over Point Cook, 12 RAAF aircraft took off to escort them to their landing place at St Kilda Beach
, where a crowd of 10,000 people was waiting to welcome them. Prime Minister Stanley Bruce
called the journey "one of the most wonderful accomplishments in the history of aviation"; his government presented McIntyre with a gift of ₤250, while mission commander Goble received ₤500. The British Royal Aero Club
awarded the duo the annual Britannia Trophy
, and they were appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
(CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours
.
In 1926, now a Flight Lieutenant
, McIntyre was selected as lead pilot on another pioneering Australian flight under the command of the-then Chief of the Air Staff, Group Captain
Richard Williams, to study the South Pacific region as a possible theatre of operations. In company with Flight Sergeant
Les Trist, they took off from Point Cook on 26 September 1926 and made a 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) round trip to the Solomon Islands
in a De Havilland DH.50A floatplane. They returned on 7 December to a 12-plane RAAF escort and a 300-man honour guard.
Though considered partly a "matter of prestige" due to rumours of other countries planning such a journey, as well as a "reaction" by Williams to the 1924 expedition led by Goble, Williams' rival at the time for leadership of the young Air Force, it was the first international flight undertaken by an RAAF plane and crew. McIntyre was awarded a Bar
to his AFC for his part in the flight, while Trist received the Air Force Medal
, and Williams was appointed a CBE.
by Australia Post
, one of a series depicting Australian aviators that also included Freda Thompson
, Lawrence Hargrave
, Sir Keith
and Sir Ross Macpherson Smith
.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, AFC
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
& 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...
(6 October 1899 – 12 March 1928) was a pilot
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...
in 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). He came to national attention in 1924 when he and 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...
(later Air Vice Marshal) Stanley Goble
Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble CBE, DSO, DSC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Commander Richard Williams...
became the first men to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
Australia by air. Two years later McIntyre piloted the first international flight undertaken by an RAAF plane and crew, under the command of 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...
(later Air Marshal
Air Marshal
Air marshal is a three-star air-officer rank which originated in and continues to be used by the Royal Air Force...
Sir) Richard Williams. The English-born
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
McIntyre had served with the 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
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...
in 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...
, before joining the RAAF. He died in an aircraft crash in 1928.
Early career
Born in KentKent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, Ivor McIntyre joined the 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...
(RNAS) in 1917, seeing action in 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...
as a Flight Sub-Lieutenant. He transferred to the Royal Air Force
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...
(RAF) on its creation as an independent armed service, and was a Lieutenant
First Lieutenant
First lieutenant is a military rank and, in some forces, an appointment.The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations , but the majority of cases it is common for it to be sub-divided into a senior and junior rank...
when awarded the Air Force Cross
Air Force Cross (United Kingdom)
The Air Force Cross is a military decoration awarded to personnel of the United Kingdom Armed Forces, and formerly also to officers of the other Commonwealth countries, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active operations against the enemy"...
in the 1919 New Year Honours
New Year Honours
The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...
. McIntyre was granted a Short Service commission in the RAF as a Flying Officer
Flying Officer
Flying officer is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many countries which have historical British influence...
on 12 December 1919. He joined 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) in the early 1920s.
Circumnavigation of Australia
Wing Commander (rank)
Wing commander is a commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many other Commonwealth countries...
Stanley (Jimmy) Goble
Stanley Goble
Air Vice Marshal Stanley James Goble CBE, DSO, DSC was a senior commander in the Royal Australian Air Force . He served three terms as Chief of the Air Staff, alternating with Wing Commander Richard Williams...
, another World War I veteran of the RNAS, became the first men to circumnavigate
Circumnavigation
Circumnavigation – literally, "navigation of a circumference" – refers to travelling all the way around an island, a continent, or the entire planet Earth.- Global circumnavigation :...
Australia by air. McIntyre was lead pilot while Goble, who was Chief of the Air Staff at the time, acted as commander and navigator
Navigator
A navigator is the person on board a ship or aircraft responsible for its navigation. The navigator's primary responsibility is to be aware of ship or aircraft position at all times. Responsibilities include planning the journey, advising the Captain or aircraft Commander of estimated timing to...
. The pair took off from Point Cook, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, on 6 April 1924 in a single-engined Fairey IIID
Fairey III
The Fairey Aviation Company Fairey III was a family of British reconnaissance biplanes that enjoyed a very long production and service history in both landplane and seaplane variants...
floatplane
Floatplane
A floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
. They flew anticlockwise along the eastern coast to Thursday Island, crossed the Gulf of Carpentaria
Gulf of Carpentaria
The Gulf of Carpentaria is a large, shallow sea enclosed on three sides by northern Australia and bounded on the north by the Arafura Sea...
to Darwin
Darwin, 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...
, then continued along the Western Australian and South Australian coasts. Along the way they faced adverse weather, fatigue and illness, and had to deal with engine problems and fuel leaks.
McIntyre and Goble returned to Victoria after covering 8450 miles (13,598.9 km) in 44 days. As they flew over Point Cook, 12 RAAF aircraft took off to escort them to their landing place at St Kilda Beach
St Kilda, Victoria
St Kilda is an inner city suburb of Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 6 km south from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Port Phillip...
, where a crowd of 10,000 people was waiting to welcome them. Prime Minister Stanley Bruce
Stanley Bruce
Stanley Melbourne Bruce, 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne, CH, MC, FRS, PC , was an Australian politician and diplomat, and the eighth Prime Minister of Australia. He was the second Australian granted an hereditary peerage of the United Kingdom, but the first whose peerage was formally created...
called the journey "one of the most wonderful accomplishments in the history of aviation"; his government presented McIntyre with a gift of ₤250, while mission commander Goble received ₤500. The British Royal Aero Club
Royal Aero Club
The Royal Aero Club is the national co-ordinating body for Air Sport in the United Kingdom.The Aero Club was founded in 1901 by Frank Hedges Butler, his daughter Vera and the Hon Charles Rolls , partly inspired by the Aero Club of France...
awarded the duo the annual Britannia Trophy
Britannia Trophy
The Britannia Trophy is a British award presented by the Royal Aero Club for aviators accomplishing the most meritorious performance in aviaton during the previous year....
, and they were appointed Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(CBE) in the King's Birthday Honours
Queen's Birthday Honours
The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...
.
Pacific Islands flight
Flight Lieutenant
Flight lieutenant is a junior commissioned rank in the Royal Air Force and the air forces of many Commonwealth countries. It ranks above flying officer and immediately below squadron leader. The name of the rank is the complete phrase; it is never shortened to "lieutenant"...
, McIntyre was selected as lead pilot on another pioneering Australian flight under the command of the-then Chief of the Air Staff, 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...
Richard Williams, to study the South Pacific region as a possible theatre of operations. In company with Flight Sergeant
Flight Sergeant
Flight sergeant is a senior non-commissioned rank in the British Royal Air Force and several other air forces which have adopted all or part of the RAF rank structure...
Les Trist, they took off from Point Cook on 26 September 1926 and made a 10000 miles (16,093.4 km) round trip to the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
in a De Havilland DH.50A floatplane. They returned on 7 December to a 12-plane RAAF escort and a 300-man honour guard.
Though considered partly a "matter of prestige" due to rumours of other countries planning such a journey, as well as a "reaction" by Williams to the 1924 expedition led by Goble, Williams' rival at the time for leadership of the young Air Force, it was the first international flight undertaken by an RAAF plane and crew. McIntyre was awarded 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 AFC for his part in the flight, while Trist received the Air Force Medal
Air Force Medal
The Air Force Medal was a military decoration awarded to personnel of the Royal Air Force and other services, and formerly also to personnel of other Commonwealth countries, below commissioned rank, for "an act or acts of valour, courage or devotion to duty whilst flying, though not in active...
, and Williams was appointed a CBE.
Death and legacy
Less than two years after his Pacific Islands flight, on 12 March 1928, Ivor McIntyre was killed in a flying accident. In 1994 he and Jimmy Goble were honoured by the issue of a postage stampPostage stamp
A postage stamp is a small piece of paper that is purchased and displayed on an item of mail as evidence of payment of postage. Typically, stamps are made from special paper, with a national designation and denomination on the face, and a gum adhesive on the reverse side...
by Australia Post
Australia Post
Australia Post is the trading name of the Australian Government-owned Australian Postal Corporation .-History:...
, one of a series depicting Australian aviators that also included Freda Thompson
Freda Thompson
Freda Thompson OBE was a pioneer aviator, the first Australian woman to fly solo from the United Kingdom to Australia.-Biography:...
, Lawrence Hargrave
Lawrence Hargrave
Lawrence Hargrave was an engineer, explorer, astronomer, inventor and aeronautical pioneer.- Early life :Hargrave was born in Greenwich, England, the second son of John Fletcher Hargrave and was educated at Queen Elizabeth's Grammar School, Kirkby Lonsdale, Westmorland...
, Sir Keith
Keith Macpherson Smith
Sir Keith Macpherson Smith KBE, was an Australian aviator, who, along with his brother, Sir Ross Macpherson Smith and two other men, became the first people to fly from England to Australia....
and Sir Ross Macpherson Smith
Ross Macpherson Smith
Sir Ross Macpherson Smith KBE, MC & Bar, DFC & Two Bars, AFC was an Australian aviator, who, along with his brother, Sir Keith Macpherson Smith, became the first pilots to fly from England to Australia, ....
.
External links
- Australasian Gazette – A Seaplane Circles a Continent at Australian Screen – footage of Goble's and McIntyre's arrival at St Kilda Beach after their 1924 flight.