BATTLE OF BRITAIN ‘LACE’
FA-SA recently joined with the Adelaide Community in acknowledging 100th Anniversary of passing of pioneer aviator CAPT Harry Butler AFC, a South Australia’s pioneer aviator.
In a small wreath-laying service, approximately 60 people from the local Adelaide heritage and aviation community, RAAF Edinburgh and Minlaton came together to honour the pioneer aviator.
Born in 1889 in Yorketown on South Australia’s York Peninsula, Harry Butler grew up in Minlaton. He was enamoured with flying and mechanics and built models while at school.
In 1915, he arrived at Point Cook intending to serve with the Australian Flying Corps as an engineer but resigned two weeks later wanting to be a pilot. Making his own way to England, he joined the Royal Flying Corps.
Commissioning as a pilot, he saw service as a Flying Instructor at No 1 School of Aerial Fighting at Turnberry, Scotland and then from April 1918 as Chief Flying Instructor, at No 2 Aerial Gunnery School where he trained pilots on the Bristol M.1 Monoplane. During his service in the RFC/RAF, he deployed to the Western Front to observe and develop fighter tactics. He was awarded the Air Force Cross for his service during the war.
Returning to Australia with an Avro 504k biplane and a Bristol monoplane he established himself in South Australia performing airshows for the public many of which were used to raise funds for WW1 veterans. He performed a stunt-flying display before a crowd of 20,000 at Unley Oval on 23 August 1919. Many of the flights were in the Bristol Monoplane which, painted in a distinct red, became known as the Red Devil. The Red Devil remains on display at Minlaton in a purpose-built display hangar.
Butler is most noted for conducting the first mail flight to cross a body of water in the southern hemisphere when he flew from Minlaton to Adelaide across the Gulf of St Vincent on 6 August 1919.
He established the first operating airfield in South Australia at Northfield and the first flight passenger business, Harry J. Butler & Kauper Aviation Co. Ltd, in the state. He also conducted joy flights at the cost of 5 Pounds for ten minutes. He later established a second airfield in Adelaide at Hendon. Hendon was later sold to the commonwealth government as the first commonwealth government airport in Adelaide.
In January 1922, Butler was seriously injured when his Avro biplane crashed near Minlaton. He died suddenly of an unexpected cerebral abscess, believed related to the crash, on 30 July 1924 and was buried at North Road Cemetery less than 50 feet from the noted Australian aviation pioneer Sir Ross Macpherson Smith.
Harry Butler was one of Australia’s noted early aviation pioneers and a WW1 veteran seeing distinguished service. At a time when Australia was first enamoured with flying, Harry Butler took to the sky’s intent to inspire others to embrace the new technical wonder. Sadly, as with many pioneer aviators, his tragic death at a young age was largely the result of doing what he loved – flying.
Lest we forget.
Courtesy of Air Force Association (South Australian Division) Vice President GPCAPT Greg Weller