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Australia's Role in WW 1

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FAMOUS AUSTRALIANS Ross McPherson Smith Aviator and WW1 Air Ace In 1914, at the age of 21, Ross McPherson Smith exchanged the counter of an Adelaide hardware shop for the bloody beaches of Gallipoli, serving with such daring in the 3rd Light Horse that he won a field commission to Lieutenant. Soon after this he was seconded to the fledgling Royal Flying Corps (RFC). The reason ? If you were a good horseman, the military believed, you should be able to handle one of those new fangled machines they called aeroplanes. In the case of Ross Smith - cheerful, modest and very determined - such reasoning was remarkably accurate. His conspicuous gallantry in aerial combat won him numerous medals, including th Military Cross and bar and the distinguished Flying Cross and two bars. When war ended he was a captain, fired with a desire to conquer the world from the air. Ross was not yet 26 years old when the Armistice was signed on 11 November 1918. Smith went on to set numerous records in the world of aviation, including winning the London to Australia air race in 1920. He died in 1922 when a new aircraft he was testing spun out of control and crashed. Thanks goes to Scott Brown for researching and sending this information to The Canadian Great War Homepage. Please visit Scott's genealogy homepage at http://www.powerup.com.au/~fsbrown/family/index.html

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These pages were researched and written by Brian Lee Massey & are Copyright © 1997 - 2007. This site may be freely linked to but not duplicated in any fashion without my consent.	Poppy graphic and poppybar graphic designed by Brian L. Massey and may not be used on other sites The Poppy is a ™Trademark of Dominion Command, Royal Canadian Legion, and is used on The Canadian Great War Homepage with their permission
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