dinomartino1
Well-Known Member
Fur lined leather flying helmet : Flying Officer W H Fysh, 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh was born in Launceston, Tasmania on 7 January 1895. He was educated at Launceston Grammar School and Geelong Church of England Grammar School. Fysh had already served as a cadet with the 70th Infantry Militia and had volunteered with the Tasmanian 26th Light Horse when the First World War was declared. He enlisted on 25 August 1914 with 3 Light Horse Regiment (3LHR), as did most of Tasmania's Mounted Infantry, at the training camp at Pontville, Tasmania.
415 Trooper Fysh embarked from Hobart aboard HMAT Geelong on 20 October 1914, trained in Egypt and served at Gallipoli from May 1915 until the evacuation. He served in Sinai and Palestine with 'C' Squadron, 3LHR, until 17 July 1916, when he transferred to 1 Light Horse Brigade Machine Gun Squadron where he was soon promoted to corporal, and, by January 1917, to lieutenant.
In early July 1917 he applied for a transfer to the Royal Flying Corps (RFC) and was assigned to 67 Squadron (later 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps), and qualified as a gunner/observer by October 1917. Fysh's application for pilot training was accepted, but the war ended before his graduation at Heliopolis, Egypt, in February 1919.
Flying Officer Fysh was recommended for the Distinguished Flying Cross on 8 January 1919. His citation reads 'For gallantry in air combat and in attacking ground objectives. On 31 August 1918 this officer, acting as Observer to Lieutenant McGuiness, DCM, attacked and destroyed two hostile two-seater aeroplanes ... On previous occasions (23rd June and 3rd August 1918) this Officer has engaged in combats, resulting in the destruction of enemy aircraft as well as forcing enemy machines to land ... He has always shewn great skill and gallantry on these and other occasions.'
After returning to Australia in March 1919, Fysh was employed to survey the Longreach to Darwin leg of the proposed air route from England to Australia. This knowledge assisted him when, in 1920, he helped to found the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Ltd (QANTAS). By 1923 he was both managing director and chief pilot of the airline, which he led until his retirement in 1955. Hudson Fysh was knighted in 1953, and died in Sydney in 1974.(KBE) in 1953, and died in Sydney in 197
Forage cap : Flying Officer W H Fysh, 1 Squadron AFC
Flying glove : Flying Officer W H Fysh, 1 Squadron AFC
The top rear of the mitten and the lower rear of the gauntlet are fitted with a French-made press stud fitting (one impressed 'GR Made in France; the other 'DAC CF Co'), allowing the mitten to be folded back and secured.
Khaki maternity style jacket : Lieutenant W H Fysh, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Australian Flying Corps officers private purchase khaki wool gabardine flying jacket, popularly known as a 'maternity' jacket, with rank insignia of lieutenant. The embroidered rank stars on the epaulettes are padded and are of two different patterns. The brown leather used for the buttons on the epaulettes has been pressed to imitate plaited leather.
Pair of Triplex Mark I flying goggles : Flying Officer W H Fysh, 1 Squadron AFC
Maker William Stephens & Co UK
AFC Observer's brevet : Lieutenant W H Fysh, 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Streamer : Lieutenant W H Fysh, No. 1 Squadron, Australian Flying Corps
Aircraft message streamer, with linen message pouch on one end.
The lack of ground to air communication in WWI saw all sides use messages dropped from aircraft. The message bags to which the streamer was attached would have the message inserted and the whole dropped over the relevant unit or position. The streamer was long and colourful to enable it to be seen and recovered.
Shrapnel damaged rifle sling from : Private W H Fysh, 3 Light Horse Regiment AIF
at Gallipoli
"I remember visiting our forward field ambulance dressing station with blood streaming from a cut over my eye caused by a bullet splinter off the parapet. All I got was a strip of sticking plaster and was sent back into the line.
"Then there again was that ominous fizzing and right near my feet. None of us had seen the bomb come over. How long had it been there? Anyhow, I made a wild dive around the trench embrasure, just as the thing went off, a large fragment going through my water bottle which stopped it. Other fragments had marked my rifle. A lucky escape.
"When I later got my commission, parting with that rifle was a hard thing, for the scarred weapon caused much interest. I remember an inspection by General Chauvel in Egypt after the evacuation. Noticing the rifle, the general stopped in front of me and I was, of course asked for the story.”
