Legion of Frontiersmen (New Zealand) Command

ULM Charles Thomas Philippe

7566, Australian aviator, WW1

Legion of Frontiersmen, Australia

CITATION

Air Force Cross (AFC)

Gazetted 19 June 1928, p4185

In recognition oi the distinguished service rendered to aviation by their recent trans-Pacific flight from California to Queensland.

AWARDS

Air Force Cross

1914-15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

NOTES

Born 18 October 1898, Melbourne, Australia

Died 3 December 1934, Disappeared during flight

Buried at Sea

BIOGRAPHICAL

ULM joined the AIF in September 1914, lying about his name and age to get in. He fought and was wounded at Gallipoli in 1915, and on the Western Front in 1918. He was discharged from military service after only 19 months at his parents request as he was under-age, re-enlisting on 2 February 1917, being discharged on 20 March 1919.

Charles ULM was married twice. In 1919 he married Isabel Amy Winter. After divorcing his first wife, in 1927 he married Mary Josephine CALLAGHAN.

ULM is best known for his partnership with Sir Charles KINGSFORD-SMITH, and was his copilot on many of his famous flights, including the 1928 first crossing of the Pacific. ULM was the "business brains" in the partnership, and acquired the funding necessary for the journey.

ULM was also KINGSFORD-SMITH's partner in the failed Australian National Airways. After the failure, Ulm bought one of the airline's Avro X aircraft for himself, and named it Faith in Australia. In this aircraft in 1933, Ulm set the speed record from England to Australia at 6 days, 17 hours and 56 minutes, and made several Trans-Tasman flights.

ULM disappeared in December 1934, together with co-pilot G.M. LITTLEJOHN and navigator J.S. SKILLING, while flying from Oakland, California to Hawaii in VH-UXY Stella Australis, an Airspeed Envoy. It is believed an unexpected tailwind caused them to fly past the islands in the dark. No traces of crew or aircraft were ever found.