ULM Charles Thomas Philippe, AFC
Australian aviator.
Born 18 October 1898, Melbourne, Australia
Died 3 December 1934, Disappeared during flight
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.
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 Kingsford Smith's 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 copilot 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.
1934. "Faith in Australia" landing on 90 Mile Beach. Historic photo of the first Trans Tasman Airmail flight (Pilot Captain Ulm).
On Truck - A. Urlich, 2,3,4, J. Brewer, 5, B. Dykins.
Standing - M. Thornell, Jack Subritzky, M. Mcdonald, N. Mcdonald, Constable P. Clements, F. Beazley, M. Kirkland/Maria D. Kirkland/Maria, A. Maria.
East Africa 1915 - 1917
