Charles James Melrose

Charles James (Jimmy) Melrose (13 September 1913 – 5 July 1936) was an Australian aviator who held a number of flying records, was the youngest and only solo flier to finish the Melbourne (MacRobertson) Centenary Air Race in 1934.

Jimmy was a son of James Melrose of Wangaraleednie Station, Franklin Harbor, near Cowell, South Australia, a member of the wealthy pastoral family headed by George Melrose (1806–1894) of "Rosebank", Mount Pleasant. His mother, Hilda Westley Melrose, née Billing, was the second wife of James Melrose, who died a few months before Jimmy's 10th birthday. Jimmy was educated at St. Peter's College and took his first flying lessons at Parafield while still at school, gaining his pilot's licence at age 19.

He flew a DH80A Puss Moth registered VH-UQO and christened "My Hildergarde" to England just after his 21st birthday in order to compete in the race, reaching Croydon in 8 days, 9 hours; a record. He finished the race in 10 days, 16 hours: earning sixth place, second on handicap, the youngest and only solo flier to complete the course. He also owned a Leopard Moth, a faster plane, but could not be got ready in time for the race. He gained much assistance from his uncle, Noel Billing, founder of the Supermarine company.

In November 1935 he was again returning to Australia in a Percival Gull Four christened "Westley" when he helped in the unsuccessful search for Sir Charles Kingsford Smith around the Bay of Bengal. Melrose had been the last person to sight Kingsford Smith's Lockheed Altair in the night air as it flew above him. A public appeal to reward him financially was decried by his uncle Sir John Melrose, pointing out that the family could well afford to support Jimmy's hobby. Australia was at that time in the grip of the Great Depression.

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