Miscellaneous Documents

Lot 4952    Session 17 (11.30am Friday 23rd November)    Miscellaneous Documents

Estimate $50
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $80

STORY OF "SOUTHERN CROSS" TRANS-PACIFIC FLIGHT 1928, by C.E.Kingsford-Smith and C.T.P.Ulm, first edition, 227pp with b&w photos, hardcover, with sticker on cover page, 'With Compliments from H.L.Bussell & Co Ltd, Manufacturers of "White Wings" Famous Products.', inside marked with owner's name and address and also with a sticker, 'Signed By/John Ulm/C.T.P.' Father/Age 91/Ex Spitfire Pilot - Italy' and on the title page it is signed personally, 'Good flying/John Ulm/2012'. Some foxing, blue pencil dabs on back cover pages, spotting to hardcover, otherwise very good.

John Ulm was born at Paddington, Sydney, NSW, the son of Iris and Charles Ulm, the famous aviator who made the first trans-Pacific flight in 1928 with Charles Kingsford Smith on board the aircraft 'Southern Cross'. His parents divorced soon after and he was raised at Waverley then Chatswood and attended Sydney Grammar School. He had no real contact with his father until he was about seven years of age. After completing school he joined the Sydney Sun newspaper as a Cadet Journalist. Then in World War II he enlisted in the RAAF. After undergoing training through the Empire Training Scheme in Canada he served as a pilot with RAF 145 Squadron flying operations in Italy. Post war he returned to the Sun newspaper and then was sent to Japan to report on the Occupation for seven months. After, he was appointed aviation journalist for the Sun and also sent to report on the Korean War. He later joined Qantas as Press Chief for about twenty years, the last three as Manager of the Qantas Wellington Office and then he retired.