NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, page 202 is a letter from Frank Shann, headmaster of Trinity Grammar School, Kew (a suburb of Melbourne), to Commander F. G. Cresswell (the Navy’s Director of Radio Service — no connection to Rear Admiral W. R. Creswell, the Navy’s senior officer). Shann is reporting ‘an extraordinary and possibly suspicious occurrence’: One […]
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, pages 668 through 671 is a copy of Directorate of Military Intelligence report HB64, ‘Aircraft, lights and objects reported seen in the air — summary and appreciation no. 4’. It is a continuation of the last such ‘summary and appreciation’ HB56 of a week ago. But whereas HB56 was 17 pages long,
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, page 997 is a copy of a report from 2nd Lieutenant C. Kingsford Smith RFC on ‘investigations made at Gosford and Terrigal, re aircraft seen there at night’. Kingsford Smith has been sent up from Sydney on the basis of his experience as a pilot on the Western Front. His account can
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, page 457 is a copy of a telegram sent from the Navy Office to the Admiralty, London; Commander in Chief, China; Senior Naval Officer, Wellington; and Captain in Charge, Sydney. It reads: Majority of aircraft reports have proved to have no foundation. No definite proof of existence of aircraft obtained. Exhaustive enquiries
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, page 35 is a copy of a report from Constable A. E. Duvanel of Korumburra Station, Victoria Police. Duvanel gives a blow-by-blow account of his conversation at 8pm on 2 May 1918 with Mr Sandman of the Kongwak butter factory about ‘a bright light high up in the sky’, which had been
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, pages 218 and 219 is a letter from ‘Anxious’ of ‘Bundoora’, Charles St, Brighton, Victoria, to the editor of the Melbourne Herald: A mysterious aroeplane [sic] passed over the east of Brighton this morning at 10 past 7 a.m. & went south east towards Gippsland. The machine was a very large one
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, pages 674 through 690 is a copy of Directorate of Military Intelligence report HB56, ‘Aircraft, lights and objects reported seen in the air — summary and appreciation no. 3’. It is a continuation of the first such ‘summary and appreciation’ HB53 of nearly a week ago (no. 2 was an interim update
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, page 33 is a copy of a letter from Sam. R. Dawson, ‘Roseneath’, Meerlieu, Victoria, to ‘The Military Officer’ at Sale: I notice by the papers that persons are asked to report any aeroplanes seen to the nearest military officer. On the 22nd. March we heard an aeroplane which seemed to be
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, pages 849 through 854 is a report from Detective F. W. Sickerdick of Victoria Police (seconded to military intelligence for the duration, possibly due to German descent) to Major F. V. Hogan of the Intelligence Section, General Staff. Sickerdick had been ordered by Hogan to travel with Lieutenant A. Edwards of the
NAA: MP1049/1, 1918/066, pages 491 and 492 is a letter from Major E. L. Piesse, Director of Military Intelligence, to the Navy Office, informing them of the progress of the Army’s aerial reconnaissance of south Gippsland. Unfortunately, The aeroplane used in this reconnaissance has been unserviceable since 24th inst. No information has yet been received
