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Sir John Carling

The Sir John Carling was a Stinson SM-1 Detroiter monoplane, purchased by Carling Breweries of Canada in 1927 for a promotional flight from London, Ontario to London, England, the first ever flight between those two places. A competition was held to select two Canadian pilots for the flight and two Irish pilots who had migrated to Canada, Captain Terrence Bernard ("Terry") Tully and Flight Officer James Victor ("Jimmy") Medcalf, were ultimately selected. After several delays, the aircraft departed Harbour Grace airfield, Newfoundland on 7 September 1927, intending to fly to London, England. The aircraft and its crew disappeared without trace over the North Atlantic.

The Competition

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The flight originated with Carling Breweries' offer of a prize of CAN$25,000 for the first Canadian or British pilot to fly from London, Ontario (where the company was based) to London, England. After it emerged that there were no qualified applicants who could provide an aircraft suitable for the flight, the company decided to purchase a Stinson SM-1 Detroiter monoplane and to select a pilot or pilots to fly it from one city to the other.

The Pilots

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Terrence B. Tully
Born(1891-12-18)18 December 1891
Died7 September 1927(1927-09-07) (aged 35)
N Atlantic en route from Harbour Grace, NF to London, ENG
Cause of deathAir accident (presumed)
NationalityBritish
Known forAttempted London, ON to London, ENG flight
AwardsAir Force Cross
Aviation career
Full nameTerrence Bernard Tully
Air forceRoyal Air Force
RankCaptain

Captain Terrence Bernard Tully, AFC

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Terrence Bernard Tully was born in Carracastle, Co Mayo. Ireland on 18 December 1891. He was a relative of Jasper Tully, MP for South Leitrim from 1892 to 1906.

View of Suvla from Battleship Hill.

At the outbreak of World War I, Tully enlisted as a trooper in the London Yeomanry. He was subsequently enrolled in the Inns of Court Officer Training Corps in which he reached the rank of corporal.[1] Tully saw action in the Gallipoli Campaign and was wounded at Suvla Bay.[2]


In August 1916 he was transferred to the Royal Flying Corps with the rank of Temporary Second Lieutenant.[3] He was made a Flying Officer in April 1917[4] and promoted to Temporary Lieutenant in September of the same year.[5] Tully was mentioned in despatches,[6] was presented to King George V at Buckingham Palace)[2] and was awarded the Air Force Cross in June 1918.[7] He became an Acting Captain (while so employed) in August 1918.[8] He was placed on the unemployed list in May 1919[9] but was granted a short service commission in November 1921.[10] In June 1922, Tully was granted the rank of Captain upon resigning his short service commission.[11] From April 1923 later held a commission with the rank of Flying Officer in the Royal Air Force Reserve,[12] [13] which he relinquished on completion of his service in April 1926.[14]

Having being employed by the Avro Aircraft Company for a number of years after the end of the war, Tully migrated to Canada. At the time of the flight of the Sir John Carling he was Superintendent and Chief Instructor of Ontario Provincial Air Service, as well as the chief pilot of the Northern Ontario Air Patrol.[2] [15]

He married Anne Mary O'Malley in 1915 in London.

Lieutenant James Victor Medcalf

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James V. Medcalf
Born(1899-05-29)29 May 1899
Died7 September 1927(1927-09-07) (aged 28)
N Atlantic en route from Harbour Grace, NF to London, ENG
Cause of deathAir accident (presumed)
NationalityBritish
Known forAttempted London, ON to London, ENG flight
Aviation career
Full nameJames Victor Medcalf
Air forceRoyal Air Force
RankLieutenant

James Victor Medcalf was born in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, Ireland on 29 May 1899. He served in the Royal Naval Air Service during World War I and, after its establishment in 1918, in the Royal Air Force.

The Aircraft

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From London to Newfoundland

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The Final Flight

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Memorials

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Following the disappearance of the two aviators, Carling Breweries decided to divide the prize money of CAN$25,000 between trust funds for the benefit of each family.

The Ontario Surveyor General named two lakes after them—Tully Lake (50°28′N 91°38′W / 50.47°N 91.63°W / 50.47; -91.63) [nb 1] and Medcalf Lake (50°57′N 90°32′W / 50.95°N 90.53°W / 50.95; -90.53). This was part of a naming programme which honoured aviators who had perished in World War I or in the late 1920s, the latter mainly in attempting oceanic flights.[16] [17]

The main lake so named is St Raphael Lake (50°38′N 91°05′W / 50.64°N 91.08°W / 50.64; -91.08) in northwestern Ontario, named for the aircraft St Raphael; Tully Lake is approximately 50km to the southwest of St Raphael Lakeand Medcalf Lake is approximately 50km to the northeast of it.

[nb 2]

Notes

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  1. ^ This Tully Lake (Kenora) should be distinguished from the one in eastern Ontario: Tully Lake (Timiskaming) (48°02′06″N 80°30′32″W / 48.035°N 80.509°W / 48.035; -80.509).
  2. ^ Other similarly-named lakes in the same general vicinity include Hamilton Lake (50°53′N 90°23′W / 50.89°N 90.38°W / 50.89; -90.38 Captain Leslie Hamilton), Minchin Lake (50°47′N 90°32′W / 50.78°N 90.53°W / 50.78; -90.53 Frederick F. Minchin) and Wertheim Lake (50°40′N 90°37′W / 50.66°N 90.62°W / 50.66; -90.62 Princess Anne of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Freudenberg), named for the three persons lost with the St Raphael, Bertaud Lake (50°54′N 90°43′W / 50.90°N 90.71°W / 50.90; -90.71 Lloyd W. Bertaud), Hill Lake (50°34′N 90°46′W / 50.56°N 90.77°W / 50.56; -90.77 J.D. Hill) and Payne Lake (50°51′N 90°32′W / 50.85°N 90.54°W / 50.85; -90.54 Philip A. Payne), named for those who died in Old Glory, Doran Lake (50°58′N 90°35′W / 50.97°N 90.59°W / 50.97; -90.59 Mildred Doran lost with the Miss Doran) and De Lesseps Lake (50°43′N 90°41′W / 50.72°N 90.69°W / 50.72; -90.69 Jacques Benjamin de Lesseps.) Goldsborough Lake (50°42′N 89°20′W / 50.70°N 89.34°W / 50.70; -89.34 Brice Goldsborough), Grayson Lake (50°53′N 89°26′W / 50.88°N 89.43°W / 50.88; -89.43 Frances Wilson Grayson) and Omdahl Lake (50°49′N 89°29′W / 50.81°N 89.49°W / 50.81; -89.49 Oskar Omdal) are all found in Wabakimi Provincial Park; these commemorate the crew of The Dawn. Nungesser Lake (51°29′N 93°31′W / 51.49°N 93.52°W / 51.49; -93.52 Charles Nungesser) and Coli Lake (51°19′N 93°35′W / 51.32°N 93.59°W / 51.32; -93.59 François Coli) were also named for similar reasons. Pedlar Lake (51°30′N 93°42′W / 51.50°N 93.70°W / 51.50; -93.70 Augy Pedlar who was also lost with Miss Doran) is nearby.

References

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  1. ^ Tully's Medal Card. UK National Archives - WO/372/20 Image Ref: 15471
  2. ^ a b c "Two Irish Airmen Missing". Irish Times. 9 September 1927. p. 7. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  3. ^ "No. 29735". The London Gazette. 5 September 1916.
  4. ^ "No. 30073". The London Gazette. 16 May 1917 (Fourth Supplement to 15 May 1917 issue). {{cite magazine}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "No. 30323". The London Gazette. 5 October 1917 (Fourth Supplement to 2 October 1917 issue). {{cite magazine}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ ""Mentioned in Despatches"" (PDF). Flight Magazine. X (12). London: Reed Business Information: 307. 1918-03-21. Retrieved 2011-07-21.
  7. ^ "No. 30722". The London Gazette. 3 June 1918 (Eighth Supplement to 31 May 1918 issue). {{cite magazine}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  8. ^ "No. 30918". The London Gazette. 24 September 1918. see correction in "No. 31058". The London Gazette. 10 December 1910.
  9. ^ "No. 31380". The London Gazette. 3 June 1919.
  10. ^ "No. 32511". The London Gazette. 8 November 1921.
  11. ^ "No. 32721". The London Gazette. 20 June 1922.
  12. ^ "No. 32816". The London Gazette. 20 April 1923.
  13. ^ "No. 32996". The London Gazette. 25 November 1924.
  14. ^ "No. 33169". The London Gazette. 4 June 1926.
  15. ^ Report of the Minister of Lands and Forests of the Province of Ontario for the year ending 31st October 1927. Toronto, ON: Legislative Assembly of Ontario. 1928. Retrieved 2011-07-21. {{cite book}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) 115.
  16. ^ Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (2007). "St. Raphael Signature Site Strategy" (PDF). Toronto, ON. Retrieved 2011-07-19. {{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |coauthors= (help) p 14. Note that this source is incorrect in stating that Medcalf was a Canadian pilot killed in World War I.
  17. ^ "Lost Aviators: New Lakes Named". The West Australian. Perth, WA. 16 January 1928. p. 13. Retrieved 2011-07-19.


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Category:Missing aircraft