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Portrait of Wilmot Hudson FyshPhoto by Possibly Max Dupain or unknown.

Top 10 Amazing Facts about Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh

Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh was an Australian airline director, born on 7 January 1895 at Launceston, Tasmania. He died on 6^th April 1974 at the age of 79. Fysh got married on 5^th December 1923 to Elizabeth Elinor dove and had two children John Hudson Fysh and Wendy Elizabeth Fysh.

Hudson Fysh was mainly known for being an Australian pilot and most importantly the co-founded Qantas Airways Limited. He later became the president of the International Air Transport Association.

He then became a prominent member of the Australian Early Birds’ Association, the Australian National Travel Association, the Australasian Pioneers Club, and the Institute of Transport. He was also a fellow of the British Interplanetary and of the Royal Aeronautical societies.

1. He was a poor student in school

Hudson Fysh was not the best student in school when he was young. He attempted to make up for his shortcoming by reading voraciously, studying economics. In addition he took a course in memory training (Pelmanism).

He was very shy and quiet young man; however he was a great political acumen. He studied at various schools including the Launceston Grammar School and Geelong Church of England Grammar School, Victoria. He graduated as a scout pilot at Heliopolis on 28 February 1919.

2. He joined the 3rd Light Horse Regimen

Hudson Fysh in Palestine, during World War I photo by unknown.

At the outbreak of World War I, on 25th August 1914, he was enlisted as a soldier in the 3rd Light Horse Regiment and sailed for the Middle East with the first convoy from Australia. He did his training in Egypt then Served on Gallipoli and Palestine where he got commissioned lieutenant in the brigade’s machine-gun squadron.

With time then got transferred to the Australian Flying Corps as an observer and gunner 1917.It took him a while before he graduated as a pilot, in the year 1919. Before Fysh was promoted to Lieutenant, he was made a Corporal in a machine gun unit that was commanded by Lieutenant Ross Smith who left to become an observer and then a pilot with the Australian Flying Corps in October 1916. He followed Smith to No. 1 Squadron AFC as an observer/gunner in July 1917.

3. He founded QUANTAS

The early Qantas office at Longreach Photo by unknown,

Hudson Fysh, together with Paul McGinness and Sir Fergus McMaster started Qantas in the year 1920, 16^th November. McGinness, Fergus McMaster and Fysh created the Queensland and Northern Territory Aerial Services Limited, known as Q.A.N.T.A.S, in 1920.

Once its government ownership, Fysh became managing director and chairman of Qantas. Fysh was appointed Manager in May 1923 and married in Sydney in December that year.

However With the opening of the England-Australia flying boat service in 1938 headquarters were moved to Sydney.

4. He became the managing director of QANTAS in 1923

In December 1946 the Australian government acquired the original half-interest of Imperial Airways in QEA and next year became the company’s sole owner. Unlike his companions, Fysh accepted the inevitability of the government purchase; he conducted the negotiations, remained managing director and at the same time succeeded McMaster as chairman.

In 1953, he retired as managing director of QEA in 1955, in which year also the old QANTAS went into liquidation. Fysh was appointed chairman and managing director. He relinquished the managing directorship in 1955, remaining on as chairman until his retirement in 1966

5. He oversaw the use of QEA equipment during World War II

During World War II Fysh, oversaw the use of QEA equipment as the squadron leader in the R.A.A.F. reserve and expertise against the Japanese. The company ferried equipment and troops to New Guinea and evacuated casualties in the year 1943.

In July that year QEA reopened the Middle East air route to England by flying via Perth and Ceylon; the trip to Ceylon took twenty-seven hours, the longest non-stop regular air service ever established.

6. He wrote books on aviation history

Acknowledged for his work as an aviation historian, Fysh wrote books on the history and development of Qantas, exemplifying the airline’s role in both military and civil aviation. When Fysh retired around 1963, he wrote trilogy autobiography, Qantas Rising (1965), Qantas at War (1968) and Wings to the World (1970). He also published Taming the North (1933), The Log of the Astraea (1933?), Round the Bend in the Stream (1968), a treatise on trout fishing, and Henry Reed: Van Diemen’s Land Pioneer (1973).

7. Fysh was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross

Lieutenant Wilmot Hudson Fysh standing in front of a Nieuport Scout aircraft. photo by unknown.

In the year August 1918, Fysh was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. This award was presented to him for 鈥済allantry in air combat and in attacking ground objectives鈥�. This was mainly because of the services he gave to aerial war.

8. Fysh was appointed a Knight Commander

Fysh was appointed a Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 1953 for his services to aviation and wrote the first part of his autobiographical trilogy 鈥淨antas Rising鈥�, published in 1965. 鈥淨antas at War鈥� followed in 1968 and 鈥淲ings to the World鈥� in 1970.

9. He was a co-founder of the Australian National Travel Association

He was also one of the founders of the Australian National Travel Association, now known as the Australian Tourist Commission, a member of the Royal Aeronautical and British Interplanetary society, the Institute of Transport and the Australasian Pioneers Club.

In December 1946 the Australian government acquired the original half-interest of Imperial Airways in QEA and next year became the company’s sole owner.

He was elected to the first executive committee of the International Air Transport Association at Havana in 1945. Fysh was appointed chairman and managing director.

10. He was commissioned by the Government of Australia

Fysh, Sir McCaughey, and McGinness were commissioned by the government of Australia to create landing grounds across northern Australia for the 1919 England to Australia Air Race which inspired the need to create an air service.

They had initially planned to enter the Australian government’s 拢10,000 prize contest for a flight from England to Australia. Unable to proceed because of the death of their financial backer,

Sir Wilmot Hudson Fysh accomplished a lot during his lifetime as an airline director. He was also the official government 鈥榞reeter鈥� and auditor of the aircraft in Darwin when the crew led by Ross Smith won the race in their Vickers Vimyat the time. He lived a life full of great accomplishment.