Welcome to Minlaton township, home of The Red Devil, Yorke Peninsula South Australia

Henry (Harry) John Butler, the aviator, was born 9 November 1889 at Yorketown, South Australia. He showed enthusiasm and aptitude for mechanics by building models of aircraft while still at school at Koolywurtie.

 

Among the February 1915 candidates, Butler alone gained entrance as an aeromechanic to the Australian Flying School at Point Cook, Victoria. Commissioned three weeks after joining the Royal Flying Corps in 1916, he became fighting-instructor at Turnberry, Scotland, in 1917, and chief fighting-instructor at No 2 Yorkshire School of Aerial Fighting in 1918. He alternated teaching with studying German aerial combat tactics over France, and he received the Air Force Cross in 1918.

 

After the war Captain Butler brought to Australia a £2000 Bristol monoplane, a type proved to be superior in speed, and manoeuvrable.

He also bought an Avro 504-K which he converted to carry two passengers on joy rides at £5 for fifteen minutes.

 

The Bristol monoplane known as the “Red Devil” made the first Australian mail service flight over water 6 August 1919 when he covered the distance of 67 miles from Adelaide to his home town of Minlaton in twenty-seven minutes, reaching an altitude of 15,000 feet. He also gave aerobatic displays

 

STOP PRESS NEWS - CAPTAIN BUTLER'S FLIGHT

Arrives at 11.40 am. Minlaton, August 6

Captain Butler arrived at 11.40 am. He had a tremendous reception. The town was crowded with people, who came from all parts of the district to greet him. It was the biggest event in Minlaton history, and was celebrated in that spirit. Everyone left work to witness the arrival of the aeroplane and to join in the general jubilation in honour of the distinguished airman, who honoured his home and himself by his adventurous and triumphant flight. The letters he carried will always be treasured.

 

Strong Head Wind

Flight-Commander Harry Butler, AFC, arrived safely by monoplane from Adelaide in Minlaton. The flight over miles of sea and scrub was accomplished without hindrance, though he encountered head winds, blowing at 70 miles an hour. It prevented his arrival on schedule time.

 

The welcome committee were fortunate in securing Mr E Correll's farm for the landing. This give clear and ample space.

From 8 o'clock all roads were crowded which led to Minlaton, until about 5,000 people from all parts of Yorke Peninsula had assembled at the trysting place to welcome back the erstwhile farm boy to his native town. It was difficult to resist the prevailing sentiment that in becoming famous himself, the peninsula district was reflecting much glory on his family and the district from which he had sprung.

 

A few clouds obscured the sky and a strong wind blew from the north. At last after much anxious watching in view of the visitor being overdue, he appeared in the south-eastern sky, apparently the size of a great eagle, at an altitude of 10,000 feet.

 

The crowds were greatly excited as he flew without apparent hesitation over the landing-place and suddenly, with a couple of rolls and a spinning nose dive, made a rapid descent to the earth. The beautiful machine showed up brilliantly.

 

Thunderous applause greeted the iron-nerved, aviator as the machine touched the ground and several returned soldiers surrounded it. Captain Butler then rose and acknowledged the hearty greeting, and presently he leapt from the machine. There was a thrilling moment when son and parents met after many years' absence. He also greeted his brother and sister.

 

The official reception was given on the ground. Mr E Correll, the president, called on Mr 0 Bruns, to read a message from the Governor, brought by Captain Butler's aerial mail. It read thus: —

"I send greetings to Minlaton by that gallant young officer, Captain H J Butler, of whose war efforts the district may be justly proud. Today will be a red letter day in Minlaton, not only, because of the safe return home of one of her brave sons, but also owing to the novel manner of his return. I am confident that the welcome home which the gallant airman will receive on his arrival will reward him for all he has gone through during his years of discomfort and danger. Hats off to our fighting men on land and sea and in the air.”

The Mayor of Unley (Mr H W Langham) also sent an inspiring message by the same mail, and both greetings were enthusiastically cheered by the crowd.

 

Captain Butler was grandly received. He acknowledged the welcome, and said he had dreamed of this for years, and, thanks to a kind Providence and good fortune, he had now realised his dream. He thanked the committee and Warrant-Officer Crawford for the wonderful arrangements, and he hoped to spend many happy years in his native State. [Ref: Express and Telegraph 6-8-1919]

 

Adelaide to Minlaton – Flown in an hour

Captain Butler’s Success

Captain Harry Butler said that he would leave in his monoplane for his home at Minlaton at 10.30 yesterday morning, and at that hour he started.

The aviator climbed into his seat, shook hands with a number of people, including the Chief Justice, and accompanied by the cheers of the crowd, started off. The machine ran along for about 50 yards, rose gently and circling round and round climbed to a height which was estimated at 10,000 ft, and then went off in the direction of Minlaton.

 

Passengers on the mail coach from Mount Pleasant - the oldest method of transport in the State, stopped for a minute to watch this, the fastest and most up-to-date means of transport.

 

He started from a paddock belonging to Conrad's estate in the Enfield district.

 

For about 25 miles the journey is over the sea. Captain Butler had been provided with rubber tyres, with which to keep afloat in the gulf in case he had the misfortune to fall there, but they proved to be an encumbrance and he discarded them.

 

Captain Butler's machine still has the red, white, and blue rings which during the war distinguished Allied aircraft from enemy machines. [Ref: Daily Herald 7-8-1919]

 

OUT OF THE SKY

CAPT BUTLER back from Minlaton. Sixty-five Miles in 27 Minutes

Although very few people were supposed to have known that Capt Harry Butler was due to arrive back from Minlaton on Monday morning, the crowd which awaited him at the landing place at Enfield was a large one.

His Excellency the Governor (Sir Henry Galway), the Military Commandant (Brig-Gen Antill CB CMG), the Chief Justice (Sir George Murray), Mr Justice Buchanan, and the Mayor of Unley (Mr W H Langham) were among the party, which spent about 20 minutes scanning the cloudless sky in search of the plane.

 

A few minutes before noon, when most eyes were fixed on the western sky, someone happened to look overhead, and there saw the hovering machine. No sooner had the tiny spec arrived directly above the landing ground than it began to change shape, and those below were astonished to see it coming headlong down in a spinning nose dive. Then, by way of diversion, Capt Butler looped the loop, and concluded a brilliant descent by skimming over the heads of the onlookers.

"I had a splendid trip," he smilingly remarked, as he jumped from his seat. He was warmly received. Sir Henry Galway was one of the first to reach him, and seizing his right hand in a hearty grip, said ''South Australia is proud of you, Capt Butler. You made an inspiring descent." Everybody was proud of him!

He brought with him two bags of mail from Minlaton, and no sooner had he alighted from the 'plane than he personally delivered to Sir Henry Galway and Mr Langham letters from the Chairman of the District Council of Minlaton Mr E Correll). He also brought a note from his mother thanking Mr Langham for his message to her. [Ref: Journal 11-8-1919]

 

Aeroplane Crash at Minlaton

Captain Butler injured

On Tuesday afternoon a very serious accident befell Capt Harry Butler, when his passenger-carrying biplane crashed to earth half a mile south of Minlaton on the main road to Yorketown.

 

Capt Butler recently subjected the engine to a thorough overhaul and replaced several worn parts, for which purpose he took the engine to the City. Having replaced the engine he gave it a trial run about a week ago, and when at an altitude of 3,000 feet he noticed the revolutions decreasing, so shut off the engine and volplaned safely to his landing.

On examination he found the trouble was caused through dust choke in the petrol system, resulting from the prevailing duststorms. Capt Butler cleaned this up, and on Tuesday took the machine for another trial flight, accompanied by Mr A R Miles, Manager of Crawford's Garage.

 

During the ascent the Captain remarked to his companion that the engine had never gone better, but when a height of 1400 feet had been reached the engine suddenly "seized" and the propeller stopped. He then endeavoured to re-start the engine by diving, but the manoeuvre proved unsuccessful.

The Captain then called to his companion to "sit tight," and endeavoured to volplane to earth, but the dive had reduced the altitude too much for this to be done successfully, and the machine crashed heavily to the ground when within about 500 yards of his ordinary landing-ground.

 

Miles was thrown out on first bump and escaped with a few abrasions and slight shock. He then tried to lift Capt Butler out, but could not do so unaided, as the Captain was jammed in his seat by the wreckage. Mr Miles went to seek assistance— fortunately it was close at hand, as Mr Whittenbury, traveller for Messrs Griffiths Bros, was on the road nearby at the time of the crash, and quickly motored to the spot and assisted Mr Miles to extricate Capt Butler, who was bleeding badly as the result of splinters piercing him.

 

The Captain, who was quite conscious, was placed in Mr Whittenbury's car and conveyed to the Minlaton Hospital. Drs Everard and Russell found him to be suffering from frontal fracture of the skull, broken nose, and shock. The machine was hopelessly wrecked, and it is marvellous that both occupants were not killed outright. Mr Miles, who has had experience with flying machines abroad, speaks highly of the skill and coolness displayed by Captain Butler. [Ref: Pioneer 14-1-1922]

 

The Death of Captain Harry Butler AFC MID

The sad news of the death of Capt. Harry Butler came as a great shock to the public of this State and the residents of Yorke Peninsula. It appears that the Captain spent last weekend on a shooting expedition and on Tuesday morning was at Port Adelaide apparently well. On Tuesday evening he dined at the Returned Soldier's Club, where he appeared to be in the best of spirits. He was taken ill on Wednesday and died suddenly at his home at Clarence Park on Wednesday evening, despite the skilled attention of many of Adelaide's leading doctors. The cause of death was abscess of the brain, which was indirectly the result of his serious accident 2½ years ago.

 

Since this crash Harry was frequently suffering from the results of the injury to his skull and had submitted himself to over a dozen operations to relieve the difficulty. Throughout he bore his disability with a fortitude that was characteristic of him, and his genial smile disarmed even his most intimate friend of the great pain he often suffered. His death removes one of the best known and popular men in South Australia and it is deeply regretted by all classes and sections of the community; especially the children, among whom there were many wet and long faces when they heard the sad tidings.

 

Captain Butler was survived by his wife Elsa Birch Gibson, a nurse from Bool Lagoon whom he had married on 21 July 1920 at St Paul's Anglican Church, Adelaide.

He was buried at North Road Cemetery, Nailsworth, South Australia. [Ref: Pioneer (Yorketown) 2-8-1924]

 

Done