Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

 MinlatonB2* Harry Butler 

MINLATON 5575

MEMORIAL: Building

LOCATION: Corner of Main Street and North Terrace

ORIENTATION: West

DESCRIPTION: Museum to Captain Harry Butler A.F.C., it contains  his aircraft "The Red Devil", the sole remaining Bristol MC1 fighter plane of a total of 130 made in England during WW1.  A scale model of the aircraft is also located in the memorial. Two white metal plaques are affixed to the front of the building. Four data boards are located within the area

INSCRIPTIONS:
Face:

CAPT. HARRY BUTLER A.F.C.

MEMORIAL

Left plaque:

THIS MEMORIAL
WAS UNVEILED BY
C. BURT TILBROOK M.M. ESQ.
AND DEDICATED BY
Rev. ROGER S.CORRELL Th.L.
11^TH OCTOBER 1958

Right plaque:

THIS MEMORIAL HAS BEEN ERECTED BY
MINLATON & DISTRICT
IN HONOUR OF
Capt. HARRY BUTLER A.F.C.
AND THE PIONEERS OF AVIATION
AND AS A WAR MEMORIAL TO THOSE WHO SERVED
IN DEFENCE OF AUSTRALIA

Interior:
Data board 1:

CAPt. HENRY (HARRY) JOHN BUTLER A.F.C.
* BORN: YORKETOWN…9^TH NOV 1889..
* EDUCATED: KOOLYWURTIE PUBLIC SCHOOL…
ENLISTED IN ENGLAND IN ROYAL FLYING CORPS early 1916…
PROMOTED CAPTAIN & FLIGHT COMMANDER…
Awarded "MENTION in DESPATCHES" early 1918
And later "AIR FORCE CROSS" Wounded on Active Service…
TALENTED AS INSTRUCTOR-2,700 Pupils…
PURCHASED PLANES IN ENGLAND….
RETURNED TO AUSTRALIA 3^RD JULY 1919….
HOME FLIGHT TO MINLATON 6^TH AUG. 1919….
Pioneer in Aviation in Australia
Skilled in…..

• AEROBATICS

• BARNSTORMING

• AERIAL DISPLAY

• MAIL & PASSENGER FLIGHTS

• FORMED AVIATION COMPANY

CRASHED in AVRO BIPLANE 11^TH JAN. 1922….
DECEASED 29^TH JULY 1924-AGED 34 YEARS….
"LEST WE FORGET"
"To an outstanding Aviator and Man…"

Data board 2:

"THE RED DEVIL"
THIS MACHINE-No C5001-WAS DELIVERED TO THE ROYAL FLYING CORPS
ON 4^TH FEBRUARY 1918.

IT WAS FIRST FLOWN ON 28^TH MAY 1918 BY 'E' FLIGHT OF No. 4
AUXILARY SCHOOL FOR AERIAL GUNNERY, ROYAL FLYING CORPS, AT
MARSKE-BY-THE-SEA, YORKSHIRE.
THE ENTRIES IN THE LOG BOOK FROM JUNE TO SEPTEMBER 1918
READ "FIGHTING PRACTICE'-USUALLY 20 MINUTES A DAY.
THE LAST ENTRY IN THE LOG BOOK WHILE STILL OWNED BY THE FLYING
CORPS WAS MADE ON 25^TH JANUARY 1919.

CAPT. HARRY BUTLER A.F.C. PURCHASED THIS PLANE FROM THE BRITISH
GOVT. AND SHIPPED IT TO SOUTH AUSTRALIA IN 1919 AND USED IT TO CARRY
AN AIR MAIL FROM ADELAIDE TO HIS HOME TOWN, MINLATON, ON 6^TH AUG.1919

THIS WAS THE FIRST FLIGHT ACROSS SEA IN THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE
BY ANY PLANE.

THE 'RED DEVIL' WAS THEN FLOWN BY CAPT. BUTLER FOR JOYRIDES,
BARNSTORMING AND PEACE LOAN PROMOTIONS.
THE PLANE WAS MODIFIED IN 1931 BY CAPT. H.C.MILLER AND FITTED
WITH A 110 H.P. DE HAVILAND GYPSY ENGINE. IT WAS LAST FLOWN IN 1945.
THE PLANE WAS GRANTED A CERTIFICATE OF AIRWORTHINESS FOR TEST
FLYING AT PARAFIELD AIRPORT WHERE IT WAS RENOVATED IN 1958 BEFORE
BEING PLACED IN THIS BUILDING.
MR. BOB OSBORNE [A CONTEMPORARY OF BOTH CAPT. BUTLER AND CAPT.
MILLER] REFITTED THE LE RHONE ENGINE IN 1973 AND IT IS CONSIDERED THAT
THE PLANE NOW APPEARS AS IT DID WHEN PURCHASED BY CAPT. BUTLER.
IT IS BELIEVED THAT APPROXIMATELY 200 OF THESE BRISTOL MILITARY
MONOPLANES WERE MANUFACTURED AND THAT THIS PLANE IS NOW THE
ONLY ONE OF THIS TYPE IN EXISTENCE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD.

Data board 3:

SPECIFICATIONS OF THE
M.1c BRISTOL MILITARY MONOPLANE
DESIGNED FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WITH GREAT
URGENCY IN 1916 TO MEET THE PRESSING NEED FOR A
FAST SINGLE SEAT FIGHTER AEROPLANE WITH THE
GREATEST POSSIBLE FIRE POWER.
TYPE SINGLE SEAT SHOULDER-WING FIGHTER MONOPLANE.
CONSTRUCTION FUSELAGE: STRUCTURE OF WIRE BRACES, WOODEN
MEMBERS FAIRED TO A CIRCULAR SECTION BY
FORMERS AND STRINGERS, AND FABRIC COVERED.
SHEET ALUMINIUM COVERING FORWARD OF WING.
ENGINE COWLING: SHEET ALUMINIUM.
AIRSCREW SPINNER: ALUMINIUM.
WINGS: WOOD WITH FABRIC COVERED AND BRACED
EXTERNALLY
DIMENSIONS SPAN: 9.3 M {30'9"]
LENGTH: 6.2.M [20'5"]
HEIGHT: 2.5. [8.'5"]
WING AREA 3.4. SQ.M [145 SQ FT.]
WING CHORD 1.8M [5'11"]
WEIGHT EMPTY 385 KG. [850 lbs]
WEIGHT LOADES 589 KG [1300 lbs]
POWER ONE 110 H.P. LE RHONE NINE CYLINDER
AIR COOLED ROTARY RADIAL ENGINE
ARMAMENT ONE SYNCHRONISED VICKERS MACHINE GUN
MOUNTED ON TOP OF THE FRONT FUSELAGE
AND FIRING THROUGH PROPELLOR.
PERFORMANCE SPEED 209 KM/H [130 M.P.H.]
LANDING SPEED 78.8 KM/H [49 M.P.H.]
DESIGNER FRANK BARNWELL
BUILDER THE BRITISH AND COLONIAL AEROPLANE COMPANY.

Data board four:

Harry Butler Memorial

Mr. C. Tilbrook, Chairman of Directors of Aviation Services (S.A.) Ltd. (and former resident of Minlaton) saw the monoplane of the late Captain Harry Butler slung to the roof of a hangar at Guilford Airport, Western Australia.   Always an admirer of the late flyer, he knew that the plane had great historical value and he began a series of moves which culminated in the aircraft being given free of cost to the people of Minlaton by its owner, Captain H.C. Miller, of McRobertson-Miller Airlines Ltd.   At a public meeting held in October 1956, the people of Minlaton endorsed Council action in accepting the plane for housing in a Memorial to be established at Minlaton by public subscription.   The builder, O.A. Klaebe & Sons, laid the foundations in December 1957, and constructed the building at a cost of £2,328   The building was opened on 11^th October 1958, by Mr Tilbrook, whose efforts to return the plane to Minlaton had finally been made worthwhile.   The plane was restored at the time in every detail at Parafield by Aviation Services (S.A.) Ltd.

WHEN BUILT: 1957

BUILT BY: O.A. Klaebe & Sons

MAINTAINED BY: Minlaton Council

PECULIARITIES/DAMAGE: Nil

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT/DATE: 22 Oct 02