Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Harold Charles Gatty born 5 January 1903, at Campbell Town, Tasmania to James Gatty & Lucy née Fitzjohn-Hall. His father James ocupation, State School Teacher. Siblings: Leonard James [1897-1915 Lone Pine] Doris Lucy [1899] Angela Florence [1901] John Henry [1904] Albert Fitzjohn [1907]

Harold married Elsie Lousie Limmex in 1925 at Mossman NSW, they had 3 sons Alan James [1926 US Army Korea], Harold Lindsay [1928] & Ronald [1929].

Harold & Elsie divorced in March 1926 at Los Angeles, USA.

Harold remarried Fenna Bolderhey in New York in July 1937.

BOY WHO DREAMED OF ADVENTURE
Harold Gatty's Career HOBART, Today.
When Harold Gatty was born at Campbell Town, in the midlands of Tasmamnia, 29 years ago, no aeroplanes had been seen in Tasmania. Travel was by buggy or
train. 
Today he is a distinguished airman. Young Gatty was practically ignorant of aerial travel until a few years ago.
From the time he contemplated a career his adventurous instincts inclined him to ships and the sea. From a primary education at St. Virgil's College, Hobart, he graduated to the Jervis Bay Naval College, intent on securing a commissionin the Royal Australian Navy.
But his friendship with a co-student the son of Capt. James Patrick, a ship owner-influenced him. Leaving the college after only two years' study the two friends entered the Patrick Steamship Company. Gatty ultimately served with that company and the Union Company as second mate.
BY YACHT TO SYDNEY
Returning to Tasmania from his first visit to America, he established himself in business as a shipbroker in Hobart. On one occasion he and two companions
planned a voyage in a yacht from Hobart to Sydney. Disregarding port regulations they sailed out of Hobart harbor. Practically all the responsibility of the
trials of the voyage rested on Gatty, Favored by fair weather, they arrived safely at Sydney, where they made a satisfactory bargain with their vessel.
It was in the merchant service about five years ago that he first visited America. That was his first step along
the road to fame.
"America is the place for me," he informed his relatives, and fired by his first impressions, his desire to return to the United States became a reality two years later, when he accepted the position of second mate in a millionaire's yacht.
DARING SCHOOL LEADER
His self-confidence and inventive imagination have been pronounced in his adventures. His school companions recognised him as a daring young leader. Later in his career, when he had absorbed some knowledge of ships- and navigation, he developed a flair for invention, but he
met with little encouragement in Australia.
An improved device for loading cargo was evolved from him, but his monetary return for it was small. The acquisition of the rights of a special system for     navigating aircraft, which had been invented by Commander Weels, of the United States Navy, associated him with prominent air men.
MAY RETURN TO AUSTRALIA.
The numerous setbacks he received in attempts with Lieut. Bromley last year to cross the Pacific both ways by air between Tokyo and Tacoma would have dip
heartened many an aviator. On one of the flights Gatty became insensible because of fumes from the exhaust pipe. Disappointments have spurred him to greater efforts. Within a few months of the Tacoma to Tokyo attempts the idea of the present world flight was born.
Gatty's relatives believe that he and his family will return to Australia shortly News (Adelaide SA) 4/7/1931

HAROLD GATTY ILL Atlanta (Georgia), Dec. 8.
Harold Gatty, the famous around the world flier, is in hospital seriously ill from influenza.
Wiley Post, his companion on his great flight, is constantly attending him.
Both airmen are here on a lecture trip. Kalgoolie Miner [WA] 11/12/1931

HAROLD GATTY IN AUSTRALIA Visit to His Parents
SYDNEY, Sunday. - Mr. Harold Gatty, the aviator, reached Sydney on Saturday by the Makura on a holiday visit to Australia. Mr. Gatty accompanied by his young son, Alan, whom he is taking with him to his parents' home at Richmond, Tasmania. Mr. Gatty has done most of his flying in the United States, although his record flight round the world with Wiley Post in 1931 was probably his greatest achievement Prograss in commercial aviation in the United States, Mr Gatty said, had been remarkable. That had been due to the great distances, the keenness for research, and the amount of
money spent Mr Gatty occupied the position of technical
adviser to the United States Army Air Corps and the Pan-American Airways, on whose behalf he planned the original route to China. Regular services on that route will commence in October Mr. Gatty expressed confidence in the possibilities of a service from New Zealand to Australia. He believed, he said, that success would also be achieved shortly in stratosphere flights. Planes capable of flying at a height of 35,000 feet
at 300 miles an hour were likely to be used in the upper air. Mr. Gatty expects to be in Australia only a few weeks. The Argus [Melb VIC] 29/7/1935

Why Harold Gatty' Flies.
From the Melbourne ''Herald":
No doubt most airmen took to flying through love of adventure, but with Mr. Harold Gatty the impulse was perhaps curiosity, a desire born in his youthful mind when he lived at Zeehan, Tasmania, to have a good long look at the sky. Young Gatty used to read in his school books poems that spoke of sunny skies, but he seldom or never saw such wonders, because for 260 days a year it rains in Zeehan, and even on many of the allegedly fine days the sky is obscured by clouds. His father, a major in the Commonwealth forces, who saw service in the South African war, was town clerk of Zechan in the days when it was the prosperous centre of a silver-mining field, and lie is now clerk of Tasmania's municipality of Richmond, which is bounded on one side by the bank of the Derwent, where blue skies are common. Advocate (Burnie, TAS) 7/8/1935

HAROLD GATTY SHOCKED Melbourne, To-day.
HAROLD GATTY was deeply affected by the news of the death of his friend, Wiley Post, when it was conveyed to him today. Describing the man with whom he was associated in such outstanding feats of aviation. He said:
"He was an extraordinary man. Post had no nerves at all. He talked very little. He would go on flying no matter how long or what the conditions were. With only one
eye, it was remarkable that he could fly like he did with such a disability. He was rather unique, in that he could
sit at the stick and more or less make his mind blank and just sit there and fly, not like a lot of other people who have imagination. He would carry on, flying no matter what the conditions were, and he had the capacity of converting himself into a part of the machine more than anyone I have ever met. That's what he was - just a part of the machine. "It's a terrible thing. He was one of the best friends I've ever had. The reason we did not remain together was the fact that our interests lay along different lines. And Will Rogers' crash. That's an awful blow. He had been the best friend to aviation America had ever had. Few people outside realise what he meant to the country in this respect. People here think he's just a good actor. But he was far more than that over there. He was popular and the most powerful man in the country." Voice [Hobart TAS] 17/8/1935

HAROLD GATTY'S MOTHER AND CHILDREN Mrs. L. Gatty mother of Harold Gatty, the well known airman, and his three sons arrived arrived in Sydney by the Aorangi. Mrs. Gatty who live near Hobart met her son when he arrived in New Zealand from America and is taking his children with her to Tasmania. Mr Harold Gatty who was appointed representative for Pan Sydney by the Mariposa on Monday. Daily Standard [Brisbane QLD] 22/4/1936

LAND 'PLANES Australian Defence
HAROLD GATTY'S ADVOCACY, MELBOURNE, Wednesday. In a survey of Australia's aviation problems at a luncheon given today by the Australian Industries' Protection League, Harold Gatty, well-known Tasmanian-
American airman, advocated the formation of a strong land air force for defence, and the manufacture of air
craft in Australia.He said that flying boats would not
fit into Australian defence. In the event of invasion land 'planes could strike and then retreat inland, to strike
again. What Australia needed, therefore, was a strong force of high-speed land 'planes.The Toowoomba Chronicle & Darling Downs Gazette. [QLD] 30/7/36

HAROLD GATTY'S ACTIVITIES MELBOURNE, Friday. Although his appointment as an honorary group captain in the R.A.A.F. was gazetted only on Thursday, Harold Gatty, famous Australian airman, was appointed Director of Air Transport for the United States Air Corps in Australia on February 10, and since that time
has organised and directed air transport of great quantities of military materials. Group Captain Gatty actually joined the staff of Lieut.-General Brett, Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Air Forces, on January 10. Working as a civilian for a month, he went to Java
and co-ordinated operations of air transport in taking vital supplies to the Dutch and Allied forces there.
Returning from Java just before large scale evacuation began, Group Captain Gatty was officially assigned to the U.S. Air Corps in Australia and began immediately the big job of organising the quick transport of urgently needed materials to widely scattered bases throughout Australia. Guns, ammunition, aero engines, plane parts and food supplies have been rushed tremendous
distances in converted Lockheeds and Douglas airliners. Heavy loads have been regularly taken over 2000 mile
routes. Examiner (Launceston TAS) 18/4/1942

HAROLD GATTY DIES SUVA, Friday (A.A.P.Reuter): Pioneer American airman, Harold Charles Gatty, died today following a heart attack a few hours earlier. Gatty was navigator in a round-the-world flight in 1931 with Wiley Post. The pair made the flight in a single-engined Lockheed.
Gatty held the American Distinguished Flying Cross
and was author of an ocean survival handbook, The 
Raft," which the U.S.A.A.F, adopted as a text-book.
He was also author of many technical papers and
co-author with Mr. Post of "Around the World in Eight
Days." This book is to be published in London soon.
Mr. Gatty was owner of Fijian Airways. The Canberra Times [ACT] 31/8/57