The Sir John Carling airplane with pilot, Terrence Tully and navigator, James V. Medcalf posing with two unidentified boys, London, Ontario

Description

Media Type

Image

Item Type

Photographs

Description

A copy of an original black and white photograph of the ill fated airplane the Sir John Carling with pilot, Terrence Tully and navigator, James V. Medcalf posing with two unidentified boys. Part of the words: "London to London" can be seen on the front of the plane and towards the rear can be made out parts of: "Stinson Detroiter" and "Sir John Carling."

Notes

In 1927 Carling's Brewery of London, Ontario offered a $25,000 prize for a Canadian or British pilot to fly their Stinson-Detroiter monoplane, the Sir John Carling from London, Canada across the Atlantic Ocean to London, England. The two man crew of Terrence Tully and his friend James Medcalf made one failed attempt on August 29, 1927 but had to return to London due to heavy fog at Kingston. The original photograph that this copy originates from was signed by James Medcalf on August 31, 1927, the day before the second attempt on September 1st when the plane made it to Caribou, Maine where it was fogbound for five days. After this it flew on to Harbour Grace, Newfoundland for the flight across the Atlantic. After departing on September 7, 1927 for London, England the Sir John Carling and its crew tragically disappeared over the Atlantic.
Source: "Transatlantic flight has sad end," by Fred H. Armstrong, London Free Press, June 6, 2005, p.3.

The map location shows the current London (Ontario)International Airport. (not necessarily the site of the 1927 airstrip)

Inscriptions

Handwritten on front: To my friend Elsie James V Medcalf Aug 31st 1927

Date of Original

1927

Dimensions