Guide to the Papers of Scotty Allan

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MS 4911

National Library of Australia View Catalogue Record

Collection Summary

Creator
Allan, George Urquhart ("Scotty")
Title
Papers of Scotty Allan
Date Range
1905 - 1993
Collection Number
MS 4911
Extent
1.5 metres (4 ms boxes + 1 folio packet + 1 folio box)
Language of Materials
English
Repository
Special Collections (Manuscripts)

Introduction

Scope and Contents

This collection comprises letters and papers dating from 1905 to 1993, primarily documenting the career of G.U. (Scotty) Allan. It features newspaper clippings about Allan's flights with Kingsford Smith, Ulm, and later P.G. Taylor, as well as material relating to Catalinas and their aircrews. Included are papers and ephemera from Allan's retirement, along with research for his book on pioneer aviators and the history of aviation in Australia. The collection also contains documents on Catalina flying boats and their use by the RAAF during World War II, together with writings by various authors on Australian aviation. Among the personal papers are Allan's early British and Australian licences, certificates, passports, invitations to aviation and aeronautical events in both countries, and records of his work as a pilot for the Royal Air Force, Australian National Airways, and Qantas. Additional items include programs from memorial dinners and an early air route sheet for the Cootamundra-to-Melbourne service.

Conditions Governing Access

Access conditions may apply to this collection, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vnvn471204).

Conditions Governing Use

Conditions for copying and publishing of this collection may apply, please refer to the collection's catalogue record for further information (http://nla.gov.au/nla.cat-vn471204).

Preferred Citation

Items from this collection should be cited as '[Title or description of manuscript item], Papers of Scotty Allan, National Library of Australia, MS 4911, [file/item number]'.

Biographical Note

George Urquhart Allan was born on 2 February 1900 in Bellshill, Scotland. In 1917 he joined the Royal Flying Corps and served on the Western Front. Allan continued his service with the RAF after the war and served in the Middle East. In 1929 he was recruited by Charles Ulm as a pilot with Australian National Airways where he flew on the first airmail flights from Sydney to Brisbane with Charles Kingsford-Smith and from Sydney to Melbourne with Pat Hall. After ANA was disbanded in 1931, Allan continued to fly, and in 1933 flew with Ulm and P.G. Taylor on the record-breaking flight from England to Australia in Faith in Australia.

In 1934 Allan joined Qantas to fly DH86 aircraft on the Brisbane to Singapore route. In 1938 he went to England to study flying-boat techniques and returned to Sydney in the flying boat Coolangatta. In 1941 Allan was a member of the Qantas crew which brought flying boats from San Diego to Sydney for the RAAF. During 1941 Allan was seconded to the RAAF as Wing-Commander and was C.O. of various stations including Rathmines on Lake Macquarie, where he trained Catalina crews, and No. 1 Flying Boat Repair Depot at Lake Boga.

After the war, Allan rejoined Qantas as London Manager, then as Controller of Technical Developments, where he was chief adviser on aircraft types. Allan retired from Qantas in 1961 as Deputy Chief Executive and Deputy General Manager. After his retirement he held positions on many boards including Fiji Airways, Air Pacific, Polynesian Airlines and Malayan Airways.

Allan married Ailsa Lee Brown in 1935 and Barbara Millbourne in 1944. He was made a Commander of the British Empire for his services to aviation in 1957.

Item Descriptions

Class. Consignment received 1994, 1905-1993

This consignment comprises letters and papers dating from 1905 to 1993, primarily documenting the career of G.U. (Scotty) Allan. It features newspaper clippings about Allan's flights with Kingsford Smith, Ulm, and later P.G. Taylor, as well as material relating to Catalinas and their aircrews. Included are papers and ephemera from Allan's retirement, along with research for his book on pioneer aviators and the history of aviation in Australia. The collection also contains documents on Catalina flying boats and their use by the RAAF during World War II, together with writings by various authors on Australian aviation. Among the personal papers are Allan's early British and Australian licences, certificates, passports, invitations to aviation and aeronautical events in both countries, and records of his work as a pilot for the Royal Air Force, Australian National Airways, and Qantas. Additional items include programs from memorial dinners and an early air route sheet for the Cootamundra-to-Melbourne service.

Letters to Allan relating to employment, 1922-1983 (File 1) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Letters mostly typed, detailing Allan's appointments and letters of thanks from the Royal Air Force, the Australian National Airways, Qantas, Charles Ulm, Sir Hudson Fysh and Dick Smith; agreement between Charles Ulm and Scotty Allan relating to the 1933 world flight.

Letters to Allan, draft writings and related papers, 1927-1991 (File 2) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Handwritten letters, correspondents include Athol Townley, Harold Holt, Harry Kirkhouse and E.A. Crome; handwritten draft of a manuscript annotated 'By Bob Boulton?'; typescript notes on Jim Mollison by Ern Aldis; photocopies of cuttings; typescript of a speech by Allan; manuscript biographical narrative material and photocopies of photographs.

Letters to Allan and related papers, 1931-1986 (File 3) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Letters handwritten, including one from by Ron Yates and postcards by E.A. Crome; telegrammed; typed letter and papers from Rita Smith.

Letters to Allan and copies of correspondence, 1961-1974 (File 4) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

General personal letters to Allan and copies of correspondence between Qantas and the Minister for Transport, C.K. Jones; correspondents include John McEwen, Sir William Hudson, and B. P. Hough; includes speech by Sir Hudson Fysh, (1963) and itinerary, (1964).

Letters relating to Allan's retirement, 1961; 1972-1974; 1981-1987 (File 5) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Letters and telegrams from colleagues, peers and friends upon Allan's retirement from Qantas; includes press release and notes.

Letters to Allan - personal, 1979-1987 (File 6) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Letters asking for Allan's input into historical aviation projects and works; Correspondents include Cameron Hazelhurst, E.A. Crome, Dick Smith and Shelia Lacey (J.A. Lyons' daughter); includes a typescript on Catalinas.

Personal documents, 1905-1961 (File 7) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Various school and certificates for Allan include: First Class at Perth Academy Certificate of Merit, and Higher Education Intermediate Certificate, 1915; Royal Air Force Training Transfer Card, 1918 and Certificate of Discharge, 1919; Volunteer Force Certificate of Service, 1918; British Army Certificate of Discharge, 1921 (x 2); Royal Air Force Honorary Commission, 1921; Royal Air Force Statement and certificate of Discharge, 1929; Royal Aeronautical Society Membership Card, 1948; Qantas Empire Airways Limited Memorandum regarding Allan's retirement, 1961.

Certificate, 1934 (Item 8) - Box 1 (MS 4911)

Appointing Allan an Officer in the Territorial Air Force of the Dominion of New Zealand.

Passports, 1947-1968 (File 9) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

British passport (x1) issued 1947 with wax seal on back page; leather pouch with British passport (x1) and Australian passports (x2).

Notebook, 1938 (File 10) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Handwritten notes and diagrams including details of centre engine, fuselage, cable stretch and tester.

Diary (1973), 1973-1974 (File 11) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Includes letters from Bert Button, John Prothero Thomas, Adrian Verran, and Shelia Cohen.

Interviews given by Allan, 1971-1978 (File 12) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Transcripts of three interviews of Allan by Eric Watson, Peter Macgregor, Gordon Wansbrough-White and a fourth recorded in 1971.

Qantas papers, circa. 1974-1986 (File 13) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Includes a news release; a typescript entitled "The Qantas story"; photocopy of a letter, 1935; a dossier of 50th anniversary Qantas historical documents (1970 facsimiles); and printed material.

Papers relating to flying boats and aircrew, circa. 1943-1992 (File 14) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Includes photocopies and original newspaper cuttings; black and white photographs; material on Catalina aircrews; original typed article and photocopy of "Our famed Catalina squadrons" by J.C. Waters; "Anzac Address" by Padre Rundle at Lake Boga, and printed material.

Black and white photographs of aircrews, circa. 1943-1992 (Item 14.1) - Elephant-Folio 5 (4911)

Photographic sheet with thumbnail images of various air crewmen, including Allan; research by Rita Smith, photography by Stuart Thompson.

Papers on aerophilately, 1981-1989 (File 15) - Box 2 (MS 4911)

Newsletters, media releases and other printed material.

Aviation Historical Society of Australia, 1978-1983 (File 16) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Papers include a summary of address given to NSW Branch; printed material and certificate.

Writings on aviation in Australia, 1930-1992 (File 17) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Copy of Wagon trains in the sky : the beginnings of civil aviation in Australia (script of television documentary), and typed memo notes made during the flight in The Southern Cloud from Sydney to Melbourne signed copy of E.A. Crome's Chronology of aviation in Australia (Address to Newtown Rotary Club, 2 January 1964); Charles Morris Catt The history of aviation in the Hastings Valley from 1910 to 1990; Charles Morris Catt She is bonney.

Writings on aviation in Australia, 1985 (File 18) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Loose photocopy of The Kangaroo route, by Meredith Hooper.

Writings on aviation in Australia, n.d. (File 19) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Typescript of Charles Thomas Phillipe Ulm : his work for Australian aviation (possibly written by Allan's former secretary).

Invitations, 1972-1982 (File 20) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Mainly British aviation and aeronautical events.

Research on pioneer aviators, circa. 1992 (File 21) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Material on Kingsford-Smith, Ulm and Allan; includes correspondence by Ian Mackersey, 1992; extracts from My flying life by Kingsford-Smith; typescripts by Ernest Aldis; extracts from Charles Ulm's unpublished memoirs, 1934; extracts from unpublished biography of Rex Boyden and photocopies from The sky beyond and The old bus.

Miscellaneous papers, 1916-1992 (File 22) - Box 3 (MS 4911)

Includes air route sheet, Cootamundra - Melbourne 1925; handwritten list of aircraft 1917-1961; list of competitors in the MacRobertson International Air Races; copies of the memorial dinner programs held for Kingsford-Smith and Ulm; programme from Avro 504 club re-union dinner with signatures of guests; photographs including two black and white images of Allan's flying licence mounted on board.

Department of Defence air route sheet, 1925 (Item 22.1) - Folio-Box 6 (MS 4911)

Cootamundra - Melbourne: drawn by Home and Territories Department of Lands and Survey Branch, Melbourne.

Photographs of Allan's aircraft licences (Item 22.2) - Elephant-Folio 5 (4911)

Black and white photographs (x2) of Allan's aircraft licences, dated 1934 and 1936, mounted on board.

Newspaper cuttings, 1920-1934 (File 23) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include Charles Ulm and Allan's early flying career including the 1933 England-Australia flight with Ulm and Taylor.

Newspaper cuttings, 1944-1959 (File 24) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include the flying boats and the Catalina Crew; the inland Lake Boga Flying Boat Repair Depot; Allan receiving the Air Force Cross.

Newspaper cuttings, 1960-1966 (File 25) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include Allan's career with, and retirement from, Qantas; Fiji Airways; and aviation in Australia - some with Qantas circulation slips (See also folio items).

Newspaper cuttings, 1970-1979 (File 26) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include the monoplane the Kookaburra; Allan's career and flight with Kingsford Smith and Ulm; Aviation in Australia and Fiji; air safety standards.

Newspaper cuttings, 1980-1989 (File 27) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include Allan's career; Sir Thomas Sopwith; the flying boats; Flying with Kingsford Smith.

Newspaper cuttings, circa. 1935-1945; 1985-1993 (File 28) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Subjects include Allan's career and launch of his book; the disappearance of the Southern Cross; Ulm's career.

Publications, 1952-1993 (File 29) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Titles relate to history of Australian aviation.

Fifty years of Australian international civil aviation since Kingsford-smith's pacific crossing, R. J. Yates, 1978 (Item 29.1) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Memorial lecture presented at Boulevard Hotel, Sydney: printed by Qantas Airways Limited.

Crossing the Pacific: the flight of the Southern Cross, 1978 (Item 29.2) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Mementoes from the Crome Collection and other aviation collections of the National Librar of Australia.

De Havilland gazette, De Havilland Enterprise, April 1952 (Item 29.3) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Number 68.

50th Anniversary yearbook, 1936-1986, June 1986 (Item 29.4) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Incorporating Annual report and accounts - Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia Federal Council.

The '14-'18 journal, Australian Society of World War One Aero Historians, Narraweena, NSW, 1993 (Item 29.5) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Includes membership directory.

Review lecture: The Technical aspects of supersonic civil transport aircraft, by Sir George Edwards, 21 March 1974 (Item 29.6) - Box 4 (MS 4911)

Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London: Volume 275, pages 529-565, number 1254.

Newspaper cutting mounted on board, 16 August 1944 (Item 30) - Elephant-Folio 5 (4911)

Relates to Catalinas at Lake Boga.

Certificate mounted on board, 2 January 1946 (Item 31) - Elephant-Folio 5 (4911)

For the election of G. U. Allan to Associate Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society.


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