Walter G. R. Hinchliffe facts for kids

Captain Walter George Raymond Hinchliffe (born June 10, 1893 – died March 13, 1928), also known as Hinch, was a brave pilot and a 'flying ace' in World War I. He was part of the Royal Naval Air Service and later the Royal Air Force. He earned the Distinguished Flying Cross for his courage. He was a pioneer in both military and civilian flying. His career ended when he tried a very risky flight across the Atlantic Ocean with Elsie Mackay in a single-engine plane called the Stinson Detroiter.

Walter's Early Life

Walter Hinchliffe was born in Munich, Germany, in 1893. His parents were Richard George Hinchliffe and Florence Williams. His younger sister, Gladys, was born in 1897. Walter went to Liverpool College, where he joined a military training group. He then studied at medical school to become a dentist.

Walter was a very talented person. He could speak four languages, including German. He loved to read and was a skilled artist. He was also good at sports and was a clever mechanic. He met his wife, Emilie Gallizien, when he was the chief pilot for KLM airlines, and she worked for the company's manager.

Walter's Military Flying

Walter started his military career in 1912 with the British Army. He then joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1916 and began his flight training.

In September 1916, he earned his pilot's certificate. He worked as an instructor before joining 10 Squadron RNAS in January 1918. He flew a Sopwith Camel plane named Allo Lil Bird. In February and March, he flew successful missions, including bombing raids. He also shot down two enemy planes in air battles.

When the Royal Air Force was created on April 1, 1918, Walter became a Lieutenant. In just three months, he shot down five more enemy planes. During a night battle, he was shot in the forehead. His plane crashed, and he suffered serious face injuries. He lost sight in his left eye and wore an eye patch for the rest of his life. For his brave actions, he received the Distinguished Flying Cross.

After the War: Civilian Flying

After World War I, Walter became a very experienced pilot. He helped start many new civilian flight routes for KLM and Imperial Airways.

• In 1920, he made the first airmail flight from the Netherlands to England.
• In 1921, he made the first civilian passenger night flights from Lympne to Amsterdam and from Amsterdam to Berlin.
• He flew new routes, like Amsterdam to London in 11 hours.
• From 1922 to 1923, he was the chief pilot for KLM.

In 1923, he joined Instone Air Line, flying to countries like Denmark, Germany, and France. When this company merged into Imperial Airways, he flew a De Havilland Hercules plane to Cairo. He helped open up the Imperial Airways Eastern route.

Walter had flown over 40 different types of aircraft. These included famous planes like the Sopwith Camel and the Vickers Vimy. In September 1927, he flew Charles A. Levine back to the United States.

The Atlantic Flight Attempt

Walter Hinchliffe was known as an amazing pilot. This made him the perfect choice when Elsie Mackay wanted to be the first woman to fly across the Atlantic Ocean. Elsie was the daughter of a rich shipping company chairman. She bought a Stinson Detroiter plane and had it sent from the USA to England.

The plane was named Endeavour. It was a monoplane with gold-tipped wings and a black body. It had a powerful engine and could fly at about 84 miles per hour.

In early March 1928, a newspaper found out that Walter and Elsie were getting ready for their Atlantic flight. They were doing test flights and staying at a hotel. Elsie wanted to keep the flight a secret. She had promised her family she wouldn't try it while her father was away.

On March 13, 1928, at 8:35 AM, Endeavour took off from RAF Cranwell in England. Walter had only told two friends, and Elsie used a fake name to keep it quiet. About five hours later, at 1:30 PM, the chief lighthouse keeper at Mizen Head in Ireland saw the plane. It was flying over the village of Crookhaven, heading towards Newfoundland. A French ship later reported seeing them still on course. After that, nothing else is known about their flight. They disappeared.

Eight months later, in December 1928, a single piece of the plane's landing gear washed ashore in North West Ireland.

See also

• List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea