Scott (Charles William Anderson)

Scott (Charles William Anderson)

Typed draft for a book by Charles William Anderson Scott about his England–Australia solo flight record in 1931, signed ('Charles W.A. Scott') at close, reading in part "As long ago as the year 1919 the distance between England and Australia was bridged by air. At that time the Late Sir Ross Smith with his brother Sir Keith Smith and a crew in a Vickers machine covered the distance for the first time in an elapsed period of 28 days. Subsequent flights were made by the Pinedo in 1924 in a Savoia flying boat, and by Alan Cobham (now Sir Alan Cobham) in 1926. To these three flights, the forerunners of so many, must go the credit of pioneering a route that is to be the longest in our Empire, possibly the most important, and certainly one that will forge yet another link in an Empire chain of goodwill", describing Scott's successful flight and saying at the end "Records are made to be broken. This is the great the great thing about competition and development. The record of to-day will be the joke of the future. But Australia and England are drawn closer and closer together. This alone justifies the exertion of any man and his few risks, if by any small activity he can further cement the indissoluble ties between the Mother Country and a great Commonwealth. My machine was, and is (for she is still as good as new) All British. No foreign products were used nor ever will be by myself. Not that possibly foreign competitors cannot produce something as good, but because this is an age when 'Buy British' and 'Be British' should be the slogan of every member of our British Empire", occasional annotations and corrections in Scott's hand, thirteen pages taped together to top left corner, some yellowing and staining, occasional chipping, 4to, n.d. [1932]