The Lost Pilots Read online

  Graf Zeppelin, ref1

  Grahame-White, Claude, ref1

  Great Depression, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  Hamilton, Albert H., ref1, ref2

  Haring, J. V., ref1, ref2

  Hawks, Frank, ref1

  Hawthorne, N. Vernon, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16

  Hayes, Sam, ref1, ref2

  Heath, Mary, Lady, ref1, ref2

  Henderson, Cliff, ref1

  Herndon, Hugh, Jr., ref1

  Hinkler, Bert, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  Hirth, Hellmuth, ref1

  Hollywood, ref1

  Hudson, Earl, ref1, ref2, ref3

  trial testimony of, ref1, ref2

  Hughes, Charles Evans, ref1

  Huston, Ernest, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13

  Clarke’s death and, ref1, ref2

  trial testimony of, ref1, ref2

  Ince, Joseph, ref1, ref2

  Ingalls, Laura, ref1, ref2, ref3

  International News Service, ref1

  International Rodeo, ref1

  Iran, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  Italy, ref1

  Jones, Henry, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Karachi, ref1

  Keith-Miller, Jessie:

  American citizenship of, ref1

  articles written by, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  as aviator, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

  birth of, ref1

  Bullet monoplane and, ref1

  car accident of, ref1

  “Chubbie” nickname of, ref1, ref2

  Clarke as collaborator in autobiography, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  Clarke’s death and, ref1, ref2, ref3

  and Clarke’s death as suicide, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Clarke’s marriage plans with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  Clarke’s meeting of, ref1

  Clarke’s romantic relationship with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12

  commercial license obtained by, ref1

  Cunning-Hall Aircraft project and, ref1

  detectives’ search of home, ref1, ref2

  disappearance during flight to Cuba, ref1, ref2

  divorce from Miller, ref1

  Earhart and, ref1

  early life and family of, ref1

  England-Australia flight of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  England-Australia flight funds raised by, ref1, ref2, ref3

  England-Australia flight planned by, ref1, ref2, ref3

  film project and, ref1

  hotel fire and, ref1

  interview with, ref1

  Kiki’s attack on, ref1

  Lancaster’s England-South Africa flight and, ref1, ref2

  Lancaster’s initial England-Australia flight plans and, ref1, ref2

  Lancaster’s meeting of, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Lancaster’s partnership with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10

  Lancaster’s promise of wedding gift to Clarke and, ref1, ref2

  Lancaster’s return and, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Lancaster’s romantic relationship with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30

  Lancaster’s trial and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6

  Lancaster’s trip to Mexico and, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Latin-American Airways and, ref1, ref2, ref3

  lecture tours of, ref1, ref2, ref3

  malaria contracted by, ref1, ref2, ref3

  marriage to Miller, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

  marriage to Pugh, ref1, ref2

  move to England, ref1, ref2

  questioned after Clarke’s death, ref1, ref2

  radio operator skills of, ref1

  return to England, ref1

  ruptured appendix of, ref1

  saleswoman skills of, ref1, ref2

  snake incident and, ref1

  trial testimony of, ref1, ref2

  in Women’s Air Derby, ref1

  Kessner, Thomas, ref1

  Kidman, Sidney, ref1

  Kingsford Smith, Charles, ref1, ref2

  Kipling, Rudyard, ref1

  Kruckman, Arnold, ref1

  Kunz, Opal, ref1

  Lambert–St. Louis Field, ref1

  Lancaster, Annie “Kiki,” ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10

  Jessie attacked by, ref1

  marriage of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14

  Lancaster, Edward, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Lancaster, Jack, ref1, ref2

  Lancaster, Maud, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Lancaster, Nina Ann, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Lancaster, Patricia, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Lancaster, William:

  articles written by, ref1, ref2

  athletic stunts of, ref1

  birth of, ref1

  character witnesses for, ref1

  Cirrus engines and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Clarke’s correspondence with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  Clarke’s death and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Clarke’s friendship with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  Clarke suicide notes forged by, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12

  commercial license obtained by, ref1

  crash in Sahara, ref1, ref2

  crash in Trinidad, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Cunning-Hall Aircraft project and, ref1, ref2

  death of, ref1, ref2

  detectives’ search of home, ref1, ref2

  discovery of crash site of, ref1, ref2, ref3

  early life and family of, ref1

  employment prospects following trial, ref1, ref2

  England-Australia flight of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  England-Australia flight funding and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

  England-Australia flight plans of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  England-South Africa flight of, ref1

  film project and, ref1

  financial struggles of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17

  gun of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16

  in jail, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

  and Jessie’s disappearance during flight to Cuba, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Jessie’s meeting of, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Jessie’s mother and, ref1, ref2

  Jessie’s partnership with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10

  Jessie’s romantic relationship with, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18, ref19, ref20, ref21, ref22, ref23, ref24, ref25, ref26, ref27, ref28, ref29, ref30

  jury in trial of, ref1

  Latin-American Airways and Mexican trip, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16

  letter to Kiki, ref1

  letter to Patricia, ref1

  marriage of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14

  murder arrest and indictment, ref1, ref2

  murder trial of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10

  murder trial testimony of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  questioned after Clarke’s death, ref1

  return to England, ref1, ref2

  return to Miami, ref1, ref2, re
f3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  in Royal Air Force, ref1, ref2

  smuggling scheme and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  snake incident and, ref1

  verdict in murder trial of, ref1

  wedding gift promised to Jessie and Clarke, ref1, ref2

  will drawn up by, ref1

  in World War I, ref1, ref2

  Lathero, James “Happy,” ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6

  Latin-American Airways, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16

  smuggling scheme and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  Lavendar, Dick, ref1

  Law, Ruth, ref1

  Leatherman, E. B., ref1

  Lee, Fitzhugh, ref1, ref2

  Lee, Robert E., ref1

  Liberty, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Lindbergh, Charles, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Lyon, Harry, ref1

  Maddux, Jack, ref1

  Malta, ref1

  Manchester Guardian, ref1, ref2

  Man from Auburn, The (Hamilton), ref1

  Man I Killed, The, ref1

  Marseille, ref1

  Mexico, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  smuggling scheme and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  Miami, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Miami All-American Air Races, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Miami Daily News, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  Miami Herald, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Miller, Jessie, see Keith-Miller, Jessie

  Miller, Keith, ref1, ref2

  Jessie’s divorce from, ref1

  Jessie’s marriage to, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8

  Mission of Flowers, ref1, ref2

  Moe, J. P., ref1

  Mollison, Amy, ref1

  Mollison, Jim, ref1

  Morris, George, ref1

  Mussolini, Benito, ref1

  National Air Pilots Association, ref1

  National Air Races and Aeronautical Exposition, ref1

  Navy Department, ref1, ref2

  New Jersey Central Railroad, ref1

  New York American, ref1

  New York City, ref1, ref2

  New York Times, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6

  Nichols, Ruth, ref1

  Ninety-Nines, ref1

  Nogales, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7

  Noyes, Blanche, ref1

  Ottawa Flying Club, ref1

  Pangborn, Clyde Edward, ref1, ref2

  Paris, ref1, ref2

  Perry, Margaret, ref1

  Polidori, Titus, ref1

  Post, Wiley, ref1

  Prohibition, ref1, ref2

  Prufert, Paul, ref1

  Pugh, John, ref1

  Putnam, George, ref1, ref2

  Quimby, Harriet, ref1

  Rangoon, ref1

  Red Rose, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10

  crash of, ref1

  Richardson, Dick, ref1

  Rogers, Will, ref1

  Rothstein, Arnold, ref1

  Royal Air Force (RAF), ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6

  Lancaster in, ref1, ref2

  Russell, Jack, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17

  Lancaster’s trial testimony and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  trial testimony of, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Ryrie, Granville, ref1

  Sacco and Vanzetti, ref1

  Sahara Desert:

  discovery of Lancaster’s crash site in, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Lancaster’s crash in, ref1, ref2

  White Squadron in, ref1

  Sallum, ref1

  Scott, Blanche Stuart, ref1

  Scythia, ref1

  Shell Australia, ref1

  Shelton, Gentry, Jr., ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15

  Shelton, Gentry, Sr., ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9

  Singapore, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Sirte, ref1

  Smith, Billy, ref1

  Smith, Elinor, ref1

  Smith, Keith, ref1

  Southern Cross, ref1, ref2

  Southern Cross Minor, ref1, ref2

  Spain, ref1

  Spicer, Chrystopher, ref1

  Spirit of St. Louis, ref1

  Stack, T. Neville, ref1

  Standard Oil Company, ref1

  Stanfords, ref1

  Starr, Margaret, ref1

  Stielow, Charles, ref1

  Stinson, Edward, ref1

  Stinson, Katherine, ref1

  Stork, C. P., ref1

  Stork Corporation, ref1

  Sullivan, Elinor Smith, ref1

  Sumatra, ref1

  Sunday Express, ref1

  Sydney, ref1

  Sydney Times, ref1

  Tait, James Nevin, ref1

  Tallman, M. H., ref1, ref2

  Tancrel, Mark, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5, ref6, ref7, ref8, ref9, ref10, ref11, ref12, ref13, ref14, ref15, ref16, ref17, ref18

  Lancaster’s trial testimony and, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Navy officer claim of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4

  trial testimony of, ref1, ref2

  wallpaper hanging claim of, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Titanic, RMS, ref1

  Transcontinental Air Transport, ref1, ref2

  Trans–Saharienne Company, ref1, ref2, ref3

  Trinidad, Lancaster’s crash in, ref1, ref2, ref3, ref4, ref5

  Tripoli, ref1

  TWA, ref1

  Twain, Mark, ref1

  20 Hrs., 40 Min. (Earhart), ref1

  Ulm, Charles, ref1

  Union Theaters, ref1

  Upton, Dorothy, ref1

  Upton, Frank, ref1

  U.S. Army Air Corps, ref1

  Victor Aircraft, ref1

  Virrick, Latimer, ref1

  Wakefield & Co., ref1, ref2

  Warner, James, ref1

  Watts, F. Q., ref1

  We (Lindbergh), ref1

  Weekly Times, ref1

  White Squadron, ref1

  Wilde, Oscar, ref1, ref2

  Wings, ref1

  Women’s Air Derby, ref1

  Woods, Jessie, ref1

  World War I, ref1, ref2, ref3

  aviation in, ref1

  Lancaster in, ref1, ref2

  World War II, ref1, ref2

  Wright, Orville and Wilbur, ref1

  Wright Aeronautical Corporation, ref1

  Yancey, Lon, ref1

  Zola, Emile, ref1

  LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

  1. Bill Lancaster in the Royal Air Force

  2. Bill kissing Kiki goodbye just before he and Jessie depart on their record-setting adventure

  3. Jessie and Bill after landing on an unidentified Australian beach, 1928

  4. Bill and Jessie after arriving in Darwin, March 19, 1928

  5. Bill and Jessie greet an adoring crowd in Australia.

  6. The Powder Puff Derby participants at Parks Field, East St. Louis, August 24, 1929. Jessie is second from the left; Amelia Earhart is fourth from the right.

  7. Jessie in her stylish aviator outfit, 1930

  8. Jessie with her Fleet biplane during the Ford Reliability Tour, 1929

  9. Haden Clarke

  10. A “Sensational Miami Love Triangle”

  11. A game-faced Bill shaking hands with Latin-American Airways’ Mark Tancrel as Jack Russell beams his approval, 1933

  12. An unhappy Jessie on the witness stand, Miami, August 1932

  13. Vernon Hawthorne grilling Bill as Judge Atkinson looks on, August 1932

  14. The wreck of the Southern Cross Minor, February 1962

  15. A page from Bill’s Sahara diary

  1. Bill Lancaster in the Royal Air Force

  2. Bill kissing Kiki goodbye just bef
ore he and Jessie depart on their record-setting adventure

  3. Jessie and Bill after landing on an unidentified Australian beach, 1928

  4. Bill and Jessie after arriving in Darwin, March 19, 1928

  5. Bill and Jessie greet an adoring crowd in Australia.

  6. The Powder Puff Derby participants at Parks Field, East St. Louis, August 24, 1929. Jessie is second from the left; Amelia Earhart is fourth from the right.

  7. Jessie in her stylish aviator outfit, 1930

  8. Jessie with her Fleet biplane during the Ford Reliability Tour, 1929

  9. Haden Clarke

  10. A “Sensational Miami Love Triangle”

  11. A game-faced Bill shaking hands with Latin-American Airways’ Mark Tancrel as Jack Russell beams his approval, 1933

  12. An unhappy Jessie on the witness stand, Miami, August 1932

  13. Vernon Hawthorne grilling Bill as Judge Atkinson looks on, August 1932

  14. The wreck of the Southern Cross Minor, February 1962

  15. A page from Bill’s Sahara diary

  ALSO BY COREY MEAD

  WAR PLAY: VIDEO GAMES AND THE FUTURE OF ARMED CONFLICT

  ANGELIC MUSIC: THE STORY OF BENJAMIN FRANKLIN’S GLASS ARMONICA

  First published 2018 by Flatiron Books, New York

  First published in the UK 2018 by Macmillan

  This electronic edition published 2018 by Macmillan

  an imprint of Pan Macmillan

  20 New Wharf Road, London N1 9RR

  Associated companies throughout the world

  www.panmacmillan.com

  ISBN 978-1-5098-2851-7

  Copyright © Corey Mead 2018

  Cover Images: Front Cover © Central Press/Getty Images

  The right of Corey Mead to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

  Photographic section credits:

  here: Lost Aviator Gallery

  here: Lost Aviator Gallery; here: AP Photo

  here: Lost Aviator Gallery; here: St. Louis University Libraries

  here: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 1266, Item 18331

  here: Lost Aviator Gallery; here: Davis-Monthan Aviation Field Register

  here: The Courier Mail, Brisbane, Australia

  here: Lost Aviator Gallery

  Pan Macmillan does not have any control over, or any responsibility for, any author or third-party websites referred to in or on this book.