John Cowe McIntosh (1892 – 28 March 1921) was a British-born Australian aviator. McIntosh was born in

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

and later emigrated to

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

.National Library of Australia
/ref> On the outbreak of

World War I World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

in 1914, he enlisted in the

Australian Army Medical Corps The Royal Australian Army Medical Corps (RAAMC) is the branch of the Australian Army responsible for providing medical care to Army personnel. The AAMC was formed in 1902 through the amalgamation of medical units of the various Australian colon ...

, serving with the 4th Field Ambulance in

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

and reaching the rank of

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

. In 1918, he transferred to the

Australian Flying Corps The Australian Flying Corps (AFC) was the branch of the Australian Army responsible for operating aircraft during World War I, and the forerunner of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). The AFC was established in 1912, though it was not until ...

and began flying training near

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

in England. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in April 1919 and shortly afterwards was promoted

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

. After the end of the war, the Australian government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first flight from England to Australia. He paired with another Australian Flying Corps officer, Ray Parer, and, although leaving well after the event had been won, they arrived in Darwin on 2 August 1920. Their aircraft was an Airco DH-9, and theirs was the only other entrant to successfully complete the race. He and Parer were awarded the Air Force Cross for this feat on 23 November 1920, as well as £500 each.Isaacs, K., "Parer, Raymond John Paul (1894–1967)", ''Australian Dictionary of Biography'', Volume 11, Melbourne University Press, 1988, pp.133–134
/ref> In 1921, McIntosh was killed in an air crash near

Pithara, Western Australia Pithara is a small town in the Wheatbelt region of Western Australia. It is located about 240 km north of Perth, in the Shire of Dalwallinu. At the , Pithara had a population of 257, a 25% fall from the previous . The name ''Pithara'' was ...

. It was the first fatal air crash in the state. On 21 October 2023, McIntosh and Ray Parer were inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame.

Footnotes

Bibliography

* {{DEFAULTSORT:McIntosh, John 1892 births 1921 deaths Scottish emigrants to Australia Australian military personnel of World War I Australian Army officers Australian Army soldiers Australian aviators Recipients of the Air Force Cross (United Kingdom) Aviators killed in aviation accidents or incidents in Australia Accidental deaths in Western Australia Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1921