Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, born 9 February 1897 to 8 November 1935, was an early Australian aviator. In 1928, he earned worldwide fame when he made the first trans-Pacific flight from the United States to Australia. He also made the first ‘reverse’ trans-Pacific flight from Australia to the United States. He made the first non-stop flight over the Australian mainland, the first flights between Australia and New Zealand. He made a flight from Australia to London setting a world record of 10.5 days. He joined No. 23 Squadron RFC on the Western Front of World War 1 in July of 1917. He downed four enemy aircraft in combat, before he himself was shot down and wounded in August of the same year resulting in the loss of a few of his toes. He was