Flight Lieutenant Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm Memorial Plaque

Flight Lieutenant Charles Thomas Philippe Ulm, AFC. 

On 16 September 1914, a 15-year-old Charles Ulm pushed through the gate of his home, at 27 Keston Avenue Mosman, on his way to work. He looked like a typical cadet stockbroker, but this young man was anything but typical. Instead of work, Charles Ulm using his 183 cm (6 feet) height to advantage, marched into an enlistment office, told them he was 19, that his name was Charles Jackson and enlisted in the Army.

From that day, onwards Charles Ulm lived life on the edge both as a soldier and as one of Australia's greatest pioneer aviators. Immediately after landing at Gallipoli, Ulm was wounded, hospitalised and sent home, where his real age was discovered, and Ulm was honourably discharged. In 1917, at the urging of his father Ulm re-enlisted and saw war service on the Western Front, until he was again wounded in battle in France in 1918. Ulm as treated at an English hospital and in late 1919 returned to Mosman as an outpatient at the 21st Auxiliary Hospital at Georges Heights.

Aviation then became his life. Ulm's been described as restless and reckless ... he had to be in those dangerous, early days of flight. In 1927 Ulm and Charles Kingsford Smith flew around Australia. In 1928 he and "Smithy" flew the Southern Cross from California to Brisbane, an epic journey which earned them Air Force Crosses (AFC) and honorary Royal Australian Air Force commissions. Together, they created Australian National Airways.

The end for 38-year-old Ulm came late in 1934 during another California to Australia flight ... the aircraft didn't make it to Hawaii. Charles' son John says that, because of his dad, "we jump on and off planes like buses." 

Charles Ulm, soldier, aviator and great Australian.

Australia Remembers - Northern Beaches & North Shore Committee. Unveiled by Councillor Carolyn Corrigan, Mayor of Mosman on 23 July 2021. Plaque funded by Mosman RSL sub-Branch'.