Freda Mary Thompson OBE (1906 - 1980)

Born 5 Apr 1906 in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Died 11 Dec 1980 at age 74 in Malvern, Victoria, Australia

Biography

Freda Thompson OBE is Notable.

Freda Thompson OBE was born in Victoria, Australia

Freda Thompson OBE is an Anzac who served in World War Two.

Lance Sergeant Freda Thompson OBE served in the Australian Women's Army Service in World War II
Service started: 5th March 1942
Unit(s):
Service ended: 25th August 1944

Freda Mary Thompson was born on 5th April 1906 in South Yarra, Victoria, Australia. She was the elder daughter of Frederick Thompson, gentleman, and his wife Martha Hollins. ^[1] The family later settled in Armadale. She was educated at Toorak College. During Freda's time at Toorak College, it was run by the three Hamilton sisters: Isabella and Robina (Beanie) were co-principals and Barbara had charge of the boarding house. The college moved from Douglas Street, Toorak, into more suitable premises in Mayfield Avenue, Malvern in 1919 (in 1928 it again moved, to its current location at Mount Eliza, on the Mornington Peninsula). It was while attending school that Freda saw a small aeroplane flying low over houses and decided 'that was how I wanted to see the world – flying'.

In 1926, Freda sailed to Europe with her parents and younger sister, Claire. There, she made her first flight with British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC; now British Airways) from Paris to London. Three years later, she persuaded her parents to let her have a car so that she could get to Essendon Aerodrome where she started taking flying lessons and joined the Australian Aero Club (since 1934 known as the Victorian Aero Club and added 'Royal' in 1935).

On 16th September 1930, Freda obtained her 'A' (Private) Pilot Licence (No. 596) and a short time later, won the South Australia Aerial Derby Trophy. The following year she studied night and instrument flying and navigation and on 30th April 1932 obtained her 'B' (Commercial) Pilot Licence (No. 390).

In April 1934, she set sail to England once more, this time with plans to take part in the England to Australia Air Race. Once in England, she paid £1,000 for a new de Havilland Moth Major with long-range fuel tanks, which she named Christopher Robin (G-ACUC or VH-UUC). However, Freda was too late to enrol in the race and instead decided to make the journey on her own. With allowance for only one small bag and a maximum flying range of ten hours, Freda departed from Lympne, Kent on 28th September 1934. No food was carried and only a small thermos flask of water was allowed as there wasn’t room due to the extra fuel tanks. The trip took 39 days, although only 19 days (155 hours) were actual flying time, with 20 days spent at Athens waiting for spare parts for a damaged wing; arriving in Darwin on 6th November. Just fifteen years after (Sir) Ross and (Sir) Keith Smith had won the inaugural England to Australia Air Race, and six years after Bert Hinkler became the first person to fly the route solo, Freda became the first woman to fly from England to Australia solo.

In August 1936, her younger sister, Claire (twelve years her junior), also obtained her 'A' pilot's licence.

From 1940 to 1942, Freda was Commandant of the Victorian branch of the Women’s Air Training Corps (WATC). When she did not receive a reply to her application to join the Women’s Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF), she enlisted in the Australian Women’s Army Service (AWAS) on 5th March 1942 at South Yarra. She was posted as an ambulance driver to the 3rd Ambulance Car Company, Australian Army Service Corps. She attained the senior non-commissioned rank of Lance Sergeant, before being discharged from the AWAS on 25th August 1944. Her enlistment papers described her as being 5ft 4¾ins (164cm) tall, with blue eyes and auburn hair; with Claire listed as next-of-kin. ^[2]

Having sold Christopher Robin at the start of the Second World War, Freda now purchased a de Havilland Hornet Moth and named it Christopher Robin II. In 1947, she became the first woman elected to the Royal Victorian Aero Club Committee at a time when there were only ten women members of the club. The following year she was elected as its first female president. In 1950, she became a founding member of the Australian Women Pilots’ Association. That same year, she flew around Australia in three weeks in Christopher Robin II. Freda loved competition and entered many aerobatic competitions, and derbies, both on an individual basis and as a team member. In all, she won 47 trophies and three times was open champion of the Royal Victorian Aero Club.

After fifty years as a pilot, she had her last flight as co-pilot in a Tiger Moth in May 1980. She had logged 3,330 flying hours as a pilot.

Aged 74 years, on 11th December 1980 Freda passed away in hospital in Malvern, Victoria as a result of cancer. ^[3] She was survived by Claire and brother-in-law, Ken Embling, and her niece and nephew, Jane and John.

Honours and awards

• She was awarded both the King George VI Coronation Medal in 1937 and the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal in 1953.
• For 'services to aviation', Freda was appointed Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) on 6th March 1972. ^[4]
• The Australian Women Pilots’ Association honoured her in 1973 by inaugurating the Freda Thompson Aerial Derby, a race around Port Phillip Bay for women pilots.
• In 1994 she was honoured through the issue of a postage stamp by Australia Post, one of a series depicting Australian aviators.
• She was inducted onto the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001. ^[5]
• In recognition of Freda’s achievements, the Australian Women Pilots’ Association honours her with an annual award, donated by Claire and Ken Embling, the Freda Thompson and Claire Embling Aviation Award, to assist in the advancement of practical and/or theoretical training. ^[6]
• Freda was one of nine Aussie greats (and just the second woman) to be inducted into the Australian Aviation Hall of Fame in 2013, the second intake. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ Victoria Birth Index #14024/1906
2. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: VF345171 Lance Sergeant Freda Mary Thompson; accessed 6 Oct 2022
3. ↑ Victoria Death Index #24/1981
4. ↑ Australian Honours: OBE; accessed 7 Oct 2022
5. ↑ Victorian Honour Roll of Women; accessed 6 Oct 2022
6. ↑ Australian Women Pilots Association: Freda Thompson and Claire Embling Aviation Award; accessed 7 Oct 2022
7. ↑ Australian Aviation Hall of Fame: Freda Mary Thompson; accessed 6 Oct 2022

See also

• Australian Aviation Hall of Fame: Freda Mary Thompson; accessed 6 Oct 2022.
• Dennis, Val. 'Thompson, Freda Mary (1906–1980)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2002; accessed online 6 Oct 2022.
• Wikipedia: Freda thompson; accessed 6 Oct 2022.