Gillian Watch Whittall

From Gallipoli to the Skies: the Story of a Young Man Who Dreamed of Flying Gillian Watch Whittall

Fred Reeve is a nineteen year old young man from Melbourne who dreams of flying. He builds a Bleriot in his back yard but does not finish it as war breaks out in 1914. After he enlists he writes to his mother and family regularly and these letters give a poignant account of life for a young soldier who tries to understand love, life and war and the expectation that every soldier should be a hero. He is critical of training in Egypt and comments that thousands of Australians have been lost just because of inexperience & no discipline. While hospitalised in Egypt he hears of the experiences of the wounded at Gallipoli and a fellow in the next bed is the only non commissioned officer left alive in his battalion. On the way to Gallipoli his ship is torpedoed and he spends many hours in the water before being rescued. At Gallipoli he is in the 'Hell of fighting' for five weeks before being evacuated. After recuperation on Malta and in Oxford he finally achieves his dream of joining the Royal Flying Corps in 1916. His daredevil flying exploits are recounted in newspaper articles in both the USA and Australia. He is flying on a mission in France when his aircraft comes down and he is killed.