Gropler was a Norwood boy, the youngest aviator to undertake a solo flight from England to Australia, arriving at Parafield Airport 20 January 1936. He had left Portsmouth on 10 December 1935. His journey involved several forced landings and a four-day detention in Czechoslovakia after landing without a permit. He celebrated his twentieth birthday during the flight.
His adventures were widely reported in newspapers of the time.
In 1938 Gropler was killed when his aircraft crashed near Bolivar in South Australia.
*GROPLER REACHES DARWIN
Adelaide Flier's Story Of “Tough Trip”
DARWIN, January 20
Mr R W Gropler, a young South Australian airman, who reached, Darwin at 3.10pm today from London, had what he described as "a tough flight," and a couple of forced landings.
Gropler had an eight-hour flight from Koepang to Darwin today. Leaving Koepang at 7am, he flew direct to Cape Talbot (WA) to minimise the distance of the Timor Sea crossing: thence along the coast to Darwin, making a flight of 700 miles for greater safety, instead of the direct crossing to Darwin (513 miles).
He is flying a small Klemm monoplane, with a range of 10 hours at a flying speed of from 90 to 95 miles an hour. He proposes to leave Darwin early tomorrow, on the way to Adelaide, and will spend two or three days on the flight.
Leaving England with £7 in his pocket, Gropler said he had a "pretty tough" time as far as Bagdad. In Czecho-Slovakia he landed in a field with ice on the wings. As he was preparing to take off, police arrived from the town, eight miles away, and detained him. He attempted to make a getaway in his plane, but the deep snow prevented the machine from moving away quickly, and the police, grasping the wings, stopped him.
He was held for four days by the police, who were kind to him. Afterwards an officer who spoke English arrived from Prague, and he was released.
Gropler said that he was practically penniless, but he made £12 by writing his experiences for a London newspaper, and this carried him on. He had a bad time on the way to Bagdad, breaking his propeller in another forced landing. After having left Bagdad, his flight was without serious mishap.
Gropler was 19 when he left London on December 10, and he spent his 20th birthday at Bagdad. He made the flight in order to save the expense of bringing his plane to Australia.
[Gropler's father said last night that he could not understand his son's references to lack of funds, because he had given him a letter of credit before leaving Adelaide and, on seeing cabled references that the boy had only a few pounds left, had sent him a further cheque.] [Ref: Advertiser 21-1-1936]
FLEW FROM LONDON AT 20
GROPLER ARRIVES AT PARAFIELD ADELAIDE, Wednesday.
R W Gropler arrived at Parafield at 6pm today, thus concluding his six weeks' flight from London, during which he celebrated his twentieth birthday. He is the youngest aviator to make a solo flight from England.
Gropler was met by his parents, Mr and Mrs G W Gropler, of Norwood, and his sister Eileen. [Ref: Recorder (Port Pirie) 23-1-1936]
GROPLER'S LONG FLIGHT ENDS
Youngest Aviator To Fly From England ARRIVAL AT PARAFIELD
Looking bronzed and fit, Mr R W Gropler, the young Adelaide airman, reached Parafield shortly before 6pm yesterday, on the completion of his adventurous six weeks' flight from London. During the trip he celebrated his 20th birthday, and is the youngest aviator to have made the England-Australia flight.
He covered the 900 miles from Alice Springs, where he spent Tuesday night, in 10 hours, and made only one stop— at Farina, where he refuelled. Between 40 and 50 friends and relatives met him at Parafield when he landed in his Klemm monoplane, and the first to greet him were his father and mother, Mr and Mrs G W Gropler of Norwood, and his sister Eileen.
Gropler left London on December 10, but met with a series of delays, starting in France and continuing down to Bagdad. From then on he experienced no trouble, and flying in easy stages of about 700 miles a day, completed the rest of the flight to Australia in 13 days. His best non-stop stage was from Athens to Aleppo—a distance of 850 miles.
"Despite the troubles I experienced during the early stages of the flight, which caused me to become fed up with the venture for a time, I thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and would make the trip again without hesitation," he said. "I did not set out with the intention of attempting a record flight, as my machine is not a fast one.
My idea was to obtain the practical flying experience that only a long-distance flight can give, and to see a bit of the world. By doing easy stages, I arrived at most of my stopping places in the afternoon, and was able to spend a few hours sightseeing. Record flights are all right in their place, but they do not give the fliers much chance of seeing the countries they are passing through. I think that easy-stage flights will become a popular form of holiday travel in the future, and it will not be long before more private plane owners are making the Australian flight just for sight-seeing."
Vienna Incident
Gropler said that he had been surprised to learn on arrival in Australia that he was supposed to have experienced much trouble during the trip because of lack of finance.
"This is not correct, he said, "as my father made provision before I left for me to be able to draw money at the main stopping places. When the reports of my alleged financial troubles kept coming through, my father sent an additional £75 to Karachi but I did not need it. The story probably started through an incident which occurred at Vienna. When I made the forced landing there, I had only £4 in my possession, and, rather than go to the trouble of borrowing money or drawing a sum through the source provided by my father I hit on the scheme of earning some by telling press photographers who came to meet me that they would have to pay for my picture. I got £2 in this way, which was all I wanted for the time, and I thought the whole thing a great joke. Evidently the photographers thought that I was "broke and told the reporters, but I did not think that the story would follow me out to Australia”.
Plans Air-Taxi Service
After having rested for a few days, Gropler, who has an A class licence at present, will seek to qualify for a B class licence for commercial flying. He plans to start an air-taxi and joyriding service, and will use the plane which he flew out to Australia. It is a three-seater open cockpit machine, and has a cruising speed of 100 miles an hour. Gropler expressed disappointment that provision had not been made for an air race to take place during the State centenary celebrations. He suggested that it was not too late for a race from Melbourne, or to Melbourne and back, to be included in the programme. A race of this nature would not only attract local fliers, but interstate aviators as well, he said. It could be held on the day of the Aero Club pageant. If it were a round flight to Melbourne, competitors could leave at daylight and be back in Adelaide before nightfall. It would have to be a handicap event and, if it were arranged, he would be willing to compete. Furthermore, as it would be a short-distance event when compared with a race round Australia, the prize money would not be a big item. [Ref: Advertiser 23-1-1936]
Air Race Would Give Fillip To Centenary Celebrations
By NIEUPORT
Local aviators are hoping that the State Centenary celebrations will be marked by an aerial event worthy of the occasion. The Aero Club of South Australia is arranging a pageant at Parafield on October 24, but a long air race is really the only means of sustaining public interest for any length of time.
The London-Melbourne Air Race undoubtedly contributed largely to the success of the Victorian Centenary celebrations, but would similar success attend another 10,000 mile international flight?
C W A Scott, co-pilot of the winning De Havilland Comet in the Melbourne Centenary race, does not think it would. “Adelaide could not stand an international air race such a short time after the Melbourne event,” Scott said, when asked for his views on the proposal for a London-Adelaide air race, in connection with the State Centenary celebrations. Scott, however, is in favour of a round-Australia race.
Aero Club Notes
The England-Australia flier Roy Gropler, is one of several Aero Club pilots at present taking a course of advanced flying with the club instructor (Mr Buckham) in preparation for his B licence test.
Neither Jim Melrose nor H L Brooke, Melbourne centenary air race fliers held B licences for some time after the event. Brooke was refused a B licence when he returned to England after his record-breaking flight because of defective eyesight.
Pilot Brian Monk, who recently returned from Singapore, with his licence endorsed for seaplane flying, made a two-day flight to Kangaroo Island in a Moth during the week, and on Monday will fly the Miles Hawk to Sydney.
Pilot N Buckley has completed the advanced course with the instructor.
A dance was held at the clubhouse on Saturday night. The club intends to hold these functions more frequently. [Ref: Advertiser 28-2-1936]
THREE DIE IN PLANE CRASH
Wing Breaks Off Near Salisbury
The State's worst air tragedy occurred about 6pm yesterday, when a Klemm swallow monoplane piloted by Roy William Gropler, the well-known South Australian aviator, crashed about 200 feet into a fallow paddock between Salisbury and Bolivar after the port wing had broken from the fuselage when the plane was in a steep turn. Gropler and his two passengers were killed. Gropler had been making passenger flights from Parafield. The victims were:—
ROY WILLIAM GROPLER, 22, aviator, of George street, Norwood; LAUREL SHIELS, about 27, champion woman swimmer, of Gilbert street, Adelaide; and KARL OSTRAM, about 23, aviation engineer, of Gawler road, Salisbury.
According to two eye witnesses of the tragedy—Miss Nellie Burns and Master Gordon White—the plane was flying low over White's paddock in a steep bank near the ground. As it banked one of the wings fell off the fuselage, and the body of the plane “fell like a stone to the ground."
Gordon White was working in the garden of his father's home when he saw the plane crash about a third of a mile away. He called his father, Mr Harold White, and they drove across the paddock. Robert Burns, who had run about 300 yards across the paddock from his home, was already there.
The wreckage of the plane was scattered over a very wide area. The nose and engine of the plane dug into the ground to a depth of about a foot, before the engine bounced out and came to rest about 20 yards away. Practically the whole of the fuselage with the exception of the tail piece, which was left almost intact, was broken into very small pieces. The wing that fell off was found in another paddock about 200 yards from the place where the plane hit the ground.
Gropler had been taking passengers on flights from Parafield since the early morning. He left the aerodrome with Miss Shiels and Ostram about 5.45 pm on what was to have been one of his last flights for the day. After passing over the city Gropler headed for Parafield, and flew over Burton, the district between Salisbury and Bolivar.
The Civil Aviation Board representative at Parafield (Mr M B Allen) said last night that the Air Accidents Investigation Committee would probably arrive in Adelaide from Melbourne this morning and begin its enquiry. A police guard remained at the wreckage last night.
A poignant feature of the tragic air crash late yesterday afternoon in which 22-year-old Roy Gropler and two passengers were killed was the fact that the accident was seen by the young pilot's father.
Mr Gropler senior, who assisted his son on the ground with his passenger flights, was watching the plane from the Parafield Aerodrome as it circled between Salisbury and Bolivar. "I saw the plane turn and then dive quickly," said Mr Gropler today. "'I half expected it to come up again, but when it did not I realised that something had happened. I saw something falling, but in the poor light and from the distance I could not say whether it was the wing which snapped off in mid-air. The plane seemed to twist round as it dived."
It took about 20 minutes to locate the broken plane.
Ostram examined the engine and plane at midday yesterday and found nothing amiss.
An inquest into the deaths will be opened at Salisbury at 10am next Monday by the local coroner (Mr Neal). The report was prepared by Mounted Constable Neave, of Salisbury.
Members of the Air Accidents Investigation Committee will arrive at Parafield by air late this afternoon, inspect the wreckage, and open an inquiry at once.
Many Adventures in Short Life
The many telephone and telegram messages of sympathy received by his parents today were evidence of the popularity of Roy Gropler.
Gropler, whose unassuming nature and ability as a pilot was praised by aviation officials, had big flying plans for the future. He had intended to leave in May for England and return to Adelaide in a new plane.
In his 22 years, Gropler had crowded more adventures than fall to most people in a lifetime. Always interested in aviation, he started to learn to fly when only 16½, and six months later had qualified for his A licence as a pilot. For several months he was employed as junior assistant on the ground staff of the Royal Aero Club of South Australia. Then he went "barnstorming'' with Len Scott in Victoria, but their stunt flying came to an end when the latter's plane crashed and was wrecked. Gropler and Scott escaped serious injury.
Gropler at the time was the youngest airman to achieve a solo flight from England to Australia. He started with only 60 hours' flying experience to his credit.
At the completion of his flight last week to the centre of Australia, when he located two stranded well-sinkers, Gropler had spent more than 1,000 hours in the air.
In the past two years he had built up a very successful taxi and hire service. In 11 months last year he carried 1,726 passengers and travelled 18,576 miles without mishap.
Recently, Gropler had collaborated with Mr Jack Fewster in a book entitled The Earth Beneath, dealing with his adventurous flight from England a little more than two years ago. The book was completed shortly before his death. [Ref: News 14-3-1938]
BURIAL OF AIR CRASH VICTIMS
Planes Overhead During Service
Many beautiful wreaths sent today to the homes of the late Roy Gropler, 22-year-old Norwood aviator, Laurel Shiels, former swimming champion, of Gilbert street, Adelaide, and Karl Ostram, of Gawler road, Salisbury, were eloquent testimony to the popularity of Sunday's air tragedy victims. The three funerals were held this afternoon.
The remains of Roy Gropler were buried in the West Terrace Cemetery, where the Royal Aero Club of South Australia arranged for a formation of planes to fly overhead during the service conducted by the Rev G W Kendrew. Those of Mr Ostram are being buried in the same cemetery later, this afternoon.
Mr G W Gropler, father of the dead flier, sent wreaths for both of the other victims of the crash.
Floral tributes to the late Miss Shiels were from the Gilberton, Walkerville, Crystal Pool, and other swimming and lifesaving clubs, and from many friends and relatives. Some of the wreaths were from people she had met in other States of Australia.
It was Miss Shiels first aeroplane flight, and she had been undecided during the afternoon whether to go up. Had she not made the trip Miss E Gropler, sister of the flier, would have gone, said Mr Gropler senior, as she had previously decided to make this last trip of the afternoon with her brother. She withdrew when she knew that Miss Shiels and Mr Ostram wished to make the flight.
About 100 letters of condolence and more than 60 telegrams were received today at Mr Gropler's home. The Vacuum Oil Co Pty Ltd, Senator Uppill, Dr H Halloran, McConnochies Pty Ltd and staff, and many pilots and other flying associates were among those who sent floral tributes, which filled a room at his home.
Other organisations which sent wreaths included the Royal Aero Club, the Buxton Club, the St Peters Bowling Club, City Motors Ltd, Shell Co, and MacRobertsons Ltd.
A most striking wreath was a floral representation of Roy Gropler's aeroplane in silver and blue. This was provided by the flier's father.
The funeral was one of the largest ever seen at Norwood, and because of the several hundred wreaths which had to be transferred from the home to the cortege, the time of departure was delayed for more than a quarter of an hour.
When the cortege left Norwood it included more than 100 motor cars. Many others joined it near the cemetery. A service was held at the home before leaving for West Terrace.
Mr J Churchill Smith and Mr H Plumridge represented the Royal Aero Club of South Australia at the funeral, and Flight-Lieutenant M B Allen represented the Civil Aviation Board.
Arrangements for Mr Ostram's funeral were made by the chief engineer of Ansett Airways (Mr J J Davies) who was a close personal friend. Mr Ostram, he said, was a first-class engineer, and came to Adelaide from New Guinea last October to take charge of the company's service base in Adelaide. Mr Davies gave Mr Ostram his first job in aviation at Salamau, New Guinea, four years ago. Mr Ostram had no relatives in Australia. His father, two brothers and a sister are in New Guinea. [Ref: News 15-3-1938]
The plane had been used by Gropler since his return from England on several interstate and intra-State special charter flights, as well as taxi flights round Parafield aerodrome at weekends.
It was only on Monday week that Gropler found Lance Williams, a 19 year old St Leonard youth who had been lost in the bush about 260 miles west of Oodnadatta. [Ref: Chronical 17-3-1938]
Gropler showed remarkably quick thinking in the five seconds which it is estimated it took his plane to fall from a height of 200 ft to the ground. In that short period he had the foresight to turn off the engine and petrol thus minimising the risk of fire. [Ref: News 18-3-1938]
