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{{Short description|British pilot (1910–1958)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2015}}
{{Use Australian English|date=March 2015}}
{{Infobox aviator
|name= Harry Frank Broadbent
|image=
|image_size=250px
|caption=
|full_name= Harry Frank Broadbent
|birth_name=Harry Frank Gibbs
|birth_date={{birth date|df=yes|1910|3|25}}
|birth_place= [[Chiswick]]
|death_date={{death date and age|df=yes|1958|11|9|1910|3|25}}
|death_place=
|spouse=
|relatives=
|known_for= Repeatedly breaking speed records between England and Australia; [[List of aerial disappearances|Disappeared during flight]]
|first_flight_aircraft=
|first_flight_date=
|famous_flights=
|license_date=
|license_place=
|awards=
}}
'''Harry Frank "Jim" Broadbent''' (né '''Gibbs'''; 25 March 1910 – 9 November 1958) was a British pilot largely raised in Australia, who took part in [[air racing]] and record-breaking flights in the 1930s.

==Early life==
Broadbent was born in [[Chiswick]] on 25 March 1910 as Harry Frank Gibbs. His father, Joseph Gibbs, was a singer and actor whose stage name was Frank Harwood. His mother, Madge Adelaide, was the youngest daughter of [[Kate Rickards|Kate]] and [[Harry Rickards]], prominent figures in the theatrical life of Australia. He was educated at Wychwood School, [[Bournemouth]]. Harry moved to Australia after his parents' divorce, and in 1923 his mother married John Allan Broadbent, of Windella station, [[Narrandera]], NSW. Harry then preferred to use the name 'Jim Broadbent'. He received flight training as a member of the Sydney Aero Club, and gained a private pilot's licence on 20 November 1929.<ref name=ADB>Isaacs, Keith. 'Broadbent, Harry Frank (Jim) (1910–1958)' [http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/broadbent-harryfrank-jim-9584/text16889 Australian Dictionary of Biography, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 1993, accessed online 18 March 2015]</ref>

==Air racing and record-breaking 1930s==
On 29 March 1931, Broadbent took off from [[London Air Park|Hanworth Aerodrome]] in his [[Blackburn Bluebird]] (G-ABJA, named "City of Sydney"), at the start of an attempt to break the record for the fastest flight from England to Australia. After taking off from [[Istanbul|Constantinople]], he force landed in a swampy valley near Ismidt. The aircraft was recovered undamaged, but Broadbent abandoned the record attempt.<ref name=lewis>Lewis 1970</ref>{{rp|219}}<ref name=cruddas2006>Cruddas 2006</ref>{{rp|106}}

On 12 August 1931, he flew solo in his [[Avro Avian]] (VH-UQE, named "Dabs") from Brisbane to Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide, in a flight time of 16 hours 15 minutes, linking the cities for the first time by air in one day.<ref name=ADB/><ref>Long Flight Brisbane to Adelaide Mr. Broadbent's Feat [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article16817017 Sydney Morning Herald, 13 August 1931]</ref>

On 31 August 1931, he set a round-Australia record by flying 7,475 miles (12,030 km) in 7 days, 8 hours, 25 minutes.<ref name=ADB/>

On 14 May 1932, he won the annual New South Wales Aerial Derby, and then purchased a [[de Havilland Puss Moth]] (VH-UQL, named "Dabs II"). He obtained a commercial licence, and founded Sydney Air Taxis, but all Puss Moths were then grounded, pending accident investigations. He purchased and trained racehorses until the ban was lifted.<ref name=ADB/>

On 18 March 1933, he won the Victorian Aerial Derby, and then reactivated his air taxi service.<ref name=ADB/>

On 14 July 1934, he flew a [[de Havilland Fox Moth]] (G-ACSW) in the [[King's Cup Race]] at [[Hatfield Aerodrome|Hatfield]], and finished in 8th place.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|281}}

Starting on 17 May 1935, he piloted his new Puss Moth (VH-UQO, named "Dabs III") over 7,140 miles (11,491 km), flying from Adelaide in a clockwise direction round Australia in a time of 3 days 9 hours 54 minutes.<ref name=ADB/>

On 10 October 1935, he took off from Darwin in his Puss Moth (VH-UQO) in an attempt to break the Australia to England record, but he force landed at [[Basra]], and sold the aircraft locally.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|281}}

On 2 November 1935, he took off from [[Croydon Airport|Croydon]] in [[Percival Gull|Percival Gull Six]] (VH-UVA) in an attempt to break the England to Australia record, which he achieved after arriving at [[Darwin, Northern Territory|Darwin]] after 6 days 21 hours 19 minutes.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|281}} The record was later broken by [[Jean Batten]], then retaken by Broadbent. He was awarded the [[Oswald Watt Gold Medal]] for 1935.<ref name=ADB/>

On 18 December 1936, he piloted [[de Havilland Tiger Moth]] (VH-UVZ) in the South Australia Centenary Air Race, and achieved notoriety through public criticism of the organisers after the event.<ref name=chics>[http://www.chingchic.com/harry-frank-jim-broadbent.html Chic's Website]</ref><ref>South Australian Aviation Museum [http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/SAAM-Profiles-1936-SA-CENTENARY-RACE.pdf SAAM-Profiles-1936-SA-CENTENARY-RACE.pdf] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304024318/http://www.saam.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/SAAM-Profiles-1936-SA-CENTENARY-RACE.pdf |date=4 March 2016 }}</ref>

On 27 April 1937, he took off from Darwin in his [[de Havilland Leopard Moth]] (VH-AHB, named "Windella") in an attempt to break the Australia to England record, which he achieved after arriving at [[Lympne Airport|Lympne Aerodrome]] after 6 days 8 hours 25 minutes.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|295}}

On 10 July 1937, he flew a [[British Aircraft Double Eagle|BA Double Eagle]] (G-AEIN) in the London to Cardiff Air Race, starting at [[Heston Aerodrome]], and finished in 5th place.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|296}}<ref>Flight, 15 July 1937, p. 83 [http://www.flightglobal.com/pdfarchive/view/1937/1937%20-%202011.html Hurrying to Wales]</ref>

On 11 September 1937, he flew a BA Double Eagle (G-AEIN) in the [[King's Cup Race]] starting at [[Hatfield Aerodrome|Hatfield]], but was forced to land at [[RAF West Freugh]] after an undercarriage malfunction.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|303}}

On 18 October 1937, he took off from Lympne in his Leopard Moth (VH-AHB) in an attempt to break the England to Australia record, but he ran out of fuel and landed short of Baghdad due to headwinds and dust storms.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|310}}

On 12 March 1938, he took off from Lympne in [[Percival Vega Gull]] (G-AFEH, named "Sirius") in an attempt to break the England to Australia record, but he suffered exhaustion and force landed at [[Flores|Flores Island, Indonesia]], damaging the propeller, and causing abandonment of the attempt.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|311}}

On 16 April 1938, he took off from Lympne in Vega Gull (G-AFEH) in an attempt to break the England to Australia record, which he achieved after arriving at Darwin after 5 days 4 hours 21 minutes.<ref name=lewis/>{{rp|311}}

==Butler Air Transport 1936==
In March 1936, he was appointed as chief pilot of [[Butler Air Transport]] (BAT) that operated [[de Havilland Dragon|de Havilland DH.84 Dragons]] on the Charleville to Cootamundra link of the Empire Air Mail Service (part of the England-Australia airmail route).<ref name=ADB/><ref name=chics/>

==Qantas 1938–1939==
In 1938–39, he was employed as First Officer in [[Short Empire]] flying boats between Sydney and Singapore for [[Qantas|Qantas Empire Airways]].<ref name=ADB/>

==World War II==
Between 1941 and 1943, he served with [[RAF Ferry Command]], ferrying aircraft from Canada and the United States to Britain and to Australia. From 1943 to 1944, he flew [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra]]s for the allied Directorate of Air Transport.<ref name=ADB/>

On 21 November 1944, he took off from [[Sydney Airport|Sydney (Mascot) Aerodrome]] in a Lockheed 10 Electra (VH-UZP, named "Ansalanta") of Ansett Airways on lease to US Army Air Force, carrying American service personnel headed for [[Townsville]]. At an altitude of 5,000 feet near Broken Bay, the right engine failed, Captain Broadbent then made an emergency landing on [[Narrabeen, New South Wales|Narrabeen Beach]], and the aircraft stopped at the water's edge. Later, sugar was found in the fuel lines, prompting suspicion of sabotage.<ref>Plane Forced Down On Narrabeen Bch. [http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article49564286 The Barrier Miner, 21 Nov 1944]</ref>

==Silver City Airways 1952==
In 1952, he was employed by [[Silver City Airways]], flying [[Bristol Freighter|Bristol 170 Freighters]].<ref name=ADB/>

==Aquila Airways 1954–1958==
In November 1954, he began piloting [[Short Solent]] flying boats for [[Aquila Airways]] on passenger flights from Southampton to Lisbon, Madeira and Las Palmas, until the airline ceased operations in 1958.<ref name=ADB/>

==Personal life==
On 31 December 1931, he married Beryl Elizabeth Bower at [[Randwick, New South Wales|Randwick]]; they produced two daughters, but divorced in July 1948. On 27 January 1950, he married 24-year-old Meris Chilcott Rudder at [[Wahroonga, New South Wales|Wahroonga]], and in 1952 they moved to England.<ref name=ADB/>

==Disappearance==
On 29 September 1958, he was employed as an instructor pilot by the Portuguese airline ARTOP (Aero-Topográfica), which had inherited the service between Lisbon and Madeira from the defunct Aquila Airways. On 9 November 1958, accompanied by co-pilot Thomas Rowell, four other crew and 30 passengers, he piloted [[Martin PBM Mariner]] (CS-THB, named "Porto Santo") from [[Cabo Ruivo Seaplane Base]] near Lisbon, headed for [[Funchal]], Madeira. About an hour into the flight, when it would have been over the Atlantic Ocean about 150 miles SW of Lisbon, a radio message code "QUG" was received, meaning "I am forced to land immediately". After several days of searching by air and sea by US and Portuguese authorities, no further trace was found of the aircraft or its crew or passengers.<ref>ASN Aircraft accident [http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19581109-0 Martin PBM-5 Mariner CS-THB North Atlantic Ocean]</ref><ref>1958 / NOV / 09 - Accident with the Seaplane - CS-THB - disappeared between Lisbon and Funchal [http://www.gpiaa.gov.pt/?cr=9516 GIAA Final Report (in Portuguese)]</ref>

==See also==
*[[List of people who disappeared mysteriously at sea]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==Bibliography==
*Cruddas, Colin. 2006. ''Highways to the Empire''. Air Britain {{ISBN|0851303765}}.
*Lewis, Peter. 1970. ''British Racing and Record-Breaking Aircraft''. Putnam {{ISBN|0370000676}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Broadbent, Harry Frank}}
[[Category:1910 births]]
[[Category:1950s missing person cases]]
[[Category:1958 deaths]]
[[Category:Australian aviation record holders]]
[[Category:English emigrants to Australia]]
[[Category:Missing aviators]]
[[Category:People lost at sea]]
[[Category:Royal Air Force officers]]

Harry Frank Broadbent - Revision history

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