Ross Smith was a prolific letter writer during and after WWI, and a number of his own letters formed the 350-odd pieces of inaugural international airmail brought into Australia aboard the Vickers Vimy. This is a letter written to his father Andrew Smith just before the epic flight from the Hand & Spear Hotel, near the Vickers Aviation factory at Brooklands (the historic hotel is still there today). These letters are now highly prized by aviation history enthusiasts and philatelists. Many are privately owned but some have been donated to institutions such as the State Library of South Australia. The library also holds a fantastic collection of letters written by Ross Smith to his mother Jessie during the war. This letter is displayed courtesy of SA philatelist Martin Walker.
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