Shackleton-Murray

History

Lee Cameron Lathrop Murray was born on 30 July 1904 in Malvern, Victoria, Australia, the son of Dr. Hugh Dynnyrne Lathrop Murray and Mary Ann Murray (née MacInnes). He was educated Melbourne Church of England Grammar School from 1918 to 1922, followed by Trinity College, Melbourne University from 1923 to 1925.

While at University, Murray served as a Private in the Australian Infantry (Citizen Forces). He joined the RAAF as a Cadet on 14 January 1925 and was appointed to No1 FTS, Point Cook. He was commissioned as a Pilot Officer on 1 April 1926.

Murray resigned his RAAF commission on 17 November 1926 in order to join the RAF. He embarked for England on 27 November and was granted a short service commission as a Pilot Officer for 4 years on the active list with effect from and with seniority of 17 January 1927. Sent to the Central Flying School at Upavon, Wiltshire for a flying refresher course on 1 February 1927, he was posted to 4 (Army Co-operation) Squadron on 7 March. He next attended a School of Army Co-operation short course from 9 May 27 to 29 June 1927, before being promoted to Flying Officer on 26 October.

Murray was posted to 20 (Army Co-Operation) Squadron in India on 31 January 1928, but on 29 May 1929 he relinquished his short service commission on transfer to the RAAF Reserve on account of father's death, and consequent necessity to reside in Australia in order to wind up his affairs. As part of his return to Australia in 1929, Flight records he flew a Gipsy Moth from Karachi (presumably where he was stationed) to Melbourne. He returned to the RAAF on 1 January 1930, once again with 1 Squadron.

His family affairs completed, Murray transferred to the Reserves on 1 July 1931 and returned to England by way of the Americas, flying his Desoutter monoplane across Canada and the United States, flying from Vancouver to Montreal via Los Angeles, San Diego, St. Louis and New York, studying aircraft designs and manufacturing processes on the way.

William Stancliffe Shackleton had been in Australia since early 1928 on account of his health, and it is most likely the pair met there. Shackleton returned to England in June 1931 and the two set up business as consulting engineers. Shackleton and Murray started business at 175 Piccadilly, London, in September of 1931. The partnership could not have begun at a more difficult time, for there was then a period of worldwide depression. For the first two years figures were in red but, in the third year, no salary or expenses to the two principals, a profit of just under £1 was recorded—and that was ploughed back!

In 1931 Shackleton schemed an unusual 30 passenger high wing monoplane, featuring for engines mounted as tractor/pusher pairs on overwing pylons, with the tailplane supported on twin booms.

Meanwhile Murray was granted a commission in the RAF Reserve of Officers as a Flying Officer Class A, on probation, on 30 December 1931, confirmed in rank on 30 June 1932. In April 1932 Murray completed a Flying Instructors course at AST, Hamble, following which he took a blind flying course.

In 1932 the two partners decided to design a small two-seater aircraft utilizing a pusher propeller and powered by a 60 h.p. Hirth engine. This, the Shackleton-Murray S.M.1, was based largely on the ideas formulated by Murray after flying the Curtiss Junior, a similar type, in the U.S.A. during his journey to England. With no production facilities of their own, construction was entrusted to Airspeed and the S.M.1 first flew early in 1933. That same year, Shackleton and Lee Murray formed Forward View Aeroplanes, Ltd to acquire “an experimental aeroplane known as The Shackleton Murray Pusher Monoplane S.M.1, with registered designs, letters patent, and drawings, and to carry on the business of aeronautical experts and consultants, etc.” In addition to Shackleton and Lee Murray, Thomas H. Cloustor was also a director.

Towards the end of 1933 Lee Murray left England for Canada to take up the position of General Manager of the de Havilland Co. of Canada, Ltd., at Toronto. Still in the Reserve of Air Force Officers, he was transferred from Flying Officer Class A to Class C on 11 November 1933.

With Murray's departure, Shackleton and Murray ceased to exist. Shackleton decided to dispose of this machine at a very low figure, 12 months C. of A. and one set of blueprints included. The S.M.1 had made 350 short flights only, and has been involved in no accidents or trouble of any kind. The Manufacturing Rights are also offered, either separately or with the machine.

Murray relinquished commission in the RAF Reserve of Officers on completion of service on 7 August 1939 and returned to Australia. He served with the RAAF until 1948. In December 1945 he and his wife purchased the historic Birling estate in NSW, living there until 1949. By 1954 the family was living in Tasmania.

Lee Cameron Lathrop Murray died on 23 November 1980 in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.

Company References

1. Flight 29 May 1931
2. Aeroplane Monthly Aug 1976
3. ancestry.co.uk
4. Fold3.com/