Taken Tasmania circa 1935
1892 Apr 18. Born 207 Crown St, Surry Hills, Sydney.( New South Wales, son of Joseph and Mary E Francis) Arthur Edwin Francis is Joseph's step-father. Joe's father was believed to be of Italian Heritage. Joe's maternal grandfather was an hotel keeper, his stepfather from 5yrs onward was a printer (my grandfather). his biological father apparently came from Italian nobility but I have yet to find out a name. My grandmother had a short relationship with him when he was visiting Sydney and possibly stayed at their hotel (but I'm guessing). His birth certificate has a blank for the father's name. His mother and step-father married when he was 5 years old.
1907 • Kogarah High School, Kogarah, New South Wales Australia. Sydney Technical College where he qualified as an Electrical Engineer.
1913 to 1916 he was an electrical and mechanical engineer at Ramsey Sharp & Co, George St, Sydney. From RAF file
1915 Nov 27. Married Mabel F O'Connor at Hurstville, New South Wales. (He was married three times.) . He was living at Leticia St, Oatley NSW, Australia
1916 Oct 8 Married . Lived at Toronto, Rosa Street, Oatley. BDM’s confirm registration of marriage to Beatrice M. Moore with the registration at Newcastle.
1916 Dec 16 Australian Aero Club Certificate. Joe attended the first course at Richmond, 10 pilots were accepted by the Australian Flying Corps another 8 including Joe were despatched to England to offer their services to The War Office. Joe felt his weight (over 11st) was against him being accepted by the AFC. In his life he flew 25 different types of plane, passed out second in the stunting course at Gosport school for instructors (UK); had 2+3/4 years with RFC/RAF..
!917 Jan 8. An Australian application for a commission in the Australian Flying Corps shows he obtained his pilot’s certificate on December 16th 1916. He had been a gunner for 2 years and was born on April 18th 1892. Nothing seems to have come of his commission application.
1917 Mar 27 Arrives in UK from Sydney on the SS Omrah. . He is one of a group of 8 Pilots to come in from Australia that day.
1917 Apr 18. Earliest entry in service record RAF. On arrival in England they were accepted as a probationary flight officers and paid one shilling per day as compared to six shillings per day when in NSW. The NSW government agreed to make up the difference until they gained their wings.
1917 May 30. Commissioned 2nd Lt. Sent with 4 Squadron, the last Australian Flying Corps to be formed during WW1. Embarkation 17/01/17. Passed out 2nd in the stunting course at Gosport, selected as RAF Pilot Instructor. And was an instructor for the duration of the war. 900 hours and 25 types without accident. While in England he applied to be a pilot with the NSW government but told no vacancies.
1917 Sep 27. Promoted Flying Officer
1918 Apr 1. Promoted Lt.
1919 Aug 28. MID
1919 Dec 28 He returned to Australia on the Ulysses
1920 Feb 7. To unemployed list RAF. Seems to have been repatriated to Australia from RAF record. He sought employment with the NSW Government as a pilot on return but was told there were no vacancies. Returned to U.K. and joined ADRIC
1920 Dec 20 Joined ADRIC with service no 1298. Posted to M Coy
1921 Jan 1. Promoted Section Leader i/c transport
1922 Jan 19. Discharged on demobilisation of ADRIC
1922 May 22. Arrives back in Sydney
1922 Nov. He is the pilot in a plane crash. In taking off from a faulty landing stage at Serviceton on Wednesday, an airplane carrying Mr. Howard Jolley and Capt J. Francis (pilot), en route for Adelaide, collided with a motor car. Two spectators were injured, the pilot received abrasions to the nose, and was unconscious for an hour. Mr. Jolley, who has been in 10 air smashes, escaped injury – ‘as usual.’
1923 Granted Civil Aviation Licence . He gained his B license No 4 . He flew with Mathews Aviation
1924 Mar 6. Divorce granted, filed by Mabel Florence O'Connor on the grounds of desertion.
1924 • Hurstville, New South Wales . Married Roslyn Sarah Adkins Roslyn Sarah Adkins 1900–1958 No children from this marriage
1926 Instructor at the Victorian Aero Club
1928 August . Astor Radio Tour. Extraordinary interest is being aroused in the country by the visit of the Astor Radio aeroplane. Big crowds have welcomed the aviators, and Capt. J. Francis has been kept busy with “flips”. The progressive move made by Louis Coen Wireless is one that will be appreciated by all who are in any way connected with aviation. The tour has given an unusual opportunity to the people in the country to realise aviation and its enormous value to the Commonwealth.
1929 Jan 19. The Mirror (Perth) on page 16 included a picture of Captain Francis. MOTH CRASHED ON ROADWAY. Joseph Francis, the pilot of the Moth plane that crashed on the roadway near Prince’s Pier (Melb) on Saturday afternoon. The pilot and a lady passenger escaped un
1929 May 8. NSW Police Gazette. He is being sought for avoiding maintenance.
1930. Officer of the Matthews Aviation Company.
1930 May 26 winner. The Derby Handicap (an Australian Air Race) , flown jointly with the Derby, for which the fastest time decided the winner, was won by Captain J. Francis (Vic.) in a DH4. The machine is 14 years old, and the engine was bought for £6 from the R.A.A.F. Captain Francis also gained third fastest time in the Derby.
1930 Nov 18 Moves to Tasmania Captain Francis is one of the most experienced pilot instructors in Australia. He served in the Great War with the R.A.F., and has been instructor for the Victorian section of the Aero Club for several years. He has done approximately 7000 hours flying, and the Tasmanian section is considered in luck to obtain his services.
1936. Chief Instructor of the Tasmanian Aero Club. Joe was the first flying instructor based at Western Junction in 1930 it was a small but active and progressive club. At the end of 1934 it had 149 members (80 flyers) and 11 pilots trained. A DH60 Moth from the club is on display at The Power House Museum
1936 Dec 12 • Tasmania, Australia. Divorced from Roslyn Sarah Adkins on the grounds of his adultary with another woman
1937 Chief Instructor of A.N.A. Flying School.
1937 Marriage at Victoria, Australia to Alice Maud Owen "Gibby" Gibbons 1888–1980
1943 Electoral Roll. Living at Auburn, Kooyong, Victoria, Australia at 51 Toorak Rd, Occupation: Manager
1949 Manager of Australian National Airlines. He was a traffic superintendent;
1954 Electoral Roll living at Elmore, Bendigo, Victoria, Australia. Occupation: Hotel Keeper "SHAMROCK HOTEL" with wife Alice
1963 Sep 12 Died Elmo, Victoria
1963 Sep 16. buried at Fawkner Memorial Park, Sydney Rd, Fawkner VIC.