Captain Harry ButlerPrint Page

The Captain Harry Butler Memorial, houses in a glass hangar, a static display of the Captain`s famous monoplane "Red Devil"  and celebrates his life and achievements. The memorial also honours pioneer aviators and is a war memorial in memory of those who served in the defence of Australia. 

Captain Harry Butler flew his monoplane, "The Red Devil" from Adelaide to Minlaton carrying airmail on 6 August 1919, and the "Red Devil" is preserved in the memorial.  Harry Butler who was born in Minlaton, and as a twenty six-year-old paid his own way to England in 1916 to join the Royal Flying Corps and within months was flying over France. He was awarded the Air Force Cross but returned to Australia after receiving a head wound in active service. He made his way back to the Yorke Peninsula with an AVRO Bi-plane and his beloved plane, the "Red Devil".

Soon he was drawing crowds at his barnstorming displays at fairs around South Australia and dropping into places like Unley Oval.  On August 6th, 1919 he brought the Yorke Peninsula closer to the outside world when he flew the first airmail over water in the Southern Hemisphere.

On January the 11th, 1922 Butler took his Avro Bi-plane for a flight over the wheat fields near Minlaton. While flying at about 1000 metres the engine seized and the plane crashed.  He suffered extensive facial injuries and had numerous operations, but never recovered fully and died eighteen months later. He was buried with full military honours on July 31st, 1924.

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