Ray Parer

Raymond John Paul Parer AFC (18 February 1894 – 4 July 1967) was an Australian aviator.

Parer was born in South Melbourne, Victoria, the second of nine children of a Spanish-born caterer, Michael Parer, and his Australian wife Myria (née Carolin). He was educated at St Stanislaus College, Bathurst, New South Wales, and Xavier College, Melbourne. He developed an interest in aviation and mechanics at an early age, and served a motor engineering apprenticeship with Broadbribb Brothers in Melbourne.

He enlisted in the Australian Flying Corps on 2 November 1916, initially as a mechanic, but was soon accepted to train as a pilot, as an acting sergeant. From February to May 1917, he trained on box kites at the Central Flying School at Point Cook. He was commissioned a second lieutenant on 1 June 1917 and was sent to England to complete his training, qualifying as a pilot and being promoted lieutenant on 15 February 1918. He served as a test and ferry pilot with the Royal Air Force Central Despatch Pool, being twice recommended for the Air Force Cross.

After the end of World War I, the Australian government offered a prize of £10,000 for the first flight from England to Australia. He paired with John McIntosh, and, although leaving well after the event had been won, they arrived in Darwin on 2 August 1920. Their aircraft was an Airco DH-9, and theirs was the only other entrant to successfully complete the race. He and McIntosh were awarded the Air Force Cross for this feat on 23 November 1920, as well as £500 each. The journey was detailed in the book Flight and Adventures of Parer and McIntosh by Emily Charnwood.

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