Maxwell Coulthard
Max Coulthard is Sebastian's father, a veteran oil prospector, geophysical/seismic technician, and an explorer. He brought up Seb to value everything around him: the environment, its people, and the relationship between both. Max inspired Seb to follow his dreams from a very early age, together they have climbed Ecuador's Cotopaxi Volcano, waded through swamps in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest (Oriente), and searched for mythical Inca gold high up in the Andes. Epic tales of adventure in the Simpson Desert (NT), Sahara Desert, the North Sea, and the coastal regions of the South Pacific fueled Seb to become an explorer too. His father made every effort to make sure he received a diverse education - Seb admires him more than any other person on Earth.
Max spent many years exploring the Ecuadorian rainforest and was lucky to be one of the first men to photograph the indigenous Huaorani tribes. In 1967 Max travelled to TPNG (Territory of Papua New Guinea) and worked in the Gulf of Papua (Gulf District) on the Purari, Baroi, Beara, and Turama rivers as a swamp/jungle shot-hole driller. During his time on the Turama River he came down with malaria and then dysentery and was helicoptered out on Christmas day 1967 to an airstrip, then flown by Pilatus Porter to Port Moresby. He spent two weeks in hospital recovering. Max retired from the petro-chemical industry and now enjoys life in the USA.
Max spent many years exploring the Ecuadorian rainforest and was lucky to be one of the first men to photograph the indigenous Huaorani tribes. In 1967 Max travelled to TPNG (Territory of Papua New Guinea) and worked in the Gulf of Papua (Gulf District) on the Purari, Baroi, Beara, and Turama rivers as a swamp/jungle shot-hole driller. During his time on the Turama River he came down with malaria and then dysentery and was helicoptered out on Christmas day 1967 to an airstrip, then flown by Pilatus Porter to Port Moresby. He spent two weeks in hospital recovering. Max retired from the petro-chemical industry and now enjoys life in the USA.
One of the very first photographs of a Huaorani indian in the Ecuadorian rainforest, Ecuador 1970. Image credit: Max Coulthard
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On expedition in the Simpson Desert, Australia, 1966. Image Credit: Max Coulthard
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George 'Jock' Coulthard
Seb's great-grandfather joined the British 63rd, Royal Naval Division (Hood Battalion) on 2nd December 1914 soon after war was declared with Imperial Germany. At the direction of Winston Churchill (First Lord of the Admiralty) the RND became one of the first divisions to form part of the New British Army. Jock was given a field commission from Petty Officer to Acting Sub-Lieutenant RNVR in 1915 prior to being shipped to reinforce the amphibious landings at Gallipoli during the Dardanelles Campaign. Jock saw action alongside Kiwi and Australian troops fighting against superior Ottoman-Turk forces. After months of fighting and subsequent illness, he was sent to Malta aboard the HM Hospital Ship Karapara. In late 1918 Jock transferred from the Royal Navy to the British Indian Army, 94th Russell's Infantry in the rank of Major, fighting in Waziristan during the Third Anglo-Afghan War on the North-West Frontier of India. He retired from the British Army in 1922 but was called up for service during WWII, this time commissioned as a Wing Commander (Deputy Provost Marshall) in the Royal Air Force. He married his second wife Joyce Williams, an officer in the WRAF. After the war Joyce received an MBE from King George VI for her contributions in decrypting ENIGMA codes at Bletchley Park. Jock retired from the RAF in 1945 to become sales director for Parker Pens. He passed away peacefully in 1977.
Air Vice Marshall Colin Coulthard AFC* CB
Air Vice Marshall Colin Coulthard, a highly decorated wartime Spitfire pilot, was father to Max and grandfather to Seb. Colin flew every day fighter aircraft the Royal Air Force could throw at him between 1940 and 1975. His favourite aircraft were the Spitfire Mk.IX and Hawker Hunter: "I couldn't believe the Royal Air Force allowed me to fly these magnificent aeroplanes and pay me for the privilege of doing so" he said. In a poignant letter written to Seb in 1994 he writes: "If you have the opportunity to do something great, do it, and never hesitate". Colin was one of the first British pilots to fly a jet powered fighter plane in early 1945, the Gloster Meteor, powered by Frank Whittle's legendary 'turbo jet'. He went on to become the first RAF pilot to fly at twice the speed of sound (1500mph) in the English Electric Lightning P1B and wrote the operational requirements for future RAF aircraft including the Panavia Tornado (still in service with the RAF today). Colin received the Air Force Cross & Bar for leading daring and pioneering RAF missions, later in June 1975 he was awarded a Companionship to the Order of the Bath by Queen Elizabeth II. His last operational flight was in a Hawker Siddeley Harrier in 1975. He passed away in 2004.
Supermarine Spitfire Mk. Vb Tropical
Alan Coulthard QC
Alan Coulthard was brother to Air Vice Marshall Colin Coulthard, he joined No. 142 Squadron RAF as a Vickers Wellington bomber pilot in 1941 flying night raids over Europe, and No. 9 Squadron flying Lancaster bombers until the end of the war. During one mission, Colin provided fighter escort to his brother's bomber formation - a formation of over 400 allied aircraft. When the war ended Alan became a commercial pilot (1st officer) flying the Short Solent S.45A flying boat on new routes to Africa for the British Overseas Aircraft Corporation (BOAC, 1946 - 1948). After a short stint flying along the peaceful commercial routes, he rejoined the RAF as a pilot until 1958 before being Called to the Bar at the Inner Temple in 1959. Alan continued to practice law until he became Recorder of the Court in 1970 eventually becoming Judge Coulthard at Southwark Crown Court, London in 1974. He enjoyed music, fast cars and ornithology. Ironically Alan broke the law in 1941 by lying about his age to join his brother in combat, he was 17 years of age. He passed away in 1988.
Vickers Wellington
Keith Sturt, Rolls-Royce Test Pilot.
On the 20th September 1958, a prototype Avro Vulcan bomber piloted by Rolls-Royce test pilot Keith Sturt suffered catastrophic structural wing failure during an airshow flypast at RAF Syerstone, Lincolnshire. Vulcan VX770 equipped with the worlds most powerful jet engines (Rolls-Royce Conways) plummeted to the ground and exploded on impact. All the crew aboard the aircraft died instantaneously. As a result of the crash, the wings structure of the Vulcan bomber was modified and strengthened, the Vulcan bomber would eventually become the UK's nuclear deterrent for approximately 30 years. Keith was married to Sebastian's grandmother Norah, whose marriage to Colin was dissolved in 1957. These were the days when aircraft flew straight off the drawing board at great risk to pilots and aircrew. Norah and Keith were married for less than a year, she would go on to marry James Alfred Jackson - friend to Keith Sturt. Years after Seb married his wife Tam, he discovered that his new father-in-law had been involved in the post-crash assessment and re-development of the wing design for the Vulcan bomber!
AVRO Vulcan prototype VX770 (fitted with Rolls-Royce RB.80 Conway, the first turbofans in the world to enter service)
Jim Jackson, Rolls-Royce Test Pilot.
James joined the Royal Canadian Air Force and served during WWII flying the P-40 Warhawk over Africa and Europe. He joined Rolls-Royce in 1955 to become one of the companies most senior test pilots flying a large variety of military and civilian aircraft. During the UK government acquisition of the McDonnell Douglas Phantom F-4K, he was posted to Edward Air Force Base at the height of the US / USSR space race. At the request of NASA, Jim tested one of Neil Armstrong's pressureised flying suits and during a high altitude flight above the Nevada Desert, Jim discovered an air leak in the neck seal with severe consequences for him - he survived, just! Neil Armstrong would eventually become the first man to step on the moon during the Apollo 11 space mission. Some of Jim's closest friends included Barnes Wallis (inventor of the bouncing bomb), Bruce Peterson (the real 6 million dollar man), Astronaut Alan Shepard, and X-15 pilot Major Alan J. Adams. Jim was awarded an honourary membership of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots, membership of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators, and was made a Freeman of the City of London by the Duke of Edinburgh.
McDonnell Douglas Phantom F-4K