Harold Gatty

2003 interview with Ron Gatty

• Tasmanian.
• Died in Fiji.
• Founded Air Pacific.
• Knew Amelia Earhart.
• Was a good friend of Fred Noonan.
• Taught Lindbergh and Doolittle navigation.
• Father of Ron Gatty.
• Accompanied Wiley Post on his first round-the-world flight in 1931.
• Harold's second wife, family name of Fenna, married Sir Maurice Scott after Harold died. She inherited everything from Harold; Ron got nothing. When she died, everything went to John Scott, Sir Maurice's son. John Scott was a "raging homosexual" (RG) who was hacked to death with his lover by an angry Fijian on July 2, 2001. There were 17 liters of blood on the floor. During the coup in May, 2000, John had been allowed to visit the hostages and became a household name. John's son inherited everything from him, so if there are any interesting materials left from Gatty's estate, John Scott's son is the person to talk to.
• The libraries of Harold Gatty and Alport Baker were two of the main sources for the National Archives of Fiji. TIGHAR asked both in 1999 and in 2003 whether there were any sextant boxes matching the description of sextant box found on Nikumaroro. The answer was negative.
• Ron Gatty has his father's sea sextant that was purchased used for five pounds. The name of the maker has worn off the instrument from repeated use.