 Malley relinquished his appointment in the Commonwealth Military Forces on 18 June 1925 . The following day , he was commissioned a flight lieutenant in the Citizen Air Force , the part @-@ time active reserve of the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) . He served as a pilot with No. 3 Squadron , which operated Airco DH.9s and Royal Aircraft Factory S.E.5s. Formed at RAAF Point Cook , Victoria , the squadron transferred to the newly opened RAAF Richmond , New South Wales , on 30 June . From 1925 to 1928 , Malley was vice president of the Australian Flying Corps Association . In January 1928 , he was promoted to honorary squadron leader , and temporarily commanded No. 3 Squadron in March – April . That year , he gave up his position with Malley 's to become an aviation consultant to Australian National Airways ( ANA ) , as well as a director of the company . In January – February 1929 , he again temporarily commanded No. 3 Squadron . That April , he was a member of the citizens ' committee responsible for organising and funding the search for the Southern Cross and its crew , Charles Kingsford Smith and Charles Ulm , who had force @-@ landed in North West Australia during a flight from Richmond to England . Les Holden eventually located the missing airmen near the Kimberley region . In 1930 , Malley transferred to the ( inactive ) RAAF Reserve . 
