ADF Serials Newsletter
For those interested in Australian Military Aircraft History and Serials
ã2004
August 2004
In this Issue:
· Editor’s blurb
· ADF Serials Team News
· P40E/E-1 Operations in Australia-USAAF Part X Ver 2F – Gordon B
· Ramp Strike aboard HMAS Melbourne 1971 – Phil Thompson
· Price rise at the National Archives of Australia - Jan
· Iron Range Airfield near Lockhart River
· Can you Help?
· Feedback
· On This Day - Jan
Editor’s Blurb:
Hi everyone. Our subscriber list increases every month and it is great to see new submissions of articles etc by old and new aviation aficionados. The number of people actively involved in updating the content on the website is constantly growing – the success of the website is due to these hardworking volunteers who give up their time to research and update information. Check out the new developments under ADF serials team news.
This month’s newsletter contains the next instalment of Gordon B’s groundbreaking research on P40’s. Gordon has put in hundreds if not thousands of hours researching the P40’s and has produced a wonderful series of articles so far with more to come in the future. Keep up the great work!
I am always pleased to be able to include articles on naval or army aviation, especially articles written of first hand experiences. This month, Phil Thompson, an A4 Skyhawk pilot with 805 Sqn (RAN) at the time, has provided not only a first hand account of a ramp strike incident aboard the HMAS Melbourne in 1971, but some wonderful images as well. So if you have an incident that you would like to share with us, email us via the feedback link.
Our feedback link continues to provide requests for help and also information to assist others. I would like to thank those who take the time to assist fellow researchers. The diversity of the visitors to the website and feedback link is incredible!
Till next month,
Jan
ADF
Serials Team News
We would all like to welcome Steve Mackenzie who has
joined the team as the editor for Mustang web page. Welcome aboard! Ron Wynn
has volunteered to look after the Mosquito pages. Martin Edwards who has put a lot of time and effort into the
Canberra webpage over the past year or so is now tackling the Sabre page as
well. Thanks everyone for your hard
work!
P40E/E-1 Operations in Australia-USAAF Part X Ver 2F –
Gordon B
On the 8th March 1942, the 9th
Pursuit Squadron of the 49th Pursuit Group set out from Williamtown
RAAF Base for its intended destination, Darwin. This Squadron would provide air
cover, the first for Darwin since the virtual destruction of A Flight, 33rd
Pursuit Squadron (Provisional) some four weeks prior on the 19th
February 1942.
Like most of the previous deployments to
Darwin over the past few months on the Brereton Route, the toll of crashed and
damaged P-40Es began to mount. From the 25 P-40E/E-1s, which started, only 13
had arrived at Darwin by late afternoon on the 17th March 1942. The
remaining damaged and surviving 11 aircraft would follow when repaired.
With the increasing Japanese air activities
over the north of Australia, including the bombing of Horn Island (where the 7th
PS claimed the first kills for the 49th PG), a move to a more secure
location was considered. It was decided that the 9th Pursuit
Squadron would relocate some distance back from the coast on the 19th
March to the more secure strip at Batchelor 1942.
The First Kill
The 9th PS didn’t wait long to go
into action. RAAF radar at Dripstone Cliffs detected a Japanese Naval
Mitsubishi Ki-15 reconnaissance aircraft of the 3rd Kokutai at around 12.45pm
being flown in advance of a formation of G4M Betty’s of the Takao Kokutai.
This radar unit reported through the RAAF
No.5 Fighter Sector Unit. This formation was heading towards Katherine further south;
to bomb any remaining allied bombing aircraft that were sheltering there.
A
4-aircraft 9thPS patrol was vectored to the lone intruder’s intended path. The
patrol separated into two flights to search for the Ki-15. 2nd Lt
Clyde Harvey (41-5614) and 2nd Lt Stephan Poleschuk (41-5638)
successfully intercepted the aircraft and made several passes at it. Soon the
aircraft trailed heavy smoke and continued northerly over the sea, gradually
losing altitude. One crewman was seen to parachute successfully when the
aircraft was west of Bathurst Island.
2nd Lt Stephan “Polly”
Poleschuk’s P-40E-CU 41-5638, later as #96 “Huyebo” with post 28/03/42 USAAF
Blue/White Star Insignia
The patrol landed at Darwin to refuel and
then proceeded to Batchelor. The first kill for the 9th Pursuit
Squadron was then credited, some says by a coin toss, to 2nd Lt
Stephan Poleschuk.
This was the start of an impressive combat
record for this squadron in World War Two.
A fatal loss and numerous accidents period
marred this March period. On the 24th March 1942, an unsuccessful
attempt was made to intercept an enemy raid. All serviceable P-40E’s, numbering
some 18 aircraft, transited from Batchelor to RAAF Darwin to refuel and to
continue a patrol.
On landing, 2nd Lt Thomas R Fowler 0-425165,
in Box #255 crashed his P-40E-CU on landing which resulted in the aircraft
nosing over on its back. It was a write-off.
This left the 9th Pursuit Squadron with only 17 serviceable
P-40Es on hand with around thirty pilots to fly them. Again the 9th
Pursuit Squadron missed engaging with the enemy.
P-40E-CU
41-5326 Box #255 2nd Lt Thomas R Fowler crashed landed at RAAF
Darwin 24/03/42
One of the repaired transiting P-40Es, #240, flown by 2nd Lt
Sidney Woods, was taking off from Daly Waters to join the rest of the Squadron at
Batchelor when trouble struck. The engine quit. Woods skilfully placed the
aircraft back down on the remaining part of the strip, but continued on into
the tree line at the end of the strip
P-40E-1-CU
41-24803 ET153 #240 2nd Lt Sidney Woods crashed on take-off Daly
Waters 25/03/42
Revenge for the 33rd Pursuit
Squadron’s Captain Pell by 2nd Lt Robert Vaught
On the 28th March 1942, following
a change of tactics by the Squadron, the Japanese unchallenged raids of the
past few days, and early warning by RAAF radar, an interception took place over
Beagle Gulf with 7 G4M Betty’s of the Takao Kokutai at around 14.20hrs.
Earlier at 11.00 hrs a Japanese “Babs”
reconnaissance aircraft had overflown Darwin and released a meteorological
balloon to gather atmospheric information for an attack. This caused the
scrambling of a flight of 9 P-40Es from Batchelor to try and intercept this
aircraft, however the altitude of the aircraft was some 10,000ft above the
P-40E’s ceiling. They were unable to intercept.
The flight of 9 P-40Es, piloted by 2nd
Lt Mitch Zawisza, 2nd Lt Bill Sells, 2nd Lt Clyde Harvey,
2nd Lt Stephan Poleschuk, 2nd Lt Robert Vaught, 2nd
Lt Joe Kruzal, 2nd Lt Driver, 2nd Lt James Porter and 2nd
Lt Manning then landed for refuelling at RAAF Darwin.
The 7 bombers’ target was the airfield, and
the first indication of trouble was the sound of bombs falling on RAAF Darwin
where the flight had only just finished refuelling. The mad scramble to get
airborne was on, with all successfully aloft, save for 2nd Lt
Manning whose engine failed on take-off.
2nd Lt Zawisza finally caught up
with 4 other P-40Es led by Vaught and attacked the formation. They made three
repeated attacks, causing the formation to disperse before they latched onto a
trailing Betty. Zawisza made the first pass, followed by Vaught’s flight of
four.
This is perhaps the most famous 49th FG P-40E-1-CU of all,
in 1942.
41-24872 aka ET196 #94 “Bob’s Robin”. It should be
noted that this aircraft is depicted in the post 28/03/42 USAAF Blue/White Star
Insignia
Back on the 19th February 1942 at
RAAF Darwin, Vaught’s P-40E, #28, was handed over to Captain Floyd Pell, whose
P-40E #03 was unserviceable. Pell was shot down after scrambling to take-off to
intercept the Japanese. Bob Vaught was eager to level the score, with interest,
as he was on the ground at RAAF Darwin for the first raid.
His aircraft, a replacement for his
previously damaged P-40E-1-CU (41-24797 when repaired, was transferred on the 7th
March 1942 to the RAAF as one of the first 10 P-40Es at Bankstown), was a
re-built P-40E-1-CU finished roughly in olive drab, sporting a 112 Sqn RAF
inspired Sharkmouth.
With the aerial fight continuing out to sea
for around eighty miles before contact was broken off, Vaught was eventually
credited with shooting this aircraft down. A total of three bombers was claimed
by the participating pilots with all being seen trailing heavy black smoke.
However historical research post-war has revealed only one was in fact
destroyed. This engagement changed the composition of future raids with the
Japanese providing fighter escorts on those missions.
The next raid came two days later, on the 30th
March 1942, signalled by the familiar meteorology balloon launched by the
leading reconnaissance aircraft, and with the formation picked up by the RAAF
radar unit at a distance of 60 miles. This raid consisted of seven twin engine
bombers with an escort of five Zeros. Due to the short warning, the P-40Es of
the 9th Pursuit Squadron was still climbing to intercept their
quarry when they were attacked by the Zeros.
This tied up the 9th Pursuit
Squadron, which then resulted in the unimpeded bombing of RAAF Darwin by the
seven bombers. Cannon fire from one of the Zeros caused damage to 2nd
Lt James “Jim” Porter’s tail assembly whilst anotherP-40E, that of 2nd
Lt William “Bill” Sell, was badly shot up. Both withdrew from the aerial
dogfight. Porter was able to land his
P-40E at Batchelor Strip. It would be later repaired by the 43rd
Material Service Squadron and re-issued to the 7th Pursuit several
weeks later.
Meanwhile 2nd Lt Robert “Bob”
McComsey was having troubles of his own trying to shake off a Zero over the sea
near Darwin. After his aircraft was heavily damaged by machine-gun fire, his
P-40E went into an unrecoverable stall, requiring him to bale out. His aircraft
crashed into the sea while he drifted in his chute towards the coastal
hinterland swamp.
The result of this raid was that one P-40E
was lost in combat and two heavily damaged. No enemy aircraft were shot down.
2nd
Lt James Porter’s 9th PS P-40E –CU 41-5574 following being repaired
and in service with the 7th Pursuit Squadron as #16 “Elmer”, May 1942. Original Box # unknown
2nd
Lt Robert “Bob” McComsey’s 9th PS P-40E-CU 41-5548 as lost on the 30th
March 1942 off the coast near West Point, Darwin. It was Box #213
The following day, the 31st March
1942, the Japanese returned to bomb Darwin when at 12.35hrs seven bombers
unleashed their bombs from 17000ft on the RAAF station.
One of three flights dispersed at Adelaide
River, Batchelor and RAAF Darwin made interception. This five-aircraft flight
from RAAF Darwin, led by Philippines and Java veteran 2nd Lt Andy
Reynolds, desperately climbed past 7000ft. One P-40E #014, piloted by 2nd Lt Richard Taylor, remained on
the ground with engine trouble during the bombing, but escaped unscathed.
The flight was jumped by the twelve
escorting Zeros. Unable to get to the bombers, they were forced to fight for
their lives with the Zeros for several minutes whilst the bombers continued on.
After clearing his tail, 2nd Lt
Andy Reynolds managed to damage and then shoots down one of these Zeros into
the sea north of Darwin. This was the first Zero shot down in aerial combat
over Darwin by the 9th Pursuit Squadron.
Australian Army gunners also managed to
damage at least one bomber with their AA fire.
We’ll leave the 49th Pursuit
Group at Darwin as at the 31st March 1942 as reinforcements, in the
shape of the 7th Pursuit Squadron, is on their way. The next
instalment of the 49th Pursuit Group will cover the April 1942
period culminating on the 25th April 1942, Anzac Day, the first
absolute aerial battle victory at Darwin when the 49th Pursuit Group
outnumbered the enemy for the first time.
2nd Lt Richard Taylor’s P-40E Serial unknown, #014 at RAAF
Darwin, on the ground during the bombing on the 31st March 1942
being repaired.
41-5326
Box #255 of 2nd Lt Thomas R Fowler being retrieved by 43rd
Material Sqn
April
42 (Buz Bushby)
Special thanks given to Bob Livingstone, Buz
Bushby and Shane Johnston for all their help and assistance in making this
article possible. This is a mosaic of all of our research and fruits of our
frustration at times. Again thanks to the NAA and USAF AHRA.
In the next instalment:
P40E/E-1 Operations in Australia Part XI – 75 Sqn Defence
of Port Moresby April-May 1942
Ramp Strike aboard HMAS Melbourne 1st Sept
1971 – Phil Thompson
(This text is an e-mail written in response to a question about which pilot was involved in this incident and the questioner's comment: '...it must have frightened the daylights out of you!")
It was night time already - the daylights
were already out of me after the first night Deck Landing (DL). :-)
While this first one - as I found out later was not perfect, it didn't
look so bad after my second NON night DL - the ramp strike. I was thereafter
the pilot the sailors could approach to say "Geesus, Sir you scared the
bejeezus out of me" and these guys were in the front (as the 'birdies'
[FAA] liked to call the bow) or where ever. The admiral (not the captain) was
in his cabin directly under the ramp. It had just been refurbished. He invited
me up there to congratulate me on surviving and to show me (with good humour)
the absolute chaos it had caused in his cabin, as the ceiling (made of painted
cork) had fallen in on him. Above the cork (for soundproofing) were many inches
of specially strengthened steel by the way. HMAS Melbourne's deck (generally)
was remade (before this to be able to operate A4s) and in this area was
supported by extra footings to enable it to take the A4 bumps in the landing
zone.
I guess I had better days and nights but it
was scary just to go out there for the first time. Not really knowing the
drill, having a GCA (ground controlled approach) at low level to the 'slot' or
'groove' where we would start to look ahead see the ball and start our
approach, monitored then by the LSO (Landing Signal Officer). So I guess the
unknown is worse if it is poorly anticipated. However I knew that to be the
reverse - complacent - was not an option. Jet pilots probably get addicted to
the adrenaline rush. I'm sure most of the young pilots were just "powered
by adrenaline" most of the time.
At this point the aim was to have about 20
day catapults (and about 2 times as many Deck Landings - touch and go and
arrests) and depending, to then move on to Night DLs, as getting the ship time
was not always easy. An RAN pilot does not have his wings confirmed officially
until his first Day DL; so it is a big deal, for lots of reasons. My first DLs
were onboard HMS Eagle on its farewell tour before being scrapped. But being a
sprog newbie I was only allowed to do 4 (hook up) Touch and Gos; but they still
counted as day DLs. That was in 02 Aug 71. At that point I had done the
required 100 day/night DDLs (Dummy Deck Landings) or the old term for these was
MADDLS (Mirror Assisted Dummy Deck Landings).
Just before my first DLs on HMAS Melbourne I
did a further 9 night DDLs on the 12th & on the 20th 8 more by day, before
doing 2 'hook up' (touch and go's) DLs on Melb for the first time on the 23rd,
then I trapped for the first time on the 24th Aug with 6 DLs and 2 catapults
(so 2 out of the six were traps, just wanted to make the point that there is no
distinction between a hook up or hook down DL - if it is a good one). My ramp strike did not count as a DL. :-)
At this time of the year the westerlies are
howling and it is freezing at Nowra. Not a good time for a swim. So by 01 Sep I
had 38 day DLs and 22 cats by day - the minimum experience (later changed to a
larger requirement) to go out by night. As I say the first hook up Touch &
Go was good enough; so I guess the second (also hook up) was fortunate in that
had the hook been down - I may not have been here to tell you all this. The
hook would have tried to rip off some deck plates and then it would have been
goodnight.
It is probably obvious that lots of good
things occurred to help me survive that night - apart from being silly enough
to hit the ramp in the first place. Believe me it was not my intention to do
so. Rather than go into details which require lots of explanation I'll just
tell the story as it comes.
My memory of this approach as it started to
go bad is pretty much burnt into my brain. Probably the most extraordinary
aspect was my OBE 'out of body experience' which I did not really
"remember" at the time and subsequently was reluctant to speak about
to anyone. So if this is describing "having the daylights frightened out
of me" then you are correct. :)
As the ball (orange ball between line of
green datum lights) started to drop rapidly as I was very close to Touch Down,
I could see with my mind's eye that a series of bad events were unfolding. I
had started high so had reduced power to get back to the glideslope. This is a
pretty average start for a night DL from a Ground Controlled Approach (from the
ship). But being inexperienced the juggling then required to get back to the
glideslope etc. is the key.
Meanwhile the deck is moving which is not
always damped at every point by the gyro mirror. The LSO (a fellow A4 pilot
especially trained and experienced) watches the movement of the deck and how it
is synchronising with the aircraft approach. The LSO's judgement overrides all
others when the aircraft is in the groove. He grades and debriefs us after our
DLs.
On this night another LSO from the S2
Tracker squadron was being trained on the A4 approach. He was very experienced
on S2s and A4s in the States but had little night experience (with A4s) here.
Not that this is an issue but I make the point that any one accident is a
combination of factors. In this case I can only take full responsibility fully
for not making a better approach; or whatever it would take to keep me away
from the ramp. So please don't misconstrue this remark. I also make the point
that most likely the weather/sea state was marginal for my experience (as a subsequent
report stated), but one has to fly to the conditions and make one's own
judgements, this is the nature of military flying.
As the ball started to really accelerate
down and I was already powering up to a lot of RPM, as I had decided that it
was "a ball of wax" and I was 'out-of-here'. Usually on a reasonable
approach that requires a bit of power the LSO will smoothly say
"Power". Sometimes when it is urgent he will start shouting rapidly
"Power, Power Power" followed rapidly by "Wave Off, Wave Off, Wave
Off" (if necessary) which we have to obey - even it if it just a drill (practice
Wave off) on an otherwise good approach.
I didn't get the "Power" but I got
the "Wave Off" - this was how desperate my situation had become.
Meanwhile I'm advancing the throttle to full power a microsecond earlier as I
have decided for myself that the crap is in the fan. It takes an eternity for
the A4 engine to develop full power (I'm joking) but it depends on the
circumstances. Luckily the engine was accelerating already. Literally as the
ball started to drop (from the deck moon lighting) I could see that I was going
to go below the level of the deck (this surprised me tremendously). I was
determined to make the best wave off I could, to get the maximum out of the
Optimum Angle of Attack (this is how we land, at the OAOA) to maximise my
survival. This is SOP anyway.
So as this was happening - as I have heard
people who have been in car accidents - time slowed. My legs and feet really
tensed up in anticipation of the bump. People in car crashes often break their
legs for this reason. If they could relax then often their legs would not break
(I've been told). Anyway I started to OOBE, but still remain in control of the
A4. It was as if my legs became the springs which bounced me off the ramp and
back into the air. Obviously not true, but this was my experience. A lot was
going on at this time. :) [I was not "spotting the deck" and
therefore I was not seeing the deck or the mirror at this stage.]
The A4 had gone slightly below the deck
[just my impression] (mostly because the deck gave an out of synch pitch up -
this happens) but it compounded my problem. If you ever saw or imagine the round
down then it is possible to be climbing out of the hole - so to speak - and be
going up before striking the ramp. This is more or less what happened but the
only real witnesses - the LSOs - were not enjoying the show. Quite rightly they
had both hit the safety net off the LSO's station. This is a big loss of face
for them and they never let me forget it. Can you imagine jumping off the deck
into the black void hoping there was a net below? [They did know that their
safety net was there but they cannot see it or the water at night.] I was safe
and warm in my A4. :)
Of course there was an almighty bump as the
wheels hit the deck and the U/C flexed so much that the inner brakes gouged the
steel deck before the U/C broke, but I was going up at the time - if I had
still be going down it would have been all over. Thank goodness for relative
motion etc.
The cockpit lit up with just about every
warning light except the fire warning light, otherwise I would have ejected.
Anyway I was concentrating on doing my best OAO climbout and checking things
out. The ship was frazzled enough to direct me "east" to NAS Nowra
from "mother", but I was heading west no matter what anyone said. The
air controller had just been in the west off Perth so it was their habit to go
east to land there.
I had minimum fuel but there was enough to
fly at slow speed to NAS. Another A4 was airborne to take my slot for his own
DLs. It was our senior pilot Leut Barry Daly, who had a look at the dangling
U/C and suggested I keep it down. This is SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)
along with carrying the empty drop tanks to use as emergency U/C in such
damaged landings. I had thought about this and read about similar landings in
our flight safety literature, so catching the wire just past the threshold on
Runway 26 back at NAS Nowra, was not a problem. There was no time for foaming
the R/W, and as I arrested (with a much longer pullout of the wire, as that is the
nature of the wire at NAS), the scariest moment for me occurred. The drop tanks
still had fuel vapour in them, which from the outside caused a spectacular
WHOOSH of ignition & a brief tail of flames (remember this is night
fireworks time) which I saw as a bloody catastrophe in the mirrors and the
bright reflections around me.
The throttle was put to OFF and I was out of
that cockpit (without needing the customary A4 ladder - because I was on the
ground already) running to the edge of the R/W. - Phew. - Spectators said they
had never seen anyone run so fast. I agree.
Later I heard about what this event looked
like from those on the ship. They said the shower of sparks was amazing, as the
steel met steel. I was lucky also that the undercarriage leg stubs did not
catch a wire, as that would have been catastrophic. So I was airborne again
before the no. 1 wire. You can see on the photo how the black tyre marks
start/stop and the gouges of the brake mechanism (inside the wheel) on the
steel deck (before it broke along with everything else related).
As mentioned on the ADF site, it was a year
before the A4 could be mended with a permanent (acceptable) bend in the
airframe. I recall I was supposed to take it on the first (squadron) test
flight, but this flight was cancelled due to bad weather and subsequently
someone else took it up.
The
aftermath:
The image is taken from a reconnaissance
RF-8 Crusader approaching a big USN
carrier. In this view you can see the orange
ball between the green datum
lights. The orange ball is slightly high but
this may be a factor of where
the camera is in relation to the pilot's
eyeline. So for the pilot view his
is likely "in the groove" with the
orange ball in the middle of the datum
lights. BTW the orange ball moves vertically
to show the pilot where he is
in relation to the glideslope. So when the
ball is above the line of green
lights - the pilot is above and vice versa.
To add one further note about my own lucky
escape. The ramp was moving as
explained, usually it does so in a regular
cycle with the sea state. Why I
saw the ramp much higher was that the sea
had given it a kick out of cycle,
then by the time I got there to hit it, the
ramp was most likely at the
lowest point in its cycle and was probably
just going up again. This helped
me survive. There were not many
knowledgeable (aircrew & LSOs) witnesses to
confirm this, as quite rightly, they were
diving for cover. Ouch. So this is
just me guesstimate. At the time I hit I was
not "spotting the deck"
(looking at the deck, as this would have
been fatal). But I was
concentrating on climbing at the best OAO,
getting the best climb angle and
rate of climb to get out of that black hole
(this meant that the deck was no longer in view due to the exaggerated climb
angle). So many factors combined
to get me out of my catastrophic approach.
Price
rises at the National Archives of Australia:
A
few days ago when I was checking something on the NSS site, I noticed a
reference to increased charges for photocopying etc from 1 September 2004:
The most important points are:
Prepayment – will now be required from 1 Sep 2004 for all copy requests – public
as well as Australian government agencies.
Online ordering and payment will be available via Record Search for
copies of selected records listed on Record Search as available for public
access (that is, with an access decision of Open or Open with exception).
Online ordering and payment will be available first for the most popular groups of records in
the collection and will be extended progressively to the rest of the
collection. [Ed note: no definition
supplied of what the most popular records are but I assume they are talking
personnel records]
Costs: Standard charges
for photocopies of files from the Archives collection will apply from 1
September 2004. Copies of files with fewer than 100 pages will cost $25
(postage included). Copies of files with more than 100 pages will cost $48
(postage included).
Photocopy charges for particular records in the collection will be added,
progressively, to the Archives online collection database Record Search. You
will be able to order and pay for copies online without the delay of waiting
for a photocopy quote.
Copies of WW I and WW II defence service records will cost $25 (postage
included). Photocopies of Navy service records, which consist of one or two
cards, will continue to be provided without cost.
If you are using the archives in person - photocopies
of individual pages identified and ordered by researchers in the reading room
will continue to be available for 50 cents per page. Where copies of whole
files are ordered the standard charges will apply.
Iron
Range Airfield -Lockhart River
Recently one of the members of the ADF Serials Team was contacted by the
police at Lockhart River who are trying to establish a war memorial at the Iron
Range airfield and are in need of assistance with the research. Information being sought includes:
- Any information on the units which may have operated from the base
- Any crew etc who may have served at this unit and can provide
details
- Any photos etc.
Any data accumulated with assist with the creation of the war memorial
and ultimately go into the local library eg possibly as wall with various
plaques, photos etc and a couple of flag poles. There is currently no suitable venue for Anzac Day ceremonies so
the project is of some importance to the local community.
If you are able to assist, please use the feedback link and we will pass
anything on:
Can you help?
History
of Gove: Phil
Herdman has been writing a WW11 history of Gove for last 25 years & has a
couple of queries:
- A mate of mine would like a photo of A24-203 as his brother was killed
in it.
- A16-206 & A16-208 passed thru Gove in July 44 only problem is
they were written off in 43?? Maybe the status cards are wrong? A46-173
supposedly crashed at Whittlesea in Victoria but I assure you its just
down the road from me!
AADR Article on the Pika: A
member of the ADF Serials team is looking for a copy of an article on the Pika
in the AADR (Australian Aviation & Defence Review) Dec 1981 edition. Apparently there was also one published in
Dec 1980’s edition as well.
Anson
VH-CAB: Phil Vabre is trying to track down some info on an
Anson which became VH-CAB with DCA in 1954. I have its RAF serial as W2616 and
another ident as VH-BBT. This aircraft doesn't seem to appear on your Anson
page and I'm wondering if you are able to shed any light on its history?
RAAF
Ubon Association: Alan Wilson is seeking information on the
next of kin for PLTOFF M McGrath who was killed when Sabre A94-986 from 79 Sqn
stalled and crashed on base circuit at Ubon, Thailand on 3 Jan 1968. A three year old girl, Nuan, was killed by
the aircraft or wreckage. The
Association is trying to get the service recorded on the walls at the Aust War
Memorial.
If you can
assist, please use the feedback line below:
http://www.adf-serials.com/contact/
Feedback:
Recently K J Coward submitted the following
information via the updates page on the incident involving Hudson A16--68
“I do not know how much your organisation
knows of this fatality, but what I now know for what it is worth.. The death
roll in this crash
was eight though some of the personnel were
not crew members and were as follows:
F/O JJ Broderick 409022
F/Lt R W Shore 411199
LAC J M Gleeson 62705
Cpl J Mc Allen 36531
LAC N A Chamberlain 15786
CPL R H McIlroy 35228
LAC FF Smith 64697
ACW N
M Ralph 109913
The story goes that it was a joy flight
(pre-Xmas) as the crew and
craft were on leave from tour of duty in the islands. All personnel are buried at Richmond Air
base cemetery and a memorial service was held on 18-12-1994
where a stone was laid to their memory..
Dean Norman was able to fill in a lot of the
details:
The aircraft arrived at No.2 Aircraft Depot
on 12 Aug 44 to have a 240 hourly inspection on the airframe. All inspections
were completed on 17 Dec 44 and the aircraft was test flown by FLTLT Shore at
1500hrs on 18 Dec 44. As a result of
this flight several defects were noted and logged which were rectified by 19
Dec 44.
Initially scheduled for 0900 hrs in the
morning on 20 Dec 44 FLTLT Shore lined up and ran the engines testing for any
drop in
revs after which he turned the aircraft into
the wind and commenced a take off. Approximately one quarter of the way along
he closed the throttles and returned to the starting point. Lining back up
again he again ran the engines and attempted a second take off but again closed
the throttles then taxied the aircraft back to the hangers and informed the
duty crew that he could not get full take off revs.
The engines were run by the ground crew to
attempt to locate the problem but did not detect any. This was performed on
several occasions where the engines were run and on all occasions everything
appeared to function normally. Later that day FLTLT Shore was contacted and
asked to run the engine and after several tests, opening and closing the
throttles he did not find any faults and was satisfied.
When preparing for the afternoon test flight
ACW Ralph sought and gained authority from her superiors to participate in the
flight. LAC Chamberlain was also a passenger as it was common for Section
Warrant Officers to request that one member from each trade mustering be taken
on flights if possible. Approximately 10 minutes into the flight, which
involved several circuits, the aircraft was making a landing approach from the
west. They never made it and the aircraft came down on Dight Street missing a
house that still stands today.
And more on Hudson’s
Paul Padley has researched the loss of Hudson A16-162 and published an
account of this accident in 1997. Paul
is currently developing a home page which includes the book. You can view this information at
http://members.fortunecity.com/nowzen2/
Antonov spotting: Mike Condon sent in the following info:
Waddling its way
into Auckland from Dubai and Kuala Lumpur in the late evening of 06July was
Antonov 124 UR-82027 (19530502288) carrying Royal New Zealand Navy Seasprite
NZ3605 (NZ05). The Seasprite had
suffered damage back on 22May onboard the frigate HMNZS Te Mana, stationed in
the Gulf of Oman as part of Operation Enduring Freedom. Damage to the structure of the Seasprite
occurred following significant ground resonance vibration during a routine
engine run. A replacement Seasprite, NZ3602 (NZ02), departed on board the
Antonov 06July for Dubai via Kuala Lumpur.
Date of incident supplied by RNZN website. All other data by Mike.
Update from Nowra:
Bob Geale reports that helicopter UH-1D
66-16290 has arrived at the museum on
Friday and is now being re-assembled
to be placed on display with the RAN Helicopter Flight Vietnam display . A number of RAN pilots flew this
bird in Vietnam.
Paul Jones submitted this feedback: I am a modeller of flight sim aircraft and I
wish to thank you for the information at this site which I have used for
several of my model aircraft. RAAF Wirraway, Boomerang and Wellington.
This is a great website, which is very informative. For someone who lives in a part of the world
where remains of your wrecks form a part of our daily lives, its' good to know
something about the planes. At this point
in time, I am enquiring if there are any records from the 75th & 76th
squadrons of a plane that had a wing shot off during the Battle of Milne Bay and
did a beach landing near Samarai, in 1942.According to the local accounts this
plane was said to have been flown by 2 American black pilots who escaped unhurt,
after setting fire to the plane. I find
this difficult to ascertain, considering the only Americans in Milne Bay at
that time were associated with the 43rd Engineering Battalion who built strips
No 1 & 2.
Could you verify please.
On this day
4 Aug
90 F-18A A21-42 75SQN crashed near Katherine, NT
after a mid air collision with A21-29 at about 30,000 ft. It is believed that WGCDR Fox died instantly
as a result of the collision, which saw the outer portion of A21-29’s port wing
flown by FLGOFF David Smith slice through the forward fuselage of A21-42.
FLGOFF Smith was able to land safely at Tindal, however, WGCDR Fox’s aircraft
crashed about 35 kms from Katherine at a place ironically called Hornet Hill.
7 Aug 44 Loss of Spitfire
LF.IXE PL441 453 Sqn. It is believed
that the aircraft was hit by flak when attacking a convoy. Pilot FLGOFF E.C. Gates 409103 killed.
11 Aug 70 Loss of Macchi A7-039 2FTS. Aircraft lost when the canopy separated in flight on landing
approach at Gin Gin WA. Crew: FLTLT
P. Davies and CDTAC L. Van Prooije killed.
16 Aug 1918 AFC Squadrons in raid on Somme
10 Aug 38 Anson Mk 1 A4-29 2SQN was one of five aircraft on a navigational exercise that had been recalled
due the worsening weather conditions. The Anson, flying in low cloud, slammed into
a hill called Arthur’s Seat, near Dromana Victoria. The crew:
SGT John Gillespie (Pilot), PLTOFF Robert Symonds
(Nav), AC1 Kenneth McKerrow (Radio Op), AC1 Robert Mawson (Engineer) were
killed. A passenger, AC1 James Glover who
was riding as a passenger in the rear turret survived the crash.
AC1 Robert Mawson was the nephew of the great
Antarctic explorer, Sir Douglas Mawson.
16 Aug 43 Spitfire A58-160 serving with 2OTU crashed while
shadow shooting over Lake Victoria. The
body of the pilot SGT D.J. Stokes
437015, was recovered three days later.
Stokes, 18 at the time of the accident, was the youngest pilot to die
with 2OTU.
19 Aug 81 Loss of Iroquois A2-1023 HQWLM . Crashed near Williamtown after the failure
of the tail rotor drive. One of the tail rotor pitch control cables fouled the
tail rotor drive shaft. This caused the failure of the tail rotor drive and
ended when the main rotor blades separated.
Crew: SQNLDR Derek Knight (Pilot), FLTLT Adrian Bryant (Co-Pilot) and SGT Brian Wilson (crewman) killed.
26 Aug 1942 RAAF Sqns 75, 76, 30, 32 in action at Milne Bay, Kokoda and Buna
Thank
you to Dean and his aircrew losses research, the Australian War Memorial’s
“This Month” and the RSL Diary for dates for this month’s On this Day segment-
Jan
If you have something for the newsletter or
would like to submit an article, query or image, please use the following link: