ADF Serials Telegraph Newsletter
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John Bennett ADF Serials Telegraph Newsletter Volume 10 Issue 3: Winter 2020 Welcome to the ADF-Serials Telegraph. Articles for those interested in Australian Military Aircraft History and Serials Our Editorial and contributing Members in this issue are: John ”JB” Bennett, Garry “Shep” Shepherdson, Gordon “Gordy” Birkett and Patience “FIK” Justification As stated on our Web Page; http://www.adf-serials.com.au/newsletter.htm “First published in November 2002, then regularly until July 2008, the ADF-Serials Newsletter provided subscribers various news and articles that would be of interest to those in Australian Military Heritage. Darren Crick was the first Editor and Site Host; the later role he maintains. The Newsletter from December 2002 was compiled by Jan Herivel who tirelessly composed each issue for nearly six years. She was supported by contributors from a variety of backgrounds on subjects ranging from 1914 to the current period. It wasn’t easy due to the ebb and flow of contributions, but regular columns were kept by those who always made Jan’s deadlines. Jan has since left this site to further her professional ambitions. As stated “The Current ADF-Serials Telegraph is a more modest version than its predecessor, but maintains the direction of being an outlet and circulating Email Newsletter for this site”. Words from me I would argue that it is not a modest version anymore as recent years issues are breaking both page records populated with top quality articles! John and I say that comment is now truly being too modest! As stated, the original Newsletter that started from December 2002 and ended in 2008, and was circulated for 38 Editions, where by now...excluding this edition, the Telegraph has been posted 44 editions since 2011 to the beginning of this year, 2020. The ebb and flow of contributions is still a major problem and concern and if it wasn’t for stalwarts like John Bennett and a few recent authors who have contributed alone and by me, I’m sure new articles and public interest would have died long ago. Like other parts of the ADF Serials.com.au site, we all do this for free and to share history. From my prospective, all research and presented articles are produced in good faith, based on thorough research with official documentation and accumulated knowledge that, in most parts is considered “air tight”, but we are always willing to include discussion should they conflict with written history, by presenting evidence, or new evidence presented. The included Authors in each edition, are also providing their articles, based on their research that is supported by official period documentation and photos, that may provide interest and insight in lesser known subjects’ or circumstances, otherwise forgotten or not fully covered by recorded History to date. Other Stories may be of a personal account or passed down as viewed through their eyes only, and will be stated as such. Our Bottom Line: We do reserve the final say and do standby our presented article’s accuracy; until alternative or official documentation are provisioned to state the facts are otherwise. We will not accept or publish any knee jerk comment or unsupportive counter arguments. I should also wish everyone a safe period of isolation during this Pandemic,...until there’s a vaccine! Yours, Gordy 2 | P a g e ADF-Serials Generic House Rules: Please support the main ADF-Serials website with your patronage. It's free and is the product of thousands of hours of dedicated, ongoing work by our volunteer membership. Many of the answers to your questions can be found there. It is located at http://www.adf-serials.com.au/home.htm The main site also includes: Our image gallery at http://www.adf-serials.com.au/Gallery.htm Our message board at http://www.adf-messageboard.com.au/invboard/ The Aircraft of the New Zealand Defence Force website at http://www.nzdf-serials.co.nz/nz- serials/nzaircraft.htm The Aircraft of the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF) website at http://www.adf- serials.com/PNGDF.htm Any photographs posted must be your own or where possible, have the photographer's permission. At the absolute least, ALWAYS ensure credit is given. In this Issue Page# Column/Article Page 4 A Moment in Time: Memories from my Service “UD” by Garry Shepherdson Former RAAF Aerodromes along or near the Stuart Highway Part 2, Batchelor / Adelaide Page 7 River Region by Garry Shepherdson Page 36 RAAF WWII IN COLOUR:– No.5 – RAAF Ansons by John Bennett Australians Killed in USAAF Service; all in a day’s service : F/O Edward T Mobsby Serv#407799, F/Sgt Clive H Hawter Serv#406129 and Sgt Ian C Hamilton Serv#405278 by Page 116 Gordon Birkett How to Read RAAF Historical Record: Don’t Believe Everything You See (or Read) by Garry Page 120 Shepherdson Page 126 Curtiss Corner: P-40N-40-CU, A29-1111 by Gordon Birkett Message Traffic: Please address any questions to: [email protected] 3 | P a g e A Moment in Time Memories from my Service “UD” Shep During the mid-1980’s, I was an ADG based at RAAF Williamtown. At that time, 2AFDS [Number 2 Airfield Defence Squadron also known colloquially as just “The Squadron”] was headquartered at RAAF Richmond with rifle flights at RAAF Richmond, RAAF Williamtown, RAAF Amberley and RAAF Fairbairn. I had been posted to Williamtown having completed ADG Basic Course in December, 1984. The next year was fairly busy; it started with Cadre course at Richmond and was then followed by regular deployments on exercises around the place; I went to Townsville a few times, Richmond a few times (yuk), Nowra and Cape Jervis (where we were enemy for the Commandoes), some armed stuff at Fairbairn and so on. We did do some local training from time to time and one day some of us played “enemy” for a ground attack and paratrooper assault demo during an air show at Williamtown (it was an open-day during August – others from our flight were sliding down ropes from Navy Wessex’s and there was probably a static display – although I don’t remember it). Us enemy types had a sandbag defensive position which was protecting some cardboard cut-out tanks or whatever, laced with pyrotechnics. At the appointed time, we manned our position, were strafed by some Mirages and then assaulted by a wave a paratroops who had fallen out of a Caribou, one of whom quite rudely landed right in the middle of our play-pen (we weren’t allowed to beat him up or take him prisoner – he was well and truly “it”, though). Throughout the attack, we just blazed away in all directions with our weapons as any self- respecting enemy would. In short order however, we were declared to have been dispatched; the air attack by the Mirage’s and the assault by the paratroopers having won the day in a few minutes-flat, our sandbag fort (corr, imagine if we’d had jumping castles back then!) had been overrun and the cardboard tanks (or whatever they were) had been torched. An integrated defence force was seen by the masses to work effectively and efficiently in time of crisis and within a generation or two such a networked effort would probably be known as “Plan something or other” or “Jan Plericho” or something. The weapon I was using was an L2A1 AR [Automatic Rifle], basically a machine gun version of the venerable L1A1 SLR [Self Loading Rifle]. The L2A1 looked very similar to the SLR, except it had a heavier barrel (to cope with the higher rate of fire when set to automatic), a much more rectangular looking hand-guard which doubled as spring loaded bipod legs and ammunition was usually supplied via a 30-round magazine instead of the SLR’s normal 20-round piece. I don’t know how many (blank) rounds I had put through this thing spraying away at aeroplanes and paratroopers but by the time we were declared “dead” and had to double off stage, the weapon was well and truly cooked; it was so hot, the carry handle was nearly too hot to touch, the butt had a large chunk of it missing from just behind the rear sight and the rest of it a large crack in it and, whilst I could remove the last magazine I had used (which was also very hot), I couldn’t move the working parts to the rear to clear the weapon. It was just about drooping with heat and locked solid. Not to worry, I’ll clear it later when it’s had a chance to cool down a bit. So, we doubled back to our little donga for an afternoon of break-free soaked 4x2 cloth and weapon cleaning whilst smoking cigarettes. Now, as everybody knows, it is considered rather poor form, certain circumstances excepting, to enter a building without first clearing and thus rendering safe, ones weapon. No doubt, everyone who has served in any branch of the Australian Defence Force will remember their “Degrees of Weapon Readiness” and the condition of “unload”. So, by saying “clearing” what one is actually doing is going through the process of unloading the weapon, even if it has been done a short time before. To accomplish the unload condition from any other condition with a L1A1 SLR or a L2A1 AR, one first checked the safety catch was at “safe”, then the weapon was rotated to the right (so as the cartridge ejection opening was facing the ground), the magazine was then removed and the cocking handle was 4 | P a g e pulled (and held) back.