Volume 34 Number 3 . ■“■■■■ili September 2003

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...... * ....liil III iiiliii Illili llllllll il III iili ■ ill III iili ill ...... 1... ■fiiiiS Ray Parer - Part 2 ■■■I Mosquito Down !■ The Journal of the AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY of Inc. A00336533P, ARBN 092-671-773 Volume 34 - Number 3 - September 2003

EDITOR, DESIGN & PRODUCTION EDITORIAL Bill Baker Here we go again another Aviation Heritage, which I hope Address all correspondence to; you all enjoy. The Editor, AHSA, Reflecting on things, I was thinking about the increasing use P.0, Box 2007, of Web Sites for the dissemination of information. I was South 3205 Victoria, Australia. looking at a site the other day and it was like a game of 03 9583 4072 Phone & Fax 'Snakes and Ladders’ with one thing leading to another. I E.mail: [email protected] found that it was very confusing with it being very hard to get www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/ahsa.html a complete picture of the story. I thought a good story Subscription Rates; ruined. It’s very hard to refer back to items that have may Australia A$45. have looked at, unlike picking up a book. You might gather Asia-Pacific A$55 by all this that I am not a real fan of the WWW. There is no Rest of World A$68. substitute for the printed word, after all, that is what ‘Aviation Overseas payment to be in Australian Heritage’ is all about. Keep writing! currency by International Money Order or Bank Draft. Overseas personal cheques Editors wish list; cannot be accepted. Priority 1: First to Fly in Australia^ Still waiting, waiting.) Articles for Publication; Any facet of Australia’s aviation history, Malaya, GAF Are to be on an Australian theme. Nomad, Korea, Vietnam, anything that interests you and can The Editor reserves the right to edit any be printed. How about the history of Airbus in Australia? Or article accepted for publication. some photos out of your collection for the Members Photo Payment is not made for articles. Page? Don’t forget that Papua and the Pacifio Please include sufficient postage for the Islands come under our banner also. Anything!! return of originals if that is required. A - H and the Computer; Contributions for Cover: Edward Fletcher has come up trumps again with his the Journal are most welcome in any form, article on WA’s Lockheed Electras. This great picture shows but if you have a computer, exported on a VH-ABV under thirty donkey power “taxying” from the 3V2" disc in ASSCII format (plain text), or swamp. WIN 6, would be just great! (Include hard copy also). However Macintosh discs can be Next Issue; Volume 34 Number 4 will be in your letter-box translated. All photographs submitted will be in the first week of December 2003. copied and the originals returned within 5 Contents; days of receipt. 83 WA Lockheed Electra Edward Fletcher Disclaimer; 88 Mosquito Down Mike Flanagan 1. Whilst every effort is made to check the 94 Ray Parer Part 2 Greg Banfield authenticity of the material and advertising 110 Korean War K-Sites Clive Lynch printed, the Publishers, Editors, and the 111 Wings Over Mesopotamia Keith isaacs Aviation Historical Society of Australia and its 122 Harold Shelton Mac Job 123 Confusing the Enemy John Hopton Office Bearers cannot accept responsibility for any non-performance. Meetings of the AHSA; 2. The views expressed in 'Aviation Heritage' are not necessarily those of the Melbourne Branch: The fourth Wednesday in every AHSA or its Editors. month, 7:30 at the Airforce Association, 4 Cromwell Street, South Yarra. Further information - Keith Meggs 9580 0140. AVIATION HERITAGE ISSN 0815 -4392 NSW Branch: The first Wednesday in every month 7:45 Studio 1 at the Powerhouse Museum, enter from the ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Macarthur Street end. Further information Warwick © 2001 by the Publishers; Bigsworth 02 9872 2323 THE AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF Branch: The last Friday in every month 7:30 AUSTRALIA INC., at the RQAC Archerfield. Meals available. Contact Richard A0033653P ARBN 092-671-773 Hitchins, 07 3388 3900 P.O. BOX 2007, SOUTH MELBOURNE, ____ VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA AHSA Aviation Heritage

Pre-war Civil Aircraft of Western Australia By EDWARD FLETCHER The Lockheed lOA Electra

ABW airborne, but not flying. Unloading the Electras at Port Adelaide. Photo;Frunk Colquhoun In 1929 the Detroit Aircraft Corporation obtained a and Pan American, entering service by June of that year. controlling interest in the Lockheed Aircraft Company but The company offered three basic variants, the 10A fitted the group's fortunes declined rapidly in the early years of with 400 hp Wasp Junior SB2 engines, the 10B fitted with the Depression. By October 1931, the Corporation went 440 hp Wright R-975-E3 power plants, the IOC with Wasp into receivership and the small trickle of orders were only 450 hp SCI engines as well as the most powerful type, just sufficient to stall off bankruptcy. the 10E which came with 600 hp Wasp R-1340-S3H1 engines. 148 machines were constructed after the In June 1932, a group of American businessmen prototype and were widely sold across the world. It was a acquired the Lockheed assets and reformed the company. most successful and reliable machine and was to be the Among them were Walter Varney, the owner of an airline, starting point of several other similar types such as the and Lloyd Stearman who became the company chairman. Models 12, 14, 18, 37 and the well-known variant of the The new owners resolved to re-enter the market with a Model 14 Super Electra, the Hudson. Nine Model 10 newly-designed all-metal airliner. Stearman was in favour Electras were imported into Australia of which six were of a single engined machine but the success of the Boeing type 10A and three were type 10B. 247 changed their thinking and instead they turned to a twin-engined design with a retractable undercarriage. The MacRobertson Miller Airlines (MMA) in Western new aircraft was designated the Model 10 and named the Australia were operating the Perth to Daly Waters route Electra. It was designed to carry 10 passengers with a under a five year contract to the Department of Defence crew of two and with an estimated maximum speed of from October 1934 to October 1939. In July 1938 the around 200 mph, It aroused immediate interest from airline company came to a temporary agreement with The operators. Department (The Department of Civil Aviation) to extend the service to Darwin to link Perth with the new Empire Flying Boat service from Singapore to Sydney. This agreement was only granted for a period of six months and was due to expire in February 1939. Two de Havilland DH 86 aircraft were bought as a stop gap measure as the only aircraft available at short notice that could traverse the route in two days and the company notified the Department that, if they placed m ! an order for three - later modified to two-Lockheed Electras by August 1938, they could be delivered to WA by the year's end. MMA realised that with only a temporary contract of six months, they would be in a difficult position if they were to lose the route only a few weeks after buying the aircraft. An agreement was reached with the Department that, in the event of loss Twin Set, May lands ABV and ABW early 1946. Photo; Author of contract, the Department would purchase the aircraft and spares at book value or reimburse MMA The prototype first flew on 23 February 1934 and for any loss they may sustain on their resale. The seven machines were immediately ordered by North West Department were not being unduly generous as they

83 AHSA Aviation Heritage intended to make it a condition to any new operator that company morale, the all-metal machines being robust and they would take over the aircraft at a cost sufficient to easy to maintain and fly. reimburse the Department for any outlay they had made. Lockheed 10A Electra VH-ABV c/n 1130 With this obstacle safely negotiated MMA immediately placed an order with Brown and Bureau, the Australian RMA Gascoyne u. , u agents for Lockheed, for two Model 10A Electras at a base The Gascoyne was due to become the black sheep of the pair, suffering several accidents of varying degrees of severity in its time with MMA. But, as so often happens to the black sheep, it had amazing recuperative powers and always came back for more. As we will see, its sister ship had a far more tranquil life but suffered a sudden and violent end while ABV is still extant today and possibly now airworthy! ABV had a busy schedule on the North West run, making landings at Geraldton, Carnarvon, Onslow, Roebourne, Whim Creek and Port Hedland for an overnight stop. The next day the aircraft flew to Broome, Derby, Nookenbah, Fitzroy Crossing, Halls Creek, Wyndham and Darwin, the total flight time being 15 hours and 45 minutes and each Electra making one return trip every week. All Famous Last Words - ''No - thaFs not the undercarriage retract lever’\ Jack went well until January 1942 Gethin, Guinea Airways chief engineer ruefully inspects the propeller Damage. The outbreak of war with Japan was to December 1938. Photo;Frank Colquhoun have an immediate impact on MMA. Large cost of A£ 17,000 each plus spares and additional numbers of refugees from Singapore and Timor started equipment. They were shipped to Port Adelaide SA, coming down from the North and while most of them were arriving on the SS Tolken on 5 December 1938 and were in aircraft which carried on to Maylands, the traffic from transported to Parafield aerodrome where Guinea Airways Darwin increased sharply. On Friday 16 January 1942 had contracted with MMA to assemble and test fly the two ABV was en route from Darwin to Perth with three women machines. Horrie Miller, MMA's chief pilot Jimmy Woods and two children as passengers. The aircraft was under and chief engineer Frank Colquhoun met them on arrival the command of Captain Jim Branch with Reg Bagwell as and familiarised themselves with the aircraft. They were First Officer. After refuelling at Wyndham the flight was registered on 21 December as VH-ABV and VH-ABW, but resumed and was some 120 miles from Derby when the MMA decided to ferry the aircraft to Maylands a few days starboard engine totally failed. The propellers on the prior to that date. Wasps could not be feathered and the pilot was unable to select coarse pitch and the increased drag caused a On 17 December, Jimmy Woods ran up the engines gradual loss of height. By using full emergency power on of VH-ABV prior to departure and tested the controls. the port engine. Branch was able to get over the Leopold Unfortunately he became confused by the cockpit layout range to the flat, black soil area of Napier Downs. and operated the undercarriage retract lever by mistake, Knowing the boggy nature of the area, he put the Electra sitting ABV down on its belly with subsequent damage to down with the wheels retracted and all escaped injury. the propellers. This was a strange mistake for Woods to Damage to the aircraft was minimal but both engines had make as in August 1937, while ferrying the last Hercules scooped up copious quantities of mud in the landing slide. to Sydney, he had test flown a Guinea Airways Electra at Parafield. Luckily damage was not particularly severe and Woods ferried the other Electra to Maylands three days later without incident while Guinea repaired its sister ship. By early January ABV was again airworthy and Woods ferried It to Maylands to complete the fleet. The arrival In WA was impressive as they had flown from Parafield with the ANA DC-2 VH-USY Bungana and, by agreement over the radio, flew over Perth in formation with the Douglas, following it In to land at Maylands. The local press were highly impressed with the comforts of the new machines which heralded a new era in air travel In the West. To further emphasise the image of the airline, the pilots now wore a smart company uniform, the first time a local airline had done so, although the ANA crews on the DC-2s had been in uniform since 1936. Both aircraft were soon on the Perth to Darwin run and the DH 86 airliners were Napier Downs 1942. ABV down but not out. photo:Reg sag^veii withdrawn from service, VH-USD being sold to Tata in while VH-USC was held as a reserve aircraft until its The subsequent retrieval of ABV was to become eventual impressment into the RAAF In 1940. The probably one of the most well organised and spectacular engineering staff of MMA had spent many difficult hours salvage operations ever seen in the West-or for that keeping the DH 86 aircraft flyable and the pilots anxious matter- Australia, rivalling the rescue of the survivors of hours flying them, so the introduction of these two the Stinson tri-motor crash on the Lamington Plateau in American airliners had a profoundly beneficial effect on Queensland. Derby were alerted by radio from the aircraft

84 AHSA Aviation Heritage

to the Lockheed and found that apart from propeller and flap damage, the distressed engine was the major problem. A replacement engine would not fit in the Cessna so a spare Wasp was sent up to Derby in a dismantled condition along with two stripped propellers and these were held in readiness for when they were needed. The engineers set about jacking up the aircraft in order to get the landing gear down and the starboard engine out. This proved to be an extremely trying task as they were not only working waist deep in water in a bog, but were constantly plagued with flies in the daytime and mosquitos at night. To add to the general difficulties it rained almost constantly for days. The aircraft was slowly jacked up by Napier Downs 1942. Working in atrocious conditions, the engineers hitch the donkey team to degrees, logs being packed under it in ABV ready to pull it to better ground. Photo; Reg Bagwell "pigsty" fashion as the jacks only had and passed on the news to Perth. On the Saturday limited travel. Finally it was high morning engineers Frank Colquhoun and Roy Guest flew enough for the gear to be lowered into two trenches and to Derby in ABW piloted by Alex Whitham on the regular with firm support from the undercarriage, further jacking service. In the meantime the MMA agent in Derby had enabled the trench to be filled In and tamped hard, telephoned the manager of Meda Station, which was Work could now start on the repairs. The propellers situated 25 miles from Derby, to come In and discuss what were removed and the defunct engine dismantled and he could do to help. Whitham had flown on to Broome removed from the mounting, Woods flew in the where he overnighted but agreed to fly back to Derby on replacement engine which was built up slowly in the the Sunday and take the Meda Station manager out to the mounting. All this work had to be done in frequent rain accident scene so he could orient his route to it. Whitham showers with canvas covers rigged over the work. returned the man to Derby and left for Darwin but, being a Colquhoun remembers having to constantly wipe every resourceful man and realising that Napier Downs Station part with rags to keep them as dry as possible. The was nearer to the scene than Meda but not contactable, propellers were assembled under the cover of the wing he diverted his flight to overfly the Station and dropped a which gave some protection, but even so trying to keep message and a map to the manager. the hydraulics clean proved a task which taxed the The MMA engineers had gone out to Meda Station engineer's patience, and then started the long trek through difficult boggy Now the Electra was ready to be taken to the gravel country to the scene. When they arrived they found the strip but first a bridge had to be built across a small creek. party from Napier Downs were already at the scene and The logs cut for the pigsties were ideal for this work but had provided the passengers with some emergency food. the day that the bridge was finished, a violent storm hit the The first problem was how to get the women and children small camp and the creek flooded, washing away the out. One of the children had developed a considerable bridge and their tents so it all had to be done again. fever and the manager of Napier Downs, Ned Delower, Woods flew over Napier Downs Station and dropped a vetoed the Idea of taking them back to the station as the message to Ned Delower that the aircraft was ready to be country was flooding fast. Meda was similarly inaccessible but the radio was now functional as Whitham, on his way south, had parachuted In a small generator and a mosquito proof tent which he had obtained from the RAAF in Darwin. A call was made to Perth for Jimmy Woods to fly up in the company's Cessna C37 VH-UZU to fly the passengers to Derby but first a landing strip had to be found. The engineers located a 280 yard length of gritty soil about half a mile from the scene and Colquhoun was sure that Woods could get In an out as he was expert at short field operations. The Cessna duly arrived and landed successfully with some tools, jacks, a camp oven, axes and shovels. The women and children were taken back to Derby and another Frank Coloquhoun guiding Jimmy Woods through the boggy patches at Napier Downs as he engineer brought out to help. taxieS ABVfor take off Photo; Frank Colquhoun Colquhoun assessed the damage

85 AHSA Aviation Heritage moved and he brought a team of thirty donkeys over to the of operation. After the war was over, MMA began to site, a trip of over twenty miles. Handling the animals acquire Douglas DC-3 aircraft and MMA were able to proved very tiring for everyone as the donkeys disliked dispose of VH-USW, the last of two DH 86 aircraft they working in boggy ground and everyone got their share of had been forced to use in the last year of the war. The kicks and bites, Later Colquhoun philosophically other DH 86, VH-USF had already been lost in a crash at remarked "We didn't know much about donkey teams Port Hedland in June 1945. The Electras were switched to when we started but we knew a hell of a lot about them the feeder routes that the company was beginning to when we finished" develop in the first years of peace, ABV going on to the "Station" run, calling at outback properties dotted all over Finally the aircraft was dragged to the small strip and the Gascoyne, Pilbara and Kimberley area. At one stage the mud could be properly cleaned out of the port engine there were 163 landing places listed for regular calls at and the propellers fitted. To the delight of all the engines varying intervals and it is a tribute to the strength of the both tested out well and then the team had to face a aircraft that they were able to withstand the constant frustrating delay for the rain to stop and the strip to dry out. landings on poor surfaces that this type of operation Finally the right weather arrived and First Officer entailed. Lloyd Butcher, an MMA engineer who flew on Bagwell, who had assisted with the salvage, took off in the many of these sorties, can remember the skill of the pilots Cessna and circled above to watch in case the Lockheed who flew these services and the unusual conditions failed to take off. With Woods at the controls and encountered. Kunai grass would grow in profusion on Colquhoun in the right hand seat, the Gascoyne was run some of these crude strips and was so high that the up to full power and let go. They cleared the far end of the moment the aircraft touched down, the pilot was virtually strip with a little to spare and that night the whole team on instruments! Such landings necessitated careful slept in clean beds in Derby. cleaning of all air intakes before take off as they were The work had taken its toll on the salvage crew who invariably clogged with grass. were all suffering from swollen and aching joints from the In October 1948 the Department informed MMA that constant immersion in water, but luckily all recovered after the registration ABV was no longer acceptable and a return to drier conditions. ABV was ferried to Perth for suggested CBV as an alternative. However by this time the flaps to be repaired and a complete overhaul. The job MMA had settled for registrations in the MM block and had taken them five weeks but a valuable aircraft had Gascoyne became VH-MMD and continued to fly the been saved when there was no chance of getting a outback routes for another five years until 1953. The replacement machine. aircraft had two more incidents during that time, a forced^^ In December of 1942, ABV and ABW, now in olive landing at Napier Downs (of unpleasant 1942 memories) drab camouflage, were flown to Essendon to help operate in June 1949 when the port engine failed and^collapsed undercarriage at Nookenbah in October T^2 when the essential eastern state routes while larger airliners were used to ferry troops t^ N^w, Guinea. Both Electras spent port leg coilapsed with the aircraft sustaining port wing two weeKs-orrThe easTcoast as relief aircraft and propeller damage. In 1951 the Electra was based permanently at Derby, returning to Perth for its annual C of 24 March 1943, ABV was once again In trouble. A inspection and service. Captain Colin Brown was on his way south in the Electra and had to make a night landing at Port Hedland. On the By 1953 MMD had over 20,000 hours on the airframe landing roll he was horrified to see a barrier of logs across and the company decided to retire it from the fleet. In the strip which had shown up in the lights. He attempted to February 1954 the aging Lockheed was sold to Phelan swing off the runway but the port undercarriage leg hit a Aircraft Materials of Burbank, California USA and MMD pile of gravel and wiped off the leg. ABV came down on was ferried to Sydney, partially dismantled and shipped to the engine nacelle and damage occurred to the wing and Los Angeles as deck cargo on the "Sonomia". Entered on tail assembly. It transpired that the army had placed the to the US civil register as N4886V the Electra had a logs across the strip as an anti-invasion measure and had bewildering history of ownership change passing through neglected to inform anyone that they had done so. the hands of Jerome Eddy of Burbank; Mountain Airlines; Mercer Airlines; Suburban Airways; Gibbons-O'Keefe Air Frank Colquhoun and Charlie Rolandi flew up to the Ambulance; Walter Heller & Co; Westernair of scene and managed to lift the aircraft and lock the leg in Albuquerque until 1975 when it was re-registered as place as well as repairing the other damage to the point N19HL to the Florida Hendrey Land Development Co. of where the aircraft could be ferried to Maylands with the West Palm Beach. In 1980 it was struck from the register undercarriage down. Spare parts were in very short supply and stored for seven years, coming back on to the records and had to be obtained from Guinea Airways to make ABV again as N19HL to the Valiant Air Command in Florida. In airworthy for the ferry. Once back in the hangar a detailed 1994, the old 10A was damaged in a cyclone and the examination revealed more bad news, the aircraft having machine was donated to the Amelia Earhart Foundation also suffered damage to the port main wing spar. who planned to restore it to airworthy status as a Subsequent repairs proved very protracted due to the Lockheed 10E Electra. It Is unknown to what extent this spare parts situation and the wing spar had to be repaired as been achieved. by a special patch technique which was detailed to the MMA engineers by Lockheed at Burbank. ABV was finally Lockheed 10A Electra VH-ABW c/n 1131 test flown in August 1943 after having been grounded for RMA Kimberley five months. In May 1943, MMA were able to obtain an RAAF DH 84 A34-4 to fly on the southern portion of the By comparison with its sister ship, life for ABW could route, re-registering in its pre-impressment serial VH-ABK, only be described as dull in the extreme. It arrived in Port and used it for three months until ABV was airworthy Adelaide with ABV, was assembled and flown to Maylands again. by Jimmy Woods on 21 December 1938 and this time Jim This episode seemed to be a turning point In the remembered which lever in the cockpit did what! The Electra's life as it settled down to a long trouble-free period aircraft went into service on the Perth to Darwin route in

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February 1939 and led a blameless life until 29 September was a drop in the starboard engine rpm followed by a 1940 when Captain Alex Whitham had to make a heavy bump. Woods took control when the instruments unplanned landing at Broome due to loss of engine oil. indicated they were losing height but then the tops of On 27 June 1941 the Electra skidded on a slippery runway mangrove trees loomed out of the fog and the aircraft at Carnarvon and struck a fence but sustained only minor burst through them, and crashed into the swamp itself. damage. Five months later, again with Whitham at the Injuries to the occupants were surprisingly light, controls, ABW suffered an engine failure after leaving Port Woods was cut and bruised, Pyke had a lacerated hand Hedland and had to turn back to the airport which was while two passengers sustained minor cuts, the rest being reached without further incident. uninjured. However, the Electras did not get off so lightly, During the war ABW was worked very hard indeed sustaining major damage to engines, wings and due to the increased loadings on the route and also empennage. The passengers and crew were helped because of the prolonged absence of ABV in 1943. Relief ashore and Woods was taken to Broome Hospital to join flights had to be made to Danvin in February 1942 and the his wife Mollie who had broken her ankle a few days 10A joined ABV on the east coast in December 1942 as previously! already mentioned. The pre-war schedule for each aircraft A large transport company in Broome offered to drag involved four days flying per week which left ample time the Electra back on to the beach but in doing so caused for maintenance but that leisurely life certainly ended for even more severe damage to the fuselage and tail. ABW ABW, as wartime service saw it in the air seven days a had come to the end of the road and was cut up for scrap week for quite long spells. However, the Electra was equal although the centre section of the fuselage was used by to the task and gave MMA no problems for the rest of the company engineer LLoyd Butcher as a temporary office^ war. for some months thereafter. In 1946, the pressure was to some extent relieved The DCA investigators were highly critical of Wood's and ABW settled down to a more relaxed existence. It actions in attempting a take off in the prevailing conditions, was not to last and it was Jimmy Woods who once again which was in total non-conformance with MMA's Operating X orchestrated the disaster. He was Captain of the aircraft Manuals, as well as allowing a pilot to take control who on a flight to Darwin on 16 June 1946 with Rodney Pyke had never received instruction on take off procedures in as First Officer and F Hammersley as a supernumerary conditions of low visibility. They traced the flight path of pilot under Instruction. The flight from Perth to Broome the aircraft from the airport to the mangrove swamp and was made without incident and the crew prepared for an found it had sunk to the ground some 400 yards from the early start for Darwin on the next day with the same crew end of the runway and the first bump felt by the crew was and five passengers. At 5.00 am the airport was shrouded the propeller blades striking the soft sand before bouncing in fog but Woods proceeded with all the required into the air again. Miraculously clearing houses, palm preliminaries needed to make the flight, even to loading trees, telephone lines and a high shed, the aircraft then the passengers and freight. The Met Office reported sank again as the damaged airscrew blades were unable visibility at 200 yards but Woods taxied the Electra out to to generate enough thrust to effect a climb. the end of the strip and lined up. At this stage the crew claimed they could see most of the runway flares. Pyke The investigators also found procedures in Aeradio was surprised when Woods told him to take control of the wanting as the operator should have closed the airport but aircraft and make the take off but proceeded to do so and was uncertain as to his exact degree of responsibility. ABW rose into the air normally. During the climb out Pyke MacArthur Job1 has given an exhaustive analysis of the felt Woods applying forward pressure on the control accident and reveals that the pilots could have been column and, glancing at the Instruments, saw he had been subject to "false climb illusion" where the position sense climbing a little too steeply. Visibility through the organs of the inner ear are deceived when a pilot is windscreen was nil. He then sensed that something was subjected to climb and acceleration in conditions of no astray as the aircraft swung slightly to starboard and there visibility. It was a sad end for a fine aircraft and an even sadder end to Wood's long career, as MMA grounded him and then terminated his 12 year stint of employment a few months later. ^

References.

1. Job, M. Control Problems on the West Coast Air Crash 2. Aerospace Publications

Also use has been made of the following. Cookson, B. The Historic Civil Aircraft Register of Australia. AustAirData 1996 Colquhoun, F. B. AM Cockpit and Spanner Maylands Historical Society 2001. Dunn, Frank. Speck in the Sky Airlines of Western Australia 1984 Niven VYt±History of Aircraft Associated with the Ansett Group Niven/Ansett 1999 Cookson B.Private communications The West Australian Newspaper various dates ABW under service at Maylands 1939. Howard Emmerson, George Allen, Dave John and Frank Colquhoun, try to look busy posing for a company photo. Photo,-mma My thanks to Frank Colquhoun and Lloyd Butcher for their personal recollections of the era.

87 AHSA Aviation Heritage

MOSQUITO DOWN by Mike Flanagan

Mosquito A52-303, fourth of twenty eight PR.41 ’s built primarily for photo survey work. Location and date unknown. (Photo: Neil Follett)

At 1124 hours local time on Friday 9^^ November 1951 The new course passed to the pilot by F/Sgt. Holstock Mosquito A52-303 departed Darwin for Cloncurry enroute was not an accurately plotted calculation but rather a to Townsville. On board were the pilot P/0. R.H. Jones mental calculation that he intended to check as soon as and the navigator F/Sgt. G.A. Holstock of No.87 he had established radio contact, However, his Squadron, RAAF. Two hours into the flight the port engine preoccupation with the radio prevented him from doing so suddenly started to backfire and trail a column of black and this mental D.R. position proved to be significantly smoke. This was accompanied by an almost total loss of inaccurate. power. The cockpit instrumentation gave no indication as Meanwhile, P/0. Jones was unsuccessfully juggling to the source of the trouble and, on testing, both magnetos power and boost settings on the starboard engine in a bid appeared to be satisfactory. to maintain height. In the end he settled on a power While the crew was attempting to sort out their setting of 2,850 rpm and 50 inches of boost which at a problems they continued on towards Cloncurry. However, speed of 140 knots seemed to give a minimum rate of P/0. Jones quickly realized that he had no option other descent whilst still maintaining directional control. than to shut down the port engine and feather the Unfortunately the temperatures of the good engine were propeller, which he did. At the same time he increased now rising rapidly and it soon became apparent that a the power and boost of the good engine. He also forced landing was inevitable. By this time the Mosquito attempted to jettison both drop tanks but only the one on was down to 3,000 feet and it was about then that they the starboard side fell away. discovered that the port drop tank had gone. They had been flying at 9,500 feet but now found it The country over which they were flying was heavily most difficult to maintain height and, as they were closer to timbered and visibility was poor because of smoke haze Daly Waters than to Cloncurry, decided to alter course in so P/0. Jones decided to turn back to a clearing that they that direction. F/Sgt. Holstock gave his pilot a course to had passed a little earlier and attempt a landing there. steer and then attempted to contact Daly Waters Aeradio Arriving back at the clearing with 500 to 1,000 feet in by morse. He called almost continuously for the best part hand, F/Sgt. Holstock passed a last message “Going in of of an hour without receiving a reply. Then at 2.15pm now” and screwed down the morse key. Both men he transmitted a message to the effect that they were on tightened their Sutton harness and, with full power on the one engine and losing height but hoped to reach Daly starboard engine, went in with wheels up. The time was Waters. This transmission received a response from both 2.42pm local. Camooweal and Darwin. Thereafter Holstock worked with Camooweal on R/T, with reception at times being very The plane touched down, skidded for almost 60 metres poor, until good contact was made with Daly Waters at (much of it up the slope of a low ridge), became airborne 2.35pm. as it shot over the crest (clearing in the process a water course), hit again and began shedding pieces until eventually coming to a halt still facing directly ahead. The

88 AHSA Aviation Heritage

Aircraft immediately available for the search were the Darwin-based Wirraway A20-741 and an ARDU Dakota on detachment at Camooweal. Sketch 3. — A A Lincoln (A73-23) was at Broome exercising with a DCA crash launch enroute to Christmas Island and this aircraft was immediately recalled. In addition, there was an unserviceable 82 Wing South VJtST Lincoln at Darwin that provided the search /\ organisers with a spare, fresh crew. Further assistance was requested from HQ Eastern Area

V7 and advice was received that there was a '■H R Lincoln on its way to Darwin from Amberley and another from Woomera. Two more were quickly Cookf\fkiT •o dispatched from Momote on Los Negros Island f=^ in the Admiralties where they had been CftVliNC. mtTAU ttc. participating in Operation Pacific Outpost.

OP Others could follow if needed.

rAiLvjHlCL. The search for A52-303 did not start that afternoon, instead detailed planning continued into the night. Two of the Lincolns (A73-23 and C5 r A73-38) landed and were prepared for an early Q morning start. The pair from Momote arrived

PN The Dakota flew in from Cloncurry via of Tennant Creek at 7am, followed at 8.30am by riAST LAAi.Diria. the Wirraway from Darwin crewed by W/Cdr. A.O. McCormack and F/Lt. Carrick, the officers crewmen emerged uninjured other than a 5 cm cut over with whom the policemen were to liaise. W/Cdr. the pilot’s right eye where his forehead made contact with McCormack^ was Officer Commanding, North Western the rudder trim indicator. During the landing A52-303 Area. S/Ldr. James Gray, the Area Aircraft Control broke its back in line with the trailing edge of the wing and Officer, had taken over responsibility of seach co-ordinator the structure aft of that point was almost completely at Darwin, allowing Frank Carrick to accompany the wing severed and finished skewed to one side. Various panels commander. and pieces of equipment were dislodged on the It was a very hot day, one of many that summer and, Mosquito’s second touchdown and the nose cone forward with the possibility of injured airmen being involved, there of the front armour plate broke away and ended up some was a sense of urgency about the exercise. At the crash 10 metres ahead of the aircraft. There was no fire. site Jones and Holstock found their box of emergency food and water to be adequate for their immediate needs Organising the Air Search. and the first aid gear satisfactory. They operated their Prior to the crash-landing, whilst working Camooweal dinghy radio at half-hourly intervals through Friday night on the R/T, F/Sgt. Holstock had asked for a high into Saturday morning without success. On Saturday frequency D/F bearing. He heard the request being morning F/Sgt. Holstock tried the aircraft’s Til54 passed on to Cloncurry, the nearest H/F D/F station, but transmitter but soon realised that the batteries were too because of poor radio reception at the time was unsure of low to be effective. the ultimate outcome. But Darwin, alerted by the 2.15pm transmission, was able to obtain a good steady bearing of In the meantime, the search was getting underway. 129°. The only other information available to F/Lt. F.D. The Wirraway crew had been allocated the search area Carrick, the Search and Rescue Officer, concerning the containing the MPP but they were to find no trace of the movement of A52-303 was the flight plan, a position report missing aircraft. Nor did the Dakota. The two Lincolns transmitted at 11.53am (i.e. well before the engine failure) were airborne by 8.35am and commenced their search at and the ETA passed by Holstock to Daly Waters. With this Information he set about estimating the most probably 1 position (the MPP) of the missing plane. He was of course Allan Owen McCormack^ 0375y Regular Air Force officer, of unaware that the Mosquito was on a course that would Malvern, Vic, He had served in the UK with No.466 Sqdn and have missed Daly Waters by about 100 kms. had been shot down in a Halifax over Berlin, ending up in a PoW camp.

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11.11am, starting, they thought, at the southeast corner of home station of Constable Ted Davis. The local publican, their search area and then working their way back. Mr. Tom Humphries, had offered the use of his 3-ton truck Enroute they had experienced trouble raising Darwin H/F - and on to this was loaded pack and riding saddles, tent D/F and the radio operator in A73-23 became flies, water bags and canteens and other supplies. A rifle incapacitated through air-sickness brought on by the was carried in the cabin. They would also take the police turbulence they were experiencing in the hot conditions, utility so that, on the outward leg at least, no one would be Both Lincoln crews had been briefed to fly about a mile riding on the tray of the truck, apart, closer if there was haze. It was to be a relatively early night for them all because F/Lt. Keith Isaacs, captain of Lincoln A73-23, later they wanted to be away next morning at piccaninni-dawn reported “We reached the datum using D.R. navigation but at about 9pm F/Lt. Garrick was advised of a revised and commenced the search. During the first run I had position of the crash site (presumably that plotted by the noticed a plateau on my port side and when this came up navigator of A73-23) which placed it near the Anthony’s again on the return leg of the search I altered course to Lagoon - Borroloola road about 160 kms to the south of look at it as we had been briefed that the Mosquito could the latter settlement. This was considered to be good have landed on a plateau. The Mosquito was sighted by news, the second pilot because of the sun shining on the Sunday November 1951. fuselage of the crashed aircraft.” The party, comprising Mr. Humphries, W/Cdr. The two men were sighted and they had laid out a McCormack and S/Const. Stott (who was feeling ill) In the signal panel indicating that they were okay. In the truck and F/Lt. Garrick and Const. Davis in the utility, subsequent enquiry Into the forced landing F/0. Jones departed Newcastle Waters at 5.45am heading for mentioned that he did not think the system of ground Anthony’s Lagoon police station. The Mosquito crew had signaling was nearly comprehensive enough but found the by now been on the ground almost 40 hours. They were signalling mirror to be effective. being looked after by the Lincolns but obviously the sooner they were picked up the better. The Barkly F/Lt. Isaacs and crew dropped a 'storepedo' to the Tableland, and much of inland Australia, was at that time stranded fliers and then remained in the area well into the in the grip of drought and the country was in “terrible afternoon. Before returning to Darwin, suspicious of their condition”. Rain had not fallen in the area for over twelve own D.R. navigation, they plotted the position of the months and although there was plenty of grass it was of crashed aircraft and came to the conclusion that they had no value as fodder, its only use, so it was said, was as fuel been lucky to locate the Mosquito - not only was it not for bushfires. There had already been a string of days where it was supposed to be, nor were they! The Lincoln with temperatures in the 105° to 110° bracket and there had in fact been searching well to the southeast of their was no relief in sight. In fact, it was to be well into 1952 allocated search area and indeed a considerable distance before the drought eased in the Barkly region. from the MPP. A73-23’s problems were thought to have been brought about by the navigator’s receiver being u/s They arrived at Anthony’s Lagoon police station at and by the Incapacitated wireless operator not being able lunchtime during which they conversed with S/Gonst. Jack to function at his post. They plotted the Mosquito’s Mahony, who was stationed there. Mahony had been position as being 17.07S 135.17E but this too provided to wondering about all the aerial activity that morning —now be inaccurate. all was explained. When they continued on they had with Back at Daly Waters news of the successful search them police tracker Dick who was to be their guide. reached the ground party just after lunch. The crash site On Mahony’s suggestion they set off for Mallapunyah was reported as being about 50 kms to the south of the Springs where it was reported that a plane had been homestead on O.T. Station, which was about 185 kms sighted on the day the Mosquito went missing. They east south east of Daly Waters but inaccessible by such a arrived there at 5pm. Then, after speaking with members direct route. A plan of action was agreed upon and shortly of the D’arcy family, the party returned to a position on the afterwards the party drove back to Newcastle Waters, Borroloola road where a rendezvous had been arranged

The route on trhich the mining bomber net out.

A52-303 down in the outback with its very evident broken back. The missing nose cone is straight ahead, just out of picture. (Source: NAA File A 705/1, Item 32/32/549) 90 AHSA Aviation Heritage with a Lincoln from Darwin. They camped at 6.30pm. According to Const. Davis, PDfiRv/iN the team that day had travelled 277 miles (446 kms), mostly over unsealed roads. ^k£TCM SHoUlMQ To the Rescue. Actual Mu First thing next morning some of the rftAcKJi Of team accompanied W/Cdr. McCormack to Top Springs Station^ to arrange horses for the next stage of the pick-up. However, they were back in time to watch a Lincoln approaching at low level down the road from Anthony’s Lagoon. It circled and dropped a map that probably A P caused a degree of mirth amongst the 7> recipients in that it showed the position of the crashed Mosquito as 26 nautical miles (about 48 kms) to the west of Top p Springs. Although there is a time r discrepancy this was probably the Lincoln o ■X that circled Anthony’s Lagoon police O c: station that morning. With commendable foresight, S/Const. Mahony jumped into P his police vehicle and drove out along the Borroloola road, which in truth was just o vjAms. one of a number of tracks radiating out from the compound, and there with sign language pointed them in the right direction. The land party used a more refined method of communicating with the Lincolns, they spread flour on the ground and wrote their messages in that. Breaking camp, they returned to Top Springs where the manager, Mr. Harold actual Edwards, provided them with 9 saddle horses and 3 pack horses. He also agreed to accompany the mounted party. Bob Stott, the policeman from Elliott, was now running a fever and decided not to go but Tracker Dick was with them. They eventually got under way at 3pm. Conditions from the outset were severe with the country being described as extremely rough and It was now 95 hours since P/0. Jones and F/Sgt. hilly with rows of rocky ridges. The temperature was again Holstock had put the plane down in the small clearing at well over the old century mark and no one was sorry when the foot of the Yow Yow Range (as identified by Const. they reached Kangaroo Springs at 6.30pm and called it a Davis) and they were found to be in good spirits. An day. inspection of the Mosquito confirmed it to be a write-off although the engines appeared to be in reasonable Next morning (Tuesday 13*^ November 1951) they condition. Only two of the four cameras on board were were up and moving by 5am, making the most of the examined and both were badly damaged. Other items of conditions until about 9.30am when W/Cdr. McCormack equipment were considered to be salvageable but only called a halt. They estimated that they were somewhere with difficulty and only In the Dry Season. Certainly there in the vicinity of the Mosquito and It was decided to wait was no question of taking anything of significance with until a Lincoln appeared to lead them over the last few them, other than the blind flying instrument panel miles. Nothing happened so after about an hour Mr. recovered by the wing commander. Edwards volunteered to continue on to a high ridge that could be seen to the south and have a look from there. After just two hours at the site everyone mounted up He was back in about an hour and a half to report and the return journey began. They camped that night at something bright flashing in the sun. Saddling up, the Yow Yow creek, having traveled 27 miles (43.5 kms) from party set off but it was to be another three hours before Kangaroo Springs and next day another 26 miles (42 kms) they reached the crash site. For the last hour or so a back to Top Springs Station, arriving at 5.15pm. Lincoln circled overhead and as the horsemen neared There was another early start next morning with their destination the stranded fliers started letting off hand­ breakfast being taken with Jack Mahony at Anthony’s held pyrotechnics that produced copious volumes of thick, Lagoon. When asked what was going to happen to the orange smoke. The link-up was made at about 2pm. crashed aircraft W/Cdr. McCormack replied that he intended having it destroyed by straffing. Mahony was able to convince him that that wasn’t such a good idea. The Mosquito still held about 600 gallons of fuel in its ^ Situation about 14 kms to the west of Mallapunyah tanks and this, coupled with the tinder-dry conditions homestead, not the station in the VRD district. prevailing on the Barkly at that time, would almost

91 AHSA Aviation Heritage certainly have resulted in a conflagration that would have One technical witness thought the engine failure may been most difficult to control. And of course the Air Force have been the result of valve trouble, the other declined to would then have been liable for any damage incurred to commit himself. stock, fencing, etc. When asked if he wanted the police to Further Developments. guard the crashed aircraft, McCormack declined as he Sometime during the following 12 months Peter White, didn’t think it warranted the trouble or the expense. one of the Whites of Brunette Downs Station, visited the After breakfast they drove back to the highway, with crash site. He then approached Mr. J. Robinson, a tough Const. Davis arriving back at Newcastle Waters at 4pm. old 'bushie' who knew the country like the back of his hand In his report Davis estimated that the land party had and who at the time was building stock yards with his team travelled a total of 821 miles (approx 1,322 kms). At that of aboriginal ‘boys’. Asked if he thought he could get his time only the Stuart Highway was sealed. The airmen 3-ton truck through to the Mosquito, Robinson said he continued on to Daly Waters and from there P/0. Jones would give it a go and indeed succeeded in doing so. and F/Sgt. Holstock were flown back to Darwin in a Peter White, who was ex-RAAF, allowed the aircraft’s fuel Lincoln. They recuperated for a few days and then to drain away and then stripped the plane of everything returned to Canberra, their home station. Shortly useful. This was all loaded onto the open tray of the lorry afterwards (on 3^^ December 1951) Jones® was posted to and included the two in-line engines but not the propellers, No.3 (Tac/R) Sqdn. Holstock"^ continued to fly with the which were considered to be too badly damaged to be survey unit until he left the Air Force in February 1954. worth worrying about. With a full load, they inched their way back to the road and on to Cresswell Downs Station, Court of Inquiry. a total distance of about 200 kms, one third of which was An inquiry into the forced landing of A52-303 was held basic bush-bashing and much of the rest was over rough In Darwin on Saturday, 17*^ November 1951 presided over tracks, and there they unloaded. by W/Cdr. G.C. Hartnell, with W/Cdr. D.R. Cuming as second sitting member. Both were from Amberley, Qld. S/Const. Jack Mahony, when he heard of the The adequacy or otherwise of the search and rescue expedition, was most impressed. “White and party did a facilities was also to be scrutinised. Sixteen witnesses good job in this salvage and I doubt if anyone else could were called or presented reports, some being recalled on have done the same”.^ Mahony was in fact very interested more than one occasion. Findings included: in the salvage operation as, to his knowledge, the • P/0. Jones was commended for his handling Mosquito, although seemingly abandoned, was still the of the forced landing but was criticised for not property of the RAAF. He spoke to Peter White about it maintaining the correct combination of power and and was told that a salvage claim had been lodged by airspeed to maintain height on one engine. White’s solicitor but no reply had yet been received. • F/Sgt. Holstock’s navigational error played no There were, however, rumours circulating that a tender for part In the necessity to force land but it complicated the aircraft had already been accepted and with this in considerably the search and rescue process. mind Mahony instructed that the components being held at • The radio facilities available in the aircraft for Cresswell Downs were to be kept under lock and key until communications were adequate but inefficient. the situation became clearer. • The radio facilities available in the aircraft for Clarification was received in a letter from RAAF HQ, navigation purposes were inadequate. North Western Area, dated 2/^ October 1952, advising • The search for A52-303 was successful in an that a tender submitted by Mr. E.J. Styles of Darwin to adequate period of time but incorporated a degree of purchase A52-303 in situ had been accepted subject to good luck. certain provisions. But the deal had not been finalized and • The rescue of the Mosquito crew probably until that happened neither White nor any other person would not have been successful in the Wet Season had claim to any of the components. A second letter unless a helicopter was made available. received a month later, indicated an official change of • The contents of the storepedoes were mind. No mention was made of the Styles offer and the adequate but usually contained the same contents, RAAF was now desirous of recovering as soon as much of which wasn’t necessary following the initial possible all of the items of equipment being held at delivery. It was difficult the convey the need for items Cresswell Downs - other than the engines, wheels, dome not included in the storepedoes. cover and belly tanks. They were particularly interested in • Communications between aircraft and the the Mosquito’s cameras but this interest may have been a ground rescue party and also the stranded airmen little tardy as Mahony had already reported that he had were inefficient. noticed that only one of the cameras had the lens intact • The standard of maintenance of aircraft in and commented that perhaps the others had been lost off No.87 Sqdn was considered to be satisfactory. Robinson’s truck during the journey back over that “terrible • The first-aid package was satisfactory but rough country”.® should have been accessible from outside the aircraft, As the airstrip at Cresswell was considered unsuitable not stored under the pilot’s seat. S/Const. Mahony was asked to transport those items required by the Air Force to the Anthony’s Lagoon strip where they could be picked up by Dakota. This he did, making two trips in his ute, each load being estimated as

^ Reginald Henry JONES was killed when leading the CFS Red Sales aerobatic team during a training session on 15^^ August 1962. ^ From a letter to the OIC, N.T. Police, Southern Division, ^ Graham Arthur HOLSTOCK, after leaving the RAAF, joined dated If^ October 1952. Adastra Aerial Surveys. He was among the fatalities when ^ From a letter to the C.O. North Western Area RAAF, Hudson VH-AGO crashed attempting to land at Horn Island, through the OIC, N.T. Police, Southern Division, dated8^^ on r'July 1957. December 1952.

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A52-303 at ground level. Note the missing nose cone, missing cowling panels and position of the port prop blade. Note also that the crew entry door is open but the aerial view shows the emergency canopy panels are also missing. (Source: NAA File A 705/1 Item 32/321549).

weighing 10 cwt (approx 510 kgs). At Anthony’s Lagoon considered this aircraft to be down on performance but the the equipment was locked in the metal hangar on the strip, opinion was not unanimous. It was acknowledged, In the event, the Darwin Dakota was unserviceable and however, that A52-303 had been damaged twice in the it wasn’t until the New Year that a plane could be sent. On past sixteen months. the morning of Tuesday 2/^ January 1953 Jack Mahony Mosquito MK.PR.41 A52-303 drove out to the aerodrome to meet the RAAF aircraft due (taken from RAAF Form E/E.88) in at 9am. It didn’t arrive and, later, advice was received 1.7.47 Received 2AD ex De Havilland. that it had been delayed 24 hours. Together with trackers 13.8.47 Received Survey Sqdn ex 2AD. Dick and Bill, he was back at the strip at 8.30am next 10.11.48 Received De Havilland ex 87 Sqdn for 240 hourly. morning and was again on the verge of giving It away 31.3.49 Received R/S Canberra ex De Havilland for Cat. B when Dakota A65-69, flown by W/Cdr. G.A. Cooper , storage. turned up at 10.30am. There was a degree of picking and 14.7.49 Received 87 Sqdn ex Canberra. choosing as to what went aboard, in the main comprising 28.7.49 Issued to Broome detachment 87 Sqdn. 17.2.50 Received ARDU ex 87 Sqdn for installation of Rebecca instrumentation, radio and radar sets®, the camera aerials. equipment and similar Items. It took less than an hour and 9.3.50 Received 87 Sqdn ex ARDU. the aircraft was back in the air by 11.30am. Mahony® was 8.9.50 Received De Havilland ex 87 Sqdn for major service thanked for his assistance and told that anything left and repair. behind could be disposed of as he saw fit. 3.5.51 Received 87 Sqdn ex De Havilland. 15.11.51 Forced landing Northern Territory. The Mosquito. 22.11.51 10/D/I 120m SE Daly Waters. Recommend write off The aircraft that crashed near Daly Waters on 9^^ 2.5.52 Approval granted to convert a/f and engines after November 1951 was laid down as a FB.40 and allocated required spares removed. Then a/f either destroyed or the serial number A52-194. It was completed as a PR.41, sold. one of 28 intended primarily for survey work, and given the 28.7.52 Offered for disposal on Dis. List AIR/7190. serial number A52-303. 12.6.53 Delete all references to original list No. AIR 7190 Prior to Its detachment to Darwin this Mosquito had Amendment No.1 to original list AIR 7190. completed a total of 660% hours flying time and had 3.7.53 A/c withdrawn from disposal by Amend. 1 to List No.1. recently undergone a 120 hourly Inspection. Some of Mosquito MK.PR.41 A52-303 87 Sqdn U/E. No.87 Sqdn crews, including Jones and Holstock, Sources: NAA File:A705/1 Item 32/32/549; A9845/Box 1; A9186/8 Item 171; A9186/9 Item 206; A10297/Block355; F77/0 ^ W/Cdr. Glen Albert COOPER, DEC, had replaced W/Cdr, 52/150. McCormack as Officer Commanding, North Western Area, in NTAS File:F77 10/51; F77 13a/51; F77 12/52; NTRS326 September 1952. 170/1/1; F242 A53 & A56; F492 A1052 & A1054; F493 8 A52-303 had been fitted with Rebecca equipment in February A1019. 1950. AWM File:AWM 64 1/171. ^ John Joseph MAHONY, after 22 years of service, left the David Vincent’s Mosquito Monograph; NT. Police Force later in 1953 to become licensee of the ISBN 0 9596052 1 5. Various issues of the Sydney Larrimah Hotel. He died in Katherine Hospital on 27^^ Morning Herald, Courier Mail and Northern Standard. F February 1959.

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RAY PARER by Greg Banfield PART 2 NEW GUINEA GOLD With the discovery of gold in New Guinea, Ray Parer Mustar and his engineer, A. W. D. (Bill) Mullins, landed saw an opportunity to open an air service to supply the the D.H.37 at Rabaul and began repairs to some water fabulously rich Morobe goldfields. There were no roads to damage sustained during a cyclone on the voyage. (Had the inland and, up till then, the sole method of bringing in Parer's unprotected D.H.4 been on board, it probably mining gear and supplies of rations such as rice and would have been destroyed.) In the meantime, an officer tinned meat (for the natives as well as for the Europeans) of the Civil Aviation Branch, W. J. (Bill) Duncan, and was on the backs of native carriers, and it was essential Mustar inspected sites for an aerodrome, selecting an for a miner to periodically send part of his native labour area at Matupi owned by the Mandated Territory force out to Salamaua on the coast to pick up and carry Administration. Guinea Gold had also begun work on an back the required goods. Although only a short distance aerodrome at Lae. on the map, this entailed a trip over difficult mountain Ray Parer and Eric Gallet reached Rabaul with their country, climbing up and down precipitous ravines, D.H.4 on the ss Marsina on 27th March 1927 , only the travelling through dense tropical jungle, at times under second commercial aircraft to reach the Territory. When attack by hostile tribes. The Government laid down that they unloaded the aircraft they found that the tyres of the the legal load for a porter must not exceed 50 lb (22.7 kg). undercarriage wheels had deflated during the voyage and Including his own rations. The march from the coast to the the motion of the ship had ruined them. No spares were field took eight days and the return took six, so the porter's available in Rabaul and Parer had to radio to Australia for rations for the double trip weighed 20 lb (9 kg), leaving 30 replacements to be sent by the next ship. lb (13.7 kg) of goods for the miners. It was estimated that With the Lae aerodrome completed, on 30th March the cost of transportation of goods to the fields was one "Pard" Mustar ^ and Bill Mullins, watched by hundreds of shilling and sixpence per pound weight. townspeople, took off from Rabaul in their D.H.37, which Parer teamed up with a former sugarcane farmer, Eric they had named Old Faithful, on the first flight to Lae, Gallet, to find an aeroplane for the task, the first to operate covering the 400 miles in 5 hours 19 minutes. They then commercially in the Mandated Territory of New Guinea. flew on to Wau. Parer and Gallet, still waiting in Rabaul The two went to Sydney and in late November 1926 for the arrival of new tyres, were broke and money was still formed the Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Service Ltd, with owing on their aeroplane. With no revenue coming in, its registered office at 42 Hunter Street, Sydney. The they sold a number of shares in their company to local company applied to the Department of Defence to buy a Chinese storekeeper Aloysius Ah Kuhn for £200. D.H.9 or D.H.9A from the Royal Australian Air Force but When the new tyres arrived on 19th April, Parer and the bid was unsuccessful. Parer learned, however, that Gallet took off on a test flight with most of the residents of Guinea Gold No-Liability company, which was formed in Rabaul watching. Parer circled a few times and found that Adelaide on 30th December 1926 and employed as a pilot the airspeed indicator was not registering, nor was the former RAAF Group Captain Ernest A. ("Pard") Mustar engine thermometer. With steam issuing from the (who had earlier changed his name from Mustard), had radiator, he came in for a landing, skimming low over the bought the de Havilland D.H.37 G-AUAA from the Civil trees. All went well until the D.H.4 had almost come to a Aviation Branch of the Department of Defence and was halt after landing, when a wheel struck a soft patch in the planning on taking it to the New Guinea goldfields. The landing ground, a wingtip hit the ground and the aeroplane D.H.37 could carry a payload of 600 lb (272 kg). went over on its back. The propeller was broken, the Private aircraft were few in those days and the only wings damaged and Gallet suffered a broken collar-bone. suitable one available was the Rolls-Royce Eagle-powered Gallet had had enough and returned to Australia soon D.H.4 G-AUCM which had previously belonged to C. J. afterwards, leaving Parer to repair the aircraft with help DeGaris. Parer paid a deposit on the aircraft to its present from a Japanese shipwright and a local identity, Charles owner, H. J. (Jimmy) Larkin, of the Larkin Aircraft Supply Lexius Burlington. Company Ltd in Melbourne, late in December 1926, and Parer took Lexius Burlington as a partner and formed booked cargo space to ship it on the ss Melusia, which Pacific Aerial Transport. He sold two hundred £1 shares was due to sail from Sydney on 1st February 1927. Parer in the company to Aloysius Ah Kuhn, and was given £100 and Gallet transported the D.H.4 to the Burns, Philp & by a miner, George Robertson, in appreciation of his flight Company wharf in Sydney but only the wings and flying from England to Australia in 1920. They ordered materials surfaces were crated: the expense of crating the fuselage and some engine spare parts from Larkin and began work was beyond them. Indeed, they did not have enough on the aircraft. They cut up an old boiler to provide the money to pay for the shipment on which they held a metal to repair the sheet metal fittings in the wings, and reservation, and so it was that Guinea Gold's crated fabricated a new petrol tank from galvanised iron sheet, D.H.37 supplanted them when the Melusia sailed for New three times heavier than the original. Finally the D.H.4 Guinea. While the D.H.37 was in transit, a former was ready and on 17th June 1927 Ray Parer test-flew it. pilot, R. L. (Nobby) Clark, who had The steamer Montoro was about to depart and Parer gave also been employed by Guinea Gold as a pilot but an exhibition of flying and a few stunts. subsequently did not take up his appointment, went from On 23rd June Parer flew from Rabaul to Lae with Rabaul to the goldfield and recommended airfield sites at Lexius Burlington as a passenger, covering the distance in Lae on the coast and at Wau in the goldfield area. C. J. 4 hours 15 minutes. Guinea Gold's D.H.37 was already Levien, on behalf of Guinea Gold, cleared and prepared working to the limit and miners crowded around Parer the airfields. Guinea Gold later became Guinea Airways Ltd. / Mustar later recorded that he regarded Parer "as an extraordinary character, who didn't know fear."

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the D.H.4 was no doubt caused by the extremely wet conditions in New Guinea and the aircraft's open cockpit, and as rice was the main cargo at the time, when wet it made a very corrosive mass. Parer went off to Wau, leaving Taylor to his impossible task. After this inauspicious start, Taylor parted company with Parer the following month and went to work for the Morobe Trading Company, which was operating the de Havilland D.H.60 Moth G-AUGE, flown by Les Shaw.

Ray Parer's house and hangar at Lae, 1927 Photo M.A. Taylor While away in Wau, Parer had arranged some offering huge sums to fly them and their equipment to the financial support on the goldfield and in November he had goldfields. Their charges on the Lae-Wau route were one enough capital to acquire two more aircraft for his fleet. shilling per pound for freight and £25 for passengers on He returned to Australia and bought from Matthews the forward trip and £10 for the return trip. Lexius Aviation Ltd at Melbourne's Essendon aerodrome a four- Burlington, however, set off on foot for the Wau goldfields. place D.H.9, G-AUFS (named The Lachlan), and from Ken In Lae Parer employed natives to build for him a hangar Frewin in Cairns a converted Bristol F.2b Fighter, G- and house made of sago palm saplings covered with palm AUEB, which had seen service with QANTAS. Both these leaves, a method of construction known as "sac-sac". By aircraft were powered by the same type of engine, a six- the end of July he employed H. Blackford as a general cylinder, water-cooled Siddeley Puma of 220 h.p. Even assistant. Meanwhile, Parer set off on his first flight to so, finances were tight and this set the trend for Parer's Wau, looking for the airstrip he had arranged to be aviation history in New Guinea - a motley fleet of "one-off cleared. On his first attempt, he failed to find the spot. types lacking interchangeability of airframe parts or The second time, he arranged for a kunai grass fire to be engines. Parer also secured the services of pilot Charles lit on the boundary of the airstrip and he was then able to D. Pratt, engineer M. T. ("Bert") Moss, and rigger George locate the spot. That strip remains to this day - at an Fontenaux. Parer and his team sailed from Brisbane with altitude of 3,700 feet above sea level, an 800-metre long, the Bristol Fighter on the Burns, Philp vessel ss Montoro, one-way, uphill strip on the side of a hill with a 1-in-12 arriving in Port Moresby on 27th December. There had gradient where all landings are made uphill regardless of been no room on the Montoro for the D.H.9 and it arrived wind direction (although it is almost always sheltered from in early January 1928. The team assembled the Bristol on the wind) and pilots keep their power on after they have Port Moresby's Ela Beach, there being no landing ground touched down. for aircraft there, and Parer successfully test-flew it at low On 21st September engineer M. A. (Joe) Taylor arrived tide on 2nd January. Then the D.H.9 arrived and they in Rabaul on the Durourio join the company. Trained in carried on with its assembly. the RAAF, Taylor had been employed by Australian Aerial When the D.H.9 had also successfully completed its Services Ltd, servicing and accompanying their aircraft on test flight, Parer in the D.H.9 with George Fontenaux as the Adelaide-Hay and Hay-Cootamundra routes. Ray his passenger, and Charlie Pratt in the Bristol with Bert Parer had passed through Hay in January on his way to Moss, flew from Port Moresby to Lae on 12th January. New Guinea with the D.H.4 and had asked Taylor to join This was the first time the Port Moresby-Lae route had him. Taylor was put to work on the overhaul of the Rolls- been flown, over 100 miles of mountainous jungle country Royce Eagle engine of the D.H.4 but on inspecting the across the Owen Stanley ranges, and Parer was looking aircraft, discovered dry rot had got into all the vertical towards a regular service linking those towns, which took members in the fuselage. "The spruce vertical struts were approximately 3 hours. There were no blind-flying cross-braced with wire and where they were attached to instruments in the two aircraft and they started soon after the top and bottom longerons, the wood was so rotten that daybreak when the peaks of the ranges were usually you could just get hold of them and pull them out," he later clear. Pratt was the first to take off from Ela Beach and recalled The aircraft was grounded when he arrived and from the air watched Ray Parer take off, then together they there were no spare parts of any description available, no flew inland. They passed through a gap in the Owen paint, fabric or timber, and no workshop, tools or Stanley mountain range at 11,000 feet and noticed that equipment of any sort with which to work. The condition of clouds were forming and would soon cover the crest.

^ Interview by Greg Banfield, 20th September 1978.

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Their course took them along the Kokoda Valley but it was already covered by an unbroken sea of cloud ahead as far as they could see. Using the very basic instruments in the aircraft, they flew blind to the east until they were sure they had crossed the northern coastline and could descend through the cloud over the sea. Descending slowly, Pratt broke out of the cloud at 1,000 feet over the sea in heavy rain and then flew back towards the coast before following the coast to his destination. Ray Parer, in the D.H.9, G-A UFS (foreground) and G-A UEB during assembly at Ela Beach, Port Moresby. was lost while in the Ray Parer with two dusky maidens at left. Photo John Hopton Collection clouds but met up again with Pratt following the coast, and they came out of the rain just as who asked him if he was a pilot, as he knew a chap in they reached Salamaua. They then crossed the 25 miles New Guinea named Ray Parer who wanted to employ one. of the Huon Gulf and after almost three hours in the air, The result was that Wiltshire sailed from Sydney on the Parer led the two aircraft in to land safely at Lae. They Burns Philp steamer Montoro, headed for a return to received a great reception from the residents there. flying. Parer and Pratt began their air service straight away, When Bill Wiltshire arrived at Lae and met Ray Parer, flying as hard as they could. Their main competition was he was dismayed to discover the poor condition of the Guinea Airways, which operated the D.H.37 G-AUAA, the company's fleet. The sole useful aircraft was the D.H.9, D.H.9 G-AUFB, and the D.H.60 G-AUGE, but on 9th powered by a Siddeley Puma engine. Wiltshire was January the D.H.37 was damaged in a forced landing at staggered to discover a mass of improvisations made to Wau and, although ultimately repaired, never flew for the aircraft due to the lack of spares. For example, the Guinea Airways again. When the D.H.9 G-AUFB was also copper tubing carrying the oil from the pump to the engine wrecked in a forced landing at the Bulolo River on 6th had failed due to crystallisation and had been replaced March following engine failure, Parer made the most of the with a two foot length of bamboo, and one of the two small opportunity and carried as much freight as he could. He wind-driven propellers which drove the petrol feed pumps also carried loads for Guinea Airways. had disintegrated and been replaced by one carved by a native from a convenient tree limb. But soon Parer was reduced to having only the Bristol Fighter in operation, with the D.H.9 frequently Leaving Wiltshire and Daish to operate the almost unserviceable and the D.H.4 still grounded for lack of unairworthy aircraft, Parer sailed for Australia for some spares. Charles Pratt therefore had no aeroplane to fly leave. Accompanying him was his engineer, George and, disenchanted with the arrangements, in March 1928 Fontenaux, who was very ill with malaria. Fontenaux died he resigned. When Pratt returned to Australia he found shortly after his return to Australia. that money owing to him, which was to be paid to the In his memoirs ^ Bill Wiltshire recalled, "My introduction Sydney office of Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Services, to the "9" was just another dicey step into possibly was not forthcoming. deathlier climes. She flew well enough but certainly was a Before Pratt resigned, Parer had employed another cranky old crate; in no way safe by standards laid down by pilot, Basil B. Daish, but in the meantime he continued to DCA. For instance, she had continuously-leaking cylinder fly the Bristol and the patched-up D.H.9, both aircraft liners. The Siddeley Puma was a 6-cylinder water-cooled being in very poor condition. Basil Daish arrived in Lae in engine with removable cylinder liners which, under stress, early April and twelve days later, on 17th April, he wrecked or improperly serviced, developed water leaks; not only the Bristol at Wau. This left only the D.H.9, in a sorry using water too quickly for lengthy flights but entailing state, although repairs to the D.H.4 were almost finished. several rather hazardous sequences that had to be strictly Parer employed another pilot, W. P. (Bill) Wiltshire, adhered to. On the completion of each day's flying, any who arrived in May. Bill Wiltshire had served with the water left had to be drained off or at least be lower in the in India, and in the mid-1920s migrated to system than the cylinder head base. Prior to the first flight Australia as a farm labourer, an occupation he had no of each day, the engine had to be started prior to filling the intention of filling. After arriving in Melbourne he found a radiator, otherwise water would immediately leak onto the job driving a tourist char-a-banc around the Wimmera spark plugs, making it impossible to start the engine. This districts. One day while lazing on St Kilda beach reading a copy of Flight magazine, he was approached by a man ^ Quoted in the Early Bird News of December 1986.

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Ray Parer began his new service from Wau to Port Moresby on 29th September 1928, following his return from leave. Carrying a paying passenger, he flew towards Kerema on the Papuan coast rather than flying a direct route. However, strong headwinds forced him to land on Orokolo Beach to seek more fuel to complete the flight He made short hops to nearby plantations looking for fuel before the Resident Magistrate at Kerema supplied him with enough to reach Port Moresby, where he arrived on 2nd G-A UEB under tow near Port Moresby, January 1928. Photo: Hopton Collection October. During October necessitated sitting astride the running engine and filling Parer flew the Wau- the radiator which was immediately behind the rotating Port Moresby service half a dozen times, but he was now prop! - a dicey procedure from any angle. This means that thinking of an air service to Australia via Port Moresby. He if one is flying all day, the engine must be left running all joined by P. J. McDonald in forming a new company, day and the radiator refilled at each loading. The Morlae Air Line, with its base at Port Moresby. The authorities then discovered that Parer's pilot's licence had "Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Service's standby aircraft lapsed and he had been flying for some time without a was an equally old relic from World War 1, a D.H.4 (G- licence. A threatened prosecution by the Mandated AUCM) fitted with a Rolls-Royce Eagle engine, a V-12 Territory Administration was narrowly averted. water-cooled beast with a mass of magnetos, carburettors and spark plugs. It took only one test flight for me to At the end of November, Parer and McDonald realise that there was even a greater risk flying this than purchased a D.H.9C which was then being phased out of there was flying the "9". One trip to Wau was the last; she RAAF service. Fitted with a 240 h.p. Siddeley Puma was not performing to standard. Although the revs were engine, the aircraft was registered to the pair as VH-UKI normal, the airspeed was well down - just behaving like a February 1929. McDonald applied to the gutless wonder. I made Wau OK, but only just, and found Australian Government for a subsidy of £12,000 over three the trouble to be the "prop"; the laminations had parted for the new airline, and although supported by the company. Although held together by the boss bolts, from Papuan Administration, the Mandated Territory halfway down the blades to the tips, the laminations were Administration was less forthcoming. All other operators independently flapping in the air! I was forced to leave the Territory flew without subsidy and the aircraft at Wau and returned to Lae with Charlie Pratt in Commonwealth Government rejected the application, his Moth, only to be castigated on arrival for not bringing By the end of 1928 Parer's brothers Alphonse the old "4" with me." ("Phonse") and Bernard arrived to work for the new airline Bill Wiltshire spent about three months coaxing the storemen/clerks, and Bob and Cyril arrived early the D.H.9 to fly between Lae and Wau carrying cargo and the following year. The Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Service odd brave passenger, but Parer had overlooked making absorbed into the new organisation, but Morlae arrangements to pay his salary during his absence. On Air Line did not proceed with the service to Australia, his return, Parer was embarrassed by the oversight and Parer travelled to Australia to arrange shipment of the quickly made amends but in August 1928 Wiltshire left D.H.9C to New Guinea. Following its arrival, he Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Service and joined Mandated inaugurated Morlae Airline's service between Lae and Port Territory Airways. Moresby in April 1929. The flight took 2 hours 40 minutes Late in July engineer Bert Moss died of blackwater fares were costed at £20 per hour. By June he had fever and in October Basil Daish resigned and returned to joined by engineer A. C. McMurtrie, lured from Australia. This left Parer as the only pilot, with no engineers and two dubious aircraft. Nevertheless he was ^71 7 ! "77 ! ^ .

Port Moresby to connect with the regular shipping service Parer first went to New Guinea to work as a mechanic with his to Australia. The condition of the D.H.4 was too poor for it brother Ray. He left to go gold mining with Harry O'Kane at Black even to be considered for use on such a trip and the D.H.9 Cat Creek but shortly returned to aviation as a mechanic with Taylor was pressed into service as the only alternative. & Ross Air Transport Company. While with Taylor & Ross, he gained his ground engineer licence as an airframe fitter.

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profit from the operation. Early in the year he went to Australia on leave, leaving the D.H.9 under a rough shelter on the Pari aerodrome. There were many rumours at this time of a combination of Morlae Air Line and several of the other small operators in the Territory, but nothing eventuated to provide any substantial opposition to the large Guinea Airways, which had considerable financial backing and was soon to introduce the big three-engined Junkers G.31 freighters Ray Parer's hangar at Wau Aerodrome with DH9 c.1934. Photo: R.O. Mant Guinea Airways, and the business was flourishing. While flying from McDonald again approached the Government for a Wau to Port Moresby one day in September with subsidy and announced that the organisation was to be passenger J. Williams, at a height of 5,000 feet over the converted to a limited liability company on 29th July under mouth of the Vanapa River Parer was faced with the the new name of Morlae Air Line Ltd. stoppage of the D.H.O's engine. Forced landings were the norm in those days and Parer put down successfully on For some time Parer had been trying to persuade the Redscar Beach, some 50 miles from Port Moresby. Lieutenant-Governor of Papua, Sir Hubert Murray, to Leaving the aeroplane, they started walking along the accept a flight over Port Moresby. At last he relented and beaches but soon saw a small ship close inshore. With on 13th July 1929 he and his niece. Miss Morrison, much yelling and waving, Parer and Williams caught the climbed aboard Parer's D.H.9C VH-UKI. As the aircraft attention of the ship's skipper and were taken aboard, was lifting off from the Pari aerodrome, the engine reaching Moresby the next day. Parer immediately bought spluttered and died. Struggling to get the aircraft down some cans of petrol and chartered a launch to take him again, Parer steered between two large trees at the edge back to Redscar Beach. After refuelling the D.H.9C, he of the airstrip, tearing off both wings and crumpling the resumed his flight to Port Moresby. forward fuselage in the process. Morlae Airlines now quietly faded away, to be As the dust settled, Parer jumped from the cockpit superseded in December 1930 by a new company, Pacific unhurt, rushing to check the condition of his passengers. Aerial Transport Company, with headquarters at Wau. Miss Morrison was shaken but unharmed, while Sir Hubert Ray Parer was managing director and among the new Murray appeared unconcerned by the crash and a little organisation's backers was Captain G. L. Bond, owner of surprised that his flight had ended so soon. the Junkers W.33 The Lady Lettie VH-UlW. Bond and his The D.H.9C was a write-off, although Parer salvaged partner. Captain J. Taylor, had brought the Junkers, which some parts. The company's D.H.4 VH-UCM was still was fitted with a 385 h.p. Junkers L-5 engine, to Salamaua unairworthy and the D.H.9 VH-UFS was under repair, in March 1930 but the aircraft was outmatched by the leaving Morlae without an aircraft. In September the competing Junkers of Guinea Airways which, fitted with a Federal Government rejected conclusively Morlae's latest 450 h.p. Bristol Jupiter VI engine, allowed a greater request for a subsidy, which crushed any plans to obtain a payload. Further problems were caused by lack of capital larger aircraft. The D.H.9 resumed operations the and the partnership was disbanded but Bond managed to following month but the company was now struggling to raise funds and retain ownership of the aircraft. He then survive. Parer had, however, employed engineer N. M. leased the Junkers to Pacific Aerial Transport while their Downham, who had previously been with another small D.H.9 was temporarily retired. Parer's youngest brother Territory operator, Taylor and Ross. Kevin joined the company as a pilot, and Lionel C. Shoppee and Les Ross also flew for PAT. Weather conditions in Papua and New Guinea played havoc with wooden aircraft. In October 1929, aircraft The demise of Morlae Air Lines appears to be inspector A. J. Collopy visited Lae and cancelled the associated with a split between the partners, for in 1932 Certificate of Registration of the D.H.4 due to its poor Parer and P. J. McDonald were involved in litigation over state. There was some concern over the deterioration of the airline. The case dragged on for months before the plywood of the D.H.9 but it was not considered McDonald took it to the High Court of Australia. The High dangerous. Court returned the proceedings to the Central Court of Papua which eventually ordered the liquidation of the So Ray Parer struggled on through 1930. He company. continued to fly the D.H.9 VH-UFS on the route from the goldfields at Wau to Port Moresby via Lae but made little

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The new Pacific Aerial Transport Company bought a Parer successfully test-flew his new aircraft on 10th single-engined Fokker F.lll, without engine, for £300. By September, although all work was not completed for the time he landed it in Port Moresby, the cost to Parer another three weeks. Registered VH-UQF on 21st had risen to £700. Parer then bought for £1,000 two August, it was put into service on 8th October when Parer Bristol Jupiter engines salvaged from New Guinea flew it to Salamaua and it was soon operating regularly on Goldfield's Handley Page Hampstead VH-ULK, which had the goldfield routes, crashed on 31st May 1930 at the head of the Kuper On one occasion, Ray Parer was transporting a cow in Range. The Fokker arrived aboard the steamer ss Le the Fokker from Lae to Wau. The cow, the first to be Maire early in February 1931 and Ray and Kevin Parer and engineer Downham immediately began its assembly, while Lionel Shoppee kept services going with the Junkers The Lady Lettie. With the 420 h.p. Bristol Jupiter VI engine at last fitted, Ray Parer test-flew the Fokker on 6th March, and on 14th March flew it to Salamaua. For the first time he had a modern aeroplane to offer his customers, one capable of carrying six passengers in a fully- enclosed cabin. The aircraft at this stage had not been formally registered. However, on 18th March, while taking off from Fokker F. VII VH- UQF c. 1934 Photo: R.O.Mant Salamaua, the Fokker came to grief. Ray Parer was carrying a load of freight carried by air in New Guinea, panicked when they were and two passengers, but the aircraft was out of trim and as half-way to Wau. With no one on board to control her, the it became airborne the engine faltered. The Fokker fell animal wrecked the rear cabin and forced her way towards into trees at the end of the airstrip, turning on its back. the cockpit, crashing her head through the light three-ply One passenger, Mrs Weston, suffered a broken wrist but partition. Fortunately the cow did no further damage but Parer and the other passenger, miner Ken Aird, were Parer and the cow eyed each other warily for the unharmed. remainder of the flight. At the end of 1931, another of the Territory's small Parer had invested his entire savings in the Fokker and operators, Lionel Shoppee, planned to take leave in was now completely broke. But the men of the goldfields Australia. Shoppee had often helped out his friend Ray rallied round him. They remembered the willing help he Parer, usually flying his Moth VH-ULE had given to miners who were unable to pay him for his on PAT'S behalf. Now he made arrangements with PAT to work, and they disliked seeing a competitor of Guinea lease the Moth to Kevin Parer during his absence. By this Airways go under. Many of the miners offered immediate time, PAT'S only full-time engineer was Bob Parer, while financial assistance and Parer now found that he had Norman Downham did some work on a casual basis while sufficient funds to buy a replacement for the Fokker. occupying himself mainly with goldmining A. C. Helped by Allen Innes, who ran the Salamaua Hotel, he McMurtrie also helped out with some mechanical work. In issued shares in PAT to those who helped him. Allen November PAT employed engineer Jack Goodman, who Innes then helped organise the business until the first laboured for nine months in the company's primitive manager, Cyril Helton, took over. PAT was now starting to workshop to rebuild the D.H.9 VH-UFS. Ray Parer still find its feet. flew for PAT but became increasingly interested in gold The replacement Fokker, PH-ACR, arrived in Port prospecting. Then in December, Charles D. Taylor joined Moresby aboard the ss Le Maire on 17th July 1931. Ray the company. A highly-qualified engineer who was an Parer and engineer Norman Downham flew to Port expert on the Bristol Jupiter engine which powered the Moresby with Les Ross in the Junkers The Lady Lettie and Fokker F.VII, Taylor remained with the company for years. began assembly of the Fokker while Ross returned to Lae It was said that Ray Parer always carried a bottle of to fly over the engine, the second Bristol Jupiter bought beer in the aircraft as part of his navigation equipment in from the wreck of the Handley Page Hampstead. The new New Guinea. If he was unsure of the condition of a Fokker was a single-engined Model F.VII, considerably landing ground, he would drop the bottle on it. If the bottle larger than the F.lll and equipped with comprehensive burst on impact with a splash of white foam, he knew that instrumentation, and it could carry nine passengers or the surface would be hard enough to land on. 1,400 lb of freight. For such a large aeroplane, it was underpowered with only a single engine and the design One night in Wau, Ray Parer was passing the time had been adapted to take three engines. Nevertheless, with a group of miners who had a shipment of gold waiting

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to be transported to Lae. The nuggets and gold dust, Luckily the Fokker which was in the hangar was unharmed worth a million pounds, were being kept in an unlocked but a wing of the Junkers was badly damaged. An shed and the miners, shooting the breeze, mused that it engineer from the Junkers factory, Gustav Mueller, who was a wonder it hadn't been stolen. "No one's got the was working with Guinea Airways at the time, estimated guts," and "No one would dare," was the general that the repairs would take months. consensus of the group. But Ray Parer went out later that Then early in December, Kevin Parer was forced to night, took the gold and buried it. The next day there was make an emergency landing at Zenag in the Moth VH-ULE a great flap when the loss was discovered and a frantic due to atrocious weather. When the storms had passed, search was begun. That night Parer put the gold back he tried to take off again but the long grass on the strip again. His involvement was not revealed until years later, fouled his undercarriage and the aircraft flipped over on its but Parer was never one to back away from a dare. back. Parer and his passenger, Mrs Peadon, escaped At the beginning of March 1932, Guinea Airways serious injury but the Moth was damaged. When the commenced a service between the goldfields and Port grass on the strip was cut, PAT's Fokker arrived to fly out Moresby using a Junkers F.13, signalling the start of the disassembled Moth to Wau, where it was rebuilt by serious competition for Ray Parer and Lionel Shoppee. engineer J. Cranston, who had recently joined the They charged a fare of £15 for the trip. Then early in company. August, Guinea Airways decided to convert their Junkers The Civil Aviation Branch had no permanent officers in W.34 VH-UNM from a freighter to a passenger New Guinea and certain powers were delegated to the configuration by fitting windows and seats for eight Administrator of the Territory in respect of the Air passengers, and to replace the F.13's Junkers L5 engine Navigation Regulations. Thus in February 1933 PAT was with a more powerful Bristol Jupiter, to improve charged in the District Court at Salamaua with four performance. breaches of the Air Navigation Regulations. There were Ray Parer's Fokker could compare with the Junkers in two charges of flying the Fokker at different periods when performance and he took on Guinea Airways by it was unregistered and without a Certificate of announcing that he would carry all freight at a flat rate of Airworthiness, and similar charges in respect of the Moth. fivepence per pound. He also planned to form a new PAT was fined a total of £125. company. Pacific Trading Company, to operate stores at With the Junkers and the Moth both under repair, the Salamaua and Wau, selling bagged rice at £40 per ton, a Fokker and the D.H.9 were worked harder. The weather reduction in the usual price of £10 per ton. Most of the conditions in New Guinea meant that flying was usually small miners on the goldfields trusted Parer and would confined to the mornings, as later in the day thick cloud readily support him in preference to Guinea Airways. built up over the ranges. Now pilot Arthur Affleck was Guinea Airways retaliated by introducing a freight rate obliged to fly in the worsening weather later in the day, of fourpence per pound for single items not exceeding 200 making for very trying conditions. Affleck was not lb in weight. Pacific Aerial Transport immediately matched impressed with the PAT operation and after five months their rates but without the limit on the maximum weight of with the company left to return to Queensland. The single pieces. repairs to the Junkers took almost three years and the aircraft did not fly again until July 1935. By early 1933 the trading firm W. R. Carpenter & Company also entered the air transport business in the Another pilot, Godfrey Ellard Hemsworth (known as Territory, using two de Havilland D.H.83 Fox Moths. The Goff) joined PAT on 15th March 1933 as Assistant general freight rate by this time had been reduced to Flying Officer. At the time, Kevin Parer was away on leave fourpence per pound but Carpenter's entry saw Pacific and Ray Parer and Lionel Shoppee were doing very little Aerial Transport and rival Holden's Air Transport Service flying, spending almost all their time goldmining. Gold drop the rate to three and a half pence per pound. fever had also taken engineers N. W. Downham and G. L. During 1932 engineer John Goodman rebuilt the D.H.9 Gottschalk, as well as Bob Parer for a time. For a period VH-UFS. The aircraft now incorporated pieces from the this left only Charlie Taylor and Cranston working full-time, wreck of the D.H.9C VH-UKI and the radiator from Bristol and then in December 1933 Cranston had a fight with the Fighter VH-UEB which crashed at Wau on 17th April 1928. manager and resigned. Ray Parer test-flew the D.H.9 on 30th August 1932 and In spite of all this, PAT somehow managed to survive, then put it into operation on the Wau-Salamaua run. PAT but it had alienated many of its private customers. A was now running four aircraft: the D.H.9, the Fokker F.VII, freight contract with the Administration sustained the the Junkers W.33 The Lady Lettie, and Lionel Shoppee's company but the Administration was also becoming Gipsy Moth VH-ULE. Shoppee had given up operating his dissatisfied and seemed certain not to renew the contract. one-man company, Papuan Airways, and flew for PAT at In July, Les Ross left PAT and joined Guinea Airways as a such times as he was not off goldmining. pilot. Ray Parer was also involving himself more with PAT'S Fokker was a familiar sight in the area. With its goldmining, and bought a lease in the Upper Watut for light wing loading, the aircraft would drift in for a landing £600. Initially a Belgian friend, Norbert Vanderghinste, with the pilot cursing, "Get down, you so-and-so, get worked the lease for him but Parer began to spend more down!" Then in November 1933, the wing/fuselage time at the mine and less flying. Cyril Helton left PAT and attachments of the Fokker needed repair. Guinea Airways was replaced as manager by A. Sherwin, while another allowed PAT's engineers to use their cargo crane, the only pilot, Arthur Affleck, joined the organisation. Affleck had previously worked for QANTAS, where he had been the first pilot of the Flying Doctor service in outback ^ Goff Hemsworth was born in Sydney on 2nd January 1910 and gained his private pilot's "A” licence at the Australian Aero Club, Queensland. New South Wales Section, at Mascot on 30th December 1927, and his In October 1932 the Junkers The Lady Lettie swung commercial pilot's "B" licence with the club on 10th December 1932. badly on takeoff at Wau and crashed into the PAT hangar. His father had been one of the pioneer explorers of New Guinea.

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one at Wau, to lift the single-section wing from the Shoppee then agreed to join him in the race but he too fuselage for the work to be done. With the delicate had to withdraw. Then Goff Hemsworth stepped in separation completed and the wing hanging from the Hemsworth had found his first flying job with PAT a few crane, the crane's wooden jib broke and dropped the wing years earlier, but his absence during the race would leave to the ground. The damage took almost a month to repair, the company with Kevin Parer as the only pilot, so W. C. Another engineer. Jack Shaw, had joined PAT from (Charlie) Gatenby was hired by PAT. Australia. Kevin Parer flew to Port Moresby in the D.H.9 to Gatenby did not stay long with PAT, leaving the collect him and fly him back to Wau. On the way, the company in October. He was replaced by F. C. Higginson, D.H.9's Siddeley Puma engine gave trouble, causing who was to fly the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth VH-ULE which Shaw some disquiet. When he saw the primitive PAT PAT had finally bought from Lionel Shoppee. But when workshop at Wau he was even more alarmed. The Higginson arrived at Wau on 27th October, the Moth was equipment consisted of one hand grinding wheel, one out of service and he was asked to fly instead the hand operated drill press, one oxy-acetylene welding set, Simmonds Spartan which had been leased from George one four-inch lathe and one 240 volt generator. Charlie Mendham. Higginson flatly refused to fly the Spartan and Taylor and Jack Shaw both had their own toolkits and returned to Australia forthwith, somehow managed to keep the aircraft flying as well as carry out major repairs and rebuilds. The company was Parer and Hemsworth sailed from Port Moresby for struggling to pay wages and there was no money left for England on 29th June after lavish farewells by the new equipment. Syndicate and the Territory's Lieutenant Governor, Sir Hubert Murray. After breaking their journey at Singapore, Bob Parer left PAT in May 1934 to go gold mining at they reached London on 6th August and began their the Black Cat. Lionel Shoppee stopped flying and Ray preparations. Parer's was the second Fairey Fox entered Parer went to the Sepik District to investigate the in the race but the aircraft's manufacturer, Richard Fairey, opportunities for goldmining and aviation there. He flew to opposed their entry because he considered the Fox was Wewak, landing at Worn in his old D.H.9 VH-UFS with unsuited to the race and that his company's reputation Dick Glasson, the co-discoverer with Bill Royal of the rich would suffer as a result. Consequently both Fox teams Edie Creek goldfield. The two were successful in finding were denied factory support. Before leaving New Guinea, gold on the Screw River and Parer built an airstrip at Parer had cabled the selling agent in London, W. s' Maprik to service the site. He also located sites for Shackleton Ltd, asking them to have the aircraft ready on landing grounds at But, Wewak and Angoram, on the his arrival. When he reached London, Parer found the Sepik River, for his proposed air service. Before this could aircraft at Hanworth, barely in an airworthy condition and eventuate, however, his attention was caught by a radio far from ready, and it looked as though the cost of having report in April 1933 of an air race from England to it prepared for the race would be double the original Australia to mark the centenary of the State of Victoria and estimate, the City of Melbourne late In the following year, and millionaire chocolate manufacturer Sir MacPherson The work of renovating the Fox, G-ACXO, was carried Robertson (who made the MacRobertson brand out by National Flying Services Ltd and included fitting confectioneries) offered trophies and a prize of £10,000 for extra fuel tanks (one between the cockpits and the other the winner. Parer thought the ideal machine for the race faired in below the fuselage) in defiance of race would be an American Lockheed but, as usual, he lacked regulations, oversized and streamlined wheels, and the finances necessary to buy such an aircraft. Eventually additional instruments. The "cut out" in the trailing edge of he saw a Fairey Fox advertised for sale by the Honourable the top centre section of the wing was covered in to Mrs Victor Bruce in England for £200 with a spare engine provide additional area, all strut ends and wires were and this was more within his means. This aircraft had faired with celluloid to improve streamlining, and both been built in 1926 and used by the Royal Air Force from cockpits were made smaller. It was expected that the Fox that time until 1931; the following year it was put up for would have a maximum speed of at least 160 m.p.h. and a civilian disposal, Meanwhile, Parer's D.H.9 was range of about 1,000 miles. In all, they spent £400 on the deregistered. aircraft, which was painted silver with black trimming and carried the Race Number 35. The Fairey Fox was a day botriber, a biplane with two open cockpits and powered by a licence-built version of Parer and Hemsworth entered the Speed and the 430 h.p. American Curtiss D-12 liquid-cooled engine. Handicap Sections of the race and drew starting position The D-12 engine had powered the American Curtiss CR-3 15 in a ballot for the MacRobertson London-Melbourne biplanes which won the 1923 Schneider Trophy Race and Centenary Air Race. The race regulations required all was later produced in England as the Fairey Felix. When aircraft and crews to be at London's Mildenhall Aerodrome it had first flown in 1925 the Fox was faster than the best a week before the race was due to begin. Even though single-seat fighters of the day. Although it would now be they were assisted in the work by three mechanics, outclassed by the most modem of the aircraft entered in unfortunately the modifications to the Fox were taking the race, Parer believed he stood a good chance of longer than expected and Parer and Hemsworth were winning the handicap section. unable to comply. They were granted an extension of two days, but then Parer came down with an attack of malaria When the men on the goldfields learned of Ray Parer's and was confined to bed, Hemsworth sent a telegram to plans, they once again showed their high regard for him by Mildenhall explaining the problem but the authorities would forming a group, the New Guinea Centenary Flight allow no more time One piece of good news, though, was Syndicate, to provide financial support. The Syndicate, that the regulations regarding the amount of fuel that could formed on 13th June 1934, soon raised £1,400 for the be carried had been changed and Parer was allowed to venture. Initially it was planned that R. O. (Dick) Mant, the carry the extra petrol in the additional tanks he had fitted Chief Pilot for W. R. Carpenter & Company, would accompany Parer as co-pilot, but Carpenters were in the Determined not to be denied his chance, Parer got out throes of introducing new de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon of bed, dressed and drove to Hanworth, where the Fox aircraft and Dick Mant could not be spared. Lionel was located, and flew it to Mildenhall, By the time he

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arrived, Parer seemed to have thrown off the effects of the they kept on flying, following the coast. Parer suddenly malaria but the next morning they discovered that the realised that they were flying over the forbidden area of La aircraft's retractable radiator was leaking persistently. It Spezia, one of Mussolini's new secret naval bases. They was too difficult to try to pinpoint the leak and fix it, so a continued on in poor visibility to Pisa and landed at the new radiator was ordered. It arrived the day before the military airfield, whose commander was already informed race began and a test run of the engine indicated that all of their flight over La Spezia. They were detained virtually was well. as prisoners for ten days until permission came from Rome for them to continue. There was a sequel to this Of the 64 acceptances for the race, only 21 lined up for during the Second World War. the start. When the Fairey Fox was flagged off from London's Mildenhall Aerodrome at 6.40 a.m. on 20th They flew on to Naples, where again they were October 1934 headed for Marseilles, Ray Parer was detained, for another three days. Then they continued to confident of his chances of taking a prize on handicap. Brindisi, where Parer again mistakenly landed on the Unfortunately luck again deserted him. Echoing his 1920 military airfield. They barely escaped detention for the flight in which he had taken 206 days to reach Australia in third time, but after more instruction from Rome, they were the D.H.9, this trip also proved to be a battle against the allowed to leave for Athens. odds and Parer and Hemsworth did not reach Melbourne The aircraft's engine again began overheating while until February 1935, after 116 days. they were flying over the Adriatic Sea but it kept running Very soon after starting, mid-way across the English and they were able to land safely at Tatoi. Parer Channel, the engine started misfiring and Parer's thoughts wondered if the mysterious colouring in the fuel had any went back to the D.H.9 fourteen years earlier: "It's the P.D. bearing on the trouble with the engine but none of the all over again." They struggled on to the French coast and mechanics assisting him was able to resolve the puzzle. made their way inland until they found a suitable field in Various experts from the Greek aviation establishment which to come down. They landed safely at Samer, about became involved and even the Greek Minister for Defence 10 miles south east of Boulogne, but a quick inspection took an interest. Fairey's Greek agent even acquired a showed that, as well as the faulty engine, the new radiator brand new radiator, a larger one designed for the Fairey was leaking as badly as the one it had replaced. Parer III, a batch of which had been bought from England for the told Hemsworth, "That's it, Goff. The race is over as far as Greek Air Force, and had it fitted to the Fox. It cost Parer we are concerned." Then he added, "We might as well £100 but the engine seemed to run well without press on anyway. We might beat my 1920 time of nearly overheating. eight months." Finally, after 55 days' delay, they took off again on 10th Officialdom arrived on the scene and the gendarmes January 1935, headed for Cyprus. They continued on to would not allow them to proceed until permission was Nicosia, where Parer perspicaciously landed outside the received from Paris, but the delay allowed Parer and main area of the aerodrome because it appeared Hemsworth time to work on the engine. They tried to waterlogged. An inspection after landing showed that the reach Abbeville but a recurrence of engine trouble forced surface had been turned to soft mud under sheets of them to land at Beauvais. They made arrangements there water. Then to Aleppo, where the poor state of the for the radiator to be repaired and decided to have the aerodrome had caused the crash of Air Race competitors engine overhauled when they reached Paris, but in two Jimmy Woods and Don Bennett in their Lockheed Vega, attempts to get there, the first time they had to return to but fortunately Parer landed safely. They then reached Beauvais and the second resulted in another forced Baghdad safely but the temporary clearance that had landing. been granted for air race competitors to fly over Persia Eventually they reached Paris' Le Bourget Airport, had now been withdrawn and all flights over that country where Imperial Airways mechanics worked on the engine, were now prohibited. The ban was but another move in a confidently expecting to have it fixed in hours. They were squabble between Persia and Iraq over oil-bearing land on still working on the problem several days later. The spark the border between the two countries and England plugs were found to be covered with a powdery yellow supported Iraq's claim. Hence an attempt to secure deposit, and the petrol also had a yellow colour to it, as permission through the British Consul in Baghdad proved well as being of a different specific gravity from each fuel unfruitful as Parer was perceived by the Persians to be tank. This was a mystery they were unable to solve. They British. However a waiter at the airport hotel offered to were still held up at Paris when the race was won. help through a friend at the Persian Legation. True to his word, a couple of days later the waiter's friend arrived with The first aircraft to reach Melbourne was the specially- a telegram which read, "The Australian airmen are built de Havilland D.H.88 Comet racer flown by C. W. A. graciously permitted to descend at Bushire and Jask in the Scott and T. Campbell Black, in a time of 71 hours. Of Shah's Dominions." more significance, however, was the performance put up by KLM's Douglas DC-2, which reached Melbourne in 90 While they were waiting at Baghdad for permission to hours 13 minutes and took the handicap prize, and by continue, Parer and Hemsworth visited Rutbah Wells and Roscoe Turner's Boeing 247D. The American-built examined the wreckage of the KLM DC-2 PH-AJU, which Douglas and Boeing aircraft were standard airline had come second in the MacRobertson London- transports and their performance stunned the British. Melbourne Air Race. The DC-2 had returned safely to Holland after the race but, with a different crew, had In the face of the time lost in repairs, Parer and crashed when it was forced down over the desert by a Hemsworth were forced to withdraw from the race but sandstorm while on a flight to Batavia. The other Fairey were nevertheless determined to continue to Australia. Fox in the race had experienced its share of mechanical Finally getting away from Le Bourget, they flew to Lyons, troubles and had also crashed, in Italy, killing its crew. where they stayed overnight. Deciding to take the shorter Flying Officer H. D. Gilman and J. K. C. Baines. route to Turin, they flew across the Alps to reach Italy and descended through cloud over Genoa. But the engine At last permitted to continue, Parer and Hemsworth set was overheating and they couldn't find an aerodrome, so off for Basra but were forced back by a violent sandstorm.

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On their second attempt, Parer decided to follow the Ray Parer flew his storm-battered and travel-worn Baghdad to Basra railway line but they again flew into a Fairey Fox to Sydney's Mascot Aerodrome on 26th thick sandstorm and they were forced to fly ever lower to February for a complete overhaul and modifications for keep the tracks in sight. Suddenly a dark shadow shot civil use prior to flying it back to New Guinea This past them a few feet to their left and a badly shaken Parer involved him in protracted negotiations with the Civil realised he had almost had a head-on collision with Aviation Branch over the aircraft's civil registration. Goff another aircraft, which also was following the railway line Hemsworth returned to Lae at the end of March and in the poor visibility of the sandstorm. After a short rest at resumed flying for PAT Basra, they continued to Bushire, where a magneto failed In January 1935, Pacific Aerial Transport employed just before they landed. They fitted a spare but it was "Ginger" Cameron to fly the Moth VH-ULE, which was now after dark when the repairs were completed and the airworthy again. Cameron operated the Moth to the many aircraft refuelled. The engine was now running well and bush strips over the Morobe District and to Papua. When the following day they flew on to Jask, then crossed the coming in to land at the very steep Roaring Creek airstrip Persian Gulf for India, where they landed at Karachi. on 14th May, he was caught by gusty winds. Just before Next they flew on to Allahabad and Calcutta. They had touchdown he ran into a violent down-draught which already cabled their backing syndicate in New Guinea for dropped the Moth to the ground, smashing the funds twice during their trip but their finances were low undercarriage and severely damaging the wings and again. Goff Hemsworth received a draft for £50 and this fuselage. Engineer Jack Shaw and 30 native labourers sustained them for the time being. They flew without walked in to Roaring Creek and carried all salvageable incident to Akyab, Rangoon and Moulmein and then down parts out to the Upper Watut aerodrome, where the PAT the Malayan peninsula to Mergui. There Parer discovered Fokker F.VII loaded everything and flew it back to the that he had lost the piece of chamois leather which he string of old sheds at Wau which comprised the PAT used to filter the petrol as it was poured into the tanks, and facility. Shaw rebuilt the Moth and in less than a month it they had to take a chance with contamination in the was flying again. refuelling. Seventy-five miles out from Mergui, while flying While the Moth was under repair, the Simmonds over a vast area of jungle and mangrove swamp, the Spartan was again leased from George Mendham, while engine began to choke and misfire and Parer desperately arrangements were made to purchase another Moth. This worked the hand fuel pump trying to restart the it. The new machine, VH-UJM, crashed at Roamer with "Ginger" engine came to life again but died away once more when Cameron flying, on 10th June, shortly after its arrival. he stopped working the pump, and the aircraft began to Jack Shaw flew to Roamer in the Spartan and affected lose height. Parer kept on pumping and working at temporary repairs to enable the Moth to be ferried back to keeping the engine firing and by a miracle they made it Wau for proper rectification. Ray Parer also employed back to Mergui, just scraping in over the trees to a rough Dick Allen, who had previously served with No.1 landing. Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force. Allen flew for the The trouble was caused by water in the fuel, and the company in 1935 and 1936 and on one occasion set a tanks had to be drained. The spark plugs were also record of 12 return trips from Wau to Salamaua in one day changed but the engine proved difficult to start until it was in the Junkers W.33 The Lady Lettie. On another discovered that the left hand magneto was not firing. occasion, Allen lost most of his money on the crown and Rectification of the aircraft took two days and they set off anchor table at one of the sports days at Lae. He needed to Alor Star in Malaya. From there they flew the next day to make up the loss and set off the next day at first light in to Singapore and then to Batavia and Sourabaya, experiencing good weather all the way. But at Sourabaya ^ Goff Hemsworth resigned shortly after PA T was amalgamated into they discovered more water in the petrol and also found Mandated Airlines at the end of September 1936, and flew for Guinea that their compass had become unreliable. The Dutch Airways for a time before joining Qantas Empire Airways, flying military provided assistance and they then took off for Short Empire Class flying boats on the Sydney to Singapore run. Koepang. However it was not long before they had more With the outbreak of war, Hemsworth was among a group of Qantas trouble with the engine, with black smoke belching from pilots who signed up early in September 1939 for active duty with the the exhausts. They turned back and landed on Lombok RAAF, operating the Empire flying boats under charter from Qantas Island, where they stripped down the carburettor, assisted as part of No. 11 Squadron. Flying later with No. 20 Squadron on by the local Dutch fuel company representative. Catalinas, he took part in bombing raids against the Japanese at Rabaul, on one occasion limping back to Port Moresby after flying for Two days later, on 6th February 1935, they reached 25‘A hours on one engine after being damaged by Japanese fighters. Koepang at last, where a check again revealed water in On 6th May 1942, Hemsworth, now a Squadron Leader, was the fuel. Yet again the tanks were drained and refilled and searching for a Japanese invasion convoy sailing through the then they set out on the overwater leg to Darwin. On this Solomon Sea between Woodlark Island and the Louisiade hazardous crossing of the Timor Sea, the engine behaved Archipelago with a crew of eight in the Catalina A 24-20. He reported itself perfectly and they touched down safely in Darwin, sighting two enemy destroyers south-east of Misima Island, and over where Parer was welcomed by three of his cousins. From the next few minutes gave further details of the number and type of ships, including an aircraft carrier, in the convoy, there they flew on by way of Longreach, Charleville and Almost immediately afterwards he signalled, "Attacked by eight enemy Narromine to Melbourne to cross the air race's finishing planes. Sky full of them. Am on fire, have hit two." No further line at Flemington Racecourse on 13th February. There signals were received and the Catalina did not return. Post-war was no fanfare for Parer this time, as the Centenary enquiries led to a belief that the crew was picked up out of the sea and celebrations were over and the press were becoming clubbed to death on the deck of the Japanese destroyer which blase about long-distance flights, and only a handful of "rescued" them. The Japanese force was mustering for an attack on people were on hand to welcome them. However, Sir Port Moresby and the American counter-attacks culminated in the MacPherson Robertson asked to meet them and Battle of the Coral Sea on 8th May 1942, the first major defeat of the presented each of them with a gold medal to Japanese Navy and Air force. commemorate the flight. Hemsworth was awarded the Air Force Cross in the June 1942 King's Birthday Honours.

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the de Havilland D.H.50 VH-UMN ferrying loads of rice in August 1935 he led an expedition searching for gold in between Salamaua and Lae. The rice, from Saigon, came the Sepik River Valley. Members of the prospecting team in square sacks each weighing 100 lb (45 kg), which made included Dick Glasson, W. Smith (a broker from loading the aircraft very easy. Taking 1,100 or 1,200 lb Melbourne), and Brigadier-General Wisdom (a former (500 or 545 kg) at a time, depending on fuel, and Administrator of the Mandated Territory). The party refuelling every second trip, Allen finished at dusk having penetrated nearly 500 miles of virgin jungle before turning completed 22 trips in that day, a record which stood for back. many years. Pacific Aerial Transport purchased two de Havilland Another competitor in the 1934 London-Melbourne Air D.H.50 aircraft on 5th September 1935. VH-UNM and VH- Race was Flying Officer C. G. Davies, who entered the UEK had previously been operated by Larkin's Australian Fairey INF Mk.lVM G-AABY Time and Chance with Aerial Services Ltd. One of the aircraft was overhauled in Lieutenant-Commander C. L. Hill, Royal Navy, as his two days and loaded aboard the ss Wear sailing from navigator. Carrying Race Number 15, they flew to Rome Melbourne to Sydney, where it was trans-shipped to the ss and Athens but were forced to land at Cyprus with aileron Neptuna for New Guinea, being landed at Salamaua on trouble. Repairs took time and the aircraft did not arrive at 19th September. In May 1936, VH-UEK crashed on its next control point until 1st November, by which time the landing at Wau while being flown by Kevin Parer and was Speed Race had been won by Scott and Campbell Black written off. in the Comet and the Handicap Race by Parmentier and Moll in the DC-2. Davies' aircraft continued its journey, As 1935 wore on, Guinea Airways tried to enter into plagued with further aileron trouble and overheating of the freight rate agreements with its customers and with 550 h.p. Napier Lion XIA engine. It landed at Essendon Holden's Air Transport Services. The other smaller aerial on 23rd November 1934, the second last competitor to operators varied their rates almost daily and long-term reach Melbourne. contracts became futile. Guinea Airways believed that a single company should be established to operate air After the race Davies flew the aircraft to Queensland services in the Territory and formally proposed such a plan and operated a daily service between Brisbane and to the Government to combat the rampant price-cutting. Toowoomba under charter to Austral Air Services. He Guinea Airways asked for a charter to operate all air applied for registration in Australia and VH-UTT was services in the Territory and would in return absorb all the allotted in March 1935. In the same month, the aircraft other operators. Pacific Aerial Transport and Holden's Air was bought by Major E. G. Clerk, the owner of Austral Air Transport Services had both agreed in principle to a Services. Clerk had sailed from London late in 1934 with merger with Guinea Airways. a Spartan and two Avro 504K aircraft to set up an aerial joyriding and air circus operation. In January 1935 he had The proposal provoked furious dissent among the inaugurated the service from Archerfield to Toowoomba. miners. The Minister for Territories, Senator Sir George Wounded in action in the First World War, Clerk was later Pearce, made an announcement in January 1936 crippled in a motor accident and conducted his business favouring the scheme. There was immediate reaction on from a wheelchair the Morobe Goldfield with a public meeting convened at Wau on 19th January. It was the largest such meeting Ray Parer was having trouble with the Civil Aviation ever held, attended by all sections of the community. A Branch getting a Certificate of Airworthiness for his Fox resolution was passed without opposition condemning the and, hearing that VH-UTT was for sale, went to compulsory merger of air service companies, and the Wau Toowoomba and bought it. Davies agreed to fly the Fairey Citizens' Committee sent copies to the Government and INF to New Guinea while Parer flew his Fox, but plans Opposition, reflecting the community's deep distrust of were delayed when the Civil Aviation Branch required Guinea Airways. The mining companies also opposed the modifications to the IMF before it could be operated in New plan and the Legislative Council of Papua objected too. Guinea. Then Davies was hospitalised with tetanus and The unpopular plan was quietly forgotten. Ray Parer flew VH-UTT to New Guinea himself, arriving at Wau with a passenger on 21st April 1935. The aircraft William S. Shackleton recorded that he was in New was put into service with PAT while Parer sailed back to Guinea in April 1936 and called in to see his old friend Ray Australia to collect the Fox. Ray Parer flew it from Parer. Shackleton had been Chief Designer for William Australia to New Guinea in August 1935, with a delay at Beardmore & Company and first met Ray Parer when he Mascot while Sid Marshall repaired a water leak on the was negotiating for the company's backing for his flight to engine, assisted by Bob Boulton. The Fairey Fox arrived Australia in 1919. In 1928 he migrated to Australia and at Wau on 14th August. took a job as Chief Engineer with the Larkin Aircraft Supply Company, eventually returning to England in 1931 By this stage, Ray Parer had little direct involvement in to establish an aircraft brokerage firm which handled the Pacific Aerial Transport Company, although he still had a sale of the Fairey Fox to Ray Parer. Parer's brother Kevin small financial interest. Very methodical, reliable and told him that Ray had sailed weeks before, in a none-too businesslike (in many ways the opposite of Ray), Kevin seaworthy boat for the uncharted Sepik River, hundreds of Parer was now the company's manager. In November miles away. "He will be back before Christmas," Kevin 1934, Guinea Airways had proposed an amalgamation had told Shackleton, and he was. with PAT but the negotiations lapsed. Ray Parer planned to use his Fairey Fox on his own behalf, operating Shackleton wrote to the Bristol Aeroplane Company services between Salamaua and Wau, and Wau and paying tribute to the long service life of two Bristol Jupiter Mount Hagen. However, these plans did not eventuate as VI engines that Pacific Aerial Transport were still using daily. One was supplied in the D.H.50A, VH-UMN, to its original owner in 1929. The second, delivered in 1926, ^ The Avro 504s (G-EBYW and G-ABWK) were never registered in had a running time of over 4,000 hours to its credit and Australia and the Spartan (VH-UUU) was overturned by a willy-willy was still fitted with the original cylinders. Maintenance while parked at Tennant Creek on 17th January 1936 and not repaired. standards had improved considerably in the nine years since Ray Parer's arrival in New Guinea.

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Competition in the New Guinea air services business was the Sepik District. In March 1938 Kevin Parer added a becoming more intense and Pacific Aerial Transport larger aircraft to his company, the twin-engined de Company was taken over by the W. R. Carpenter Air Havilland D.H.84 Dragon VH-AEA. On 7th November, Service. A short time later, on 30th September 1936, the Kevin escaped injury when he crashed the Fox Moth at two companies were merged to form Mandated Airlines Tring. Three weeks later he damaged the Dragon in a Ltd. PAT'S staff of three or four people were absorbed into heavy landing at Wewak. The Dragon was soon repaired the new organisation, along with its motley fleet of by the company's engineer, E. W. Haynes. aeroplanes, which included the D.H.60G Gipsy Moth VH- Early in 1939 Ray Parer seriously resumed his UJM, the D.H.50A VH-UMN, the Fokker F.VII VH-UQF and involvement in air transport, having tired of gold mining. the Junkers W.33 VH-UlW. The Fokker was not used by With his gold mining partner Dick Glasson, he formed a Mandated Airlines, nor was the Junkers, which had syndicate which began operating the Fox Moth. Useful as corrosion problems that were beyond repair. this machine was, he needed an aircraft capable of Ray Parer was still flying, primarily in the partly carrying much bigger loads, as he hoped to supply the unexplored Sepik District. Operating mainly the Fairey workforce of native labourers who, it was anticipated, Fox in the Sepik for the New Guinea Centenary Flight would soon begin construction of the Wau-Salamaua Syndicate, he flew for a couple of years from But and road. At the end of 1937 Airways Ltd had Worn airstrips in the Sepik District. During this time he put up for sale two Boeing- 40-H-4 aircraft, single- made at least seventeen forced landings in the area engined biplanes designed as mailplanes and able to around Maprik and the Screw River, and on each occasion carry a payload of 2,300 lb. They were of mixed wood and managed to correct the trouble and fly out again. The welded steel tube construction, fabric covered, and had a Fairey IMF languished for about twelve months and the well-appointed cabin for four passengers with a registration was allowed to lapse. Engineer Eric Noble, compartment for freight or mail in front of it and another who worked for Stephens Aviation at Wau, recalled later, behind. Keith Farmer bought one of the Boeings, ZK- "Ray Parer was the kind of chap who was continually ADX, intending to use it on a fish freighting operation coming and going. One time he would have an aeroplane, between Kangaroo Island and Melbourne. After overhaul the next he wouldn't. Eventually he got the Fox to Wau and assembly at Essendon, the aircraft was registered and put it in a shed down at the end of the aerodrome VH-ADX in July 1938. Fitted with a Pratt & Whitney where it remained - he never ever cured the problems with Hornet radial engine, it was the biggest single-engined its cooling system. Another aeroplane Parer had was the transport aircraft seen in Australia. Operating from Fairey IMF VH-UTT. I had gone to Maprik to repair one of Essendon, Farmer used it for joyriding and general charter our aircraft and noticed this Fairey on the other side of the work but made only minimal use of it before the freight strip. It had a Napier Lion engine with a Fairey-Reed contract was cancelled and he put the Boeing up for sale. propeller, but all the water seals on the engine had gone. Ray Parer went to Melbourne to inspect the aircraft and Water-cooled engines were not a success in the Territory bought it from him in May 1939. as the water system always gave trouble." Ray Parer's visit to Melbourne was incorporated in a In August 1936 VH-UTT was repaired and re­ trip he made to Adelaide with Willy Schaufhausen. registered but it was not used to any extent. By November Schaufhausen was the chief pilot for the German Catholic the Fairey Fox was in such poor condition that its Mission of the Holy Ghost, Society of the Divine Word, Certificate of Airworthiness was suspended and three Eastern New Guinea, based at Alexishafen, near Madang months later it and the IIIF were both withdrawn from and was even more diminutive in stature than Ray Parer. service and broken up, with parts sold as "trade" to the The Mission had operated a two-seater Klemm Swallow natives. By then the New Guinea Centenary Flight since 1935, and a Klemm, VH-UZM, since 1937, but Syndicate had been dissolved and in November 1937 Ray needed a bigger aircraft capable of carrying a useful load Parer bought the de Havilland D.H.83 Fox Moth VH-AAZ of freight. At last the Fokker Universal VH-UJT was (which had been owned by the Royal Geographical bought from the MacRobertson-Miller Aviation Company of Society of London and was operated by the Graham Land Parafield, which had operated the aircraft for ten years. Expedition of 1934-1937 as G-ACRU) and began The Universal was powered by a Pratt & Whitney Wasp operating again on the Morobe Goldfield, where about 200 Junior engine and could carry two pilots and four miners were scratching out a living. Parer was again passengers. Because Schaufhausen lacked experience working his gold mine on the Upper Watut in partnership on larger aircraft, the Mission engaged Parer to fly the with Dick Glasson and he used the Fox Moth mainly to Fokker back to Alexishafen, training Schaufhausen on it bring in supplies for his mine. Occasionally he also flew freight for others, as well as carrying passengers, mainly on the way. The two pilots arrived in Wau on the delivery between Wau and Salamaua. flight on 22nd May, then went on to Salamaua where Parer left the aircraft and Schaufhausen continued on to On 12th June 1938, with a miner named Robinson as Madang on his own. a passenger, Parer took off from Upper Watut as night Ray Parer returned to Essendon in July and flew the was falling, bound for Wau. It was dark when Parer Boeing to Sydney, where he had Kingsford Smith Aviation entered the Wau Valley and he undershot the airstrip, Services install a 50 gallon fuel tank (from a Percival Gull) catching the Fox Moth's undercarriage in long kunai grass. in the freight compartment. A memorandum from the The aircraft crashed, sustaining major damage, and Parer Department of Civil Aviation's District Superintendent and his passenger were admitted to hospital with slight dated 17th July 1939 stated that Parer proposed to return injuries. Mandated Airlines repaired the aircraft in their with the tank and fittings for a second Boeing that was workshop and it was soon flying again. then being assembled. The second machine had been When Ray Parer returned to the Morobe Goldfield in allocated the registration ZK-ADY but it had not flown in 1937, his brother Kevin started his own air transport New Zealand and was resold and imported into Australia company at Wewak. Originally named Wewak Air in July 1939. It would appear that Ray Parer bought it at Transport, the company operated the de Havilland D.H.83 this time, although the aircraft was not registered to him Fox Moth VH-AAX, supplying the miners and outposts in until 26th January 1940.

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Parer flew the first Boeing, VH-ADX, to New Guinea at In March 1940 Kevin Parer bought from an insurance the end of July, accompanied by Mandated Airlines' company the remains of Mandated Airlines' D.H.84 engineer Arthur Collins, who had gone to Australia to gain Dragon VH-URW, which had crashed at Wau two months his Commercial Pilot Licence. But it was not long before earlier as a source of spare parts for his Dragon, VH- VH-ADX came to grief. Pilot Hugh Bond took off in the AEA. Components of VH-URW were taken by air from Boeing from Salamaua on 21st September, headed for Wau to Salamaua, then by boat to Wewak, where they Wau with a load of fuel in drums and some mixed freight. were taken ashore by barge. Although Kevin Parer had no Bond was inexperienced in New Guinea's flying conditions plans to rebuild the aircraft, by early 1941 Australia was and in a heavy thunderstorm in the Bitoi Gap strayed from desperately short of aircraft because of the war, and in the normal flight path, crashing into the dense rainforest at March the Department Of Civil Aviation made enquiries as an altitude of 6,000 feet. Bond was thrown from the to whether de Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd at Mascot could aircraft on impact, seriously injured, and the aircraft was rebuild it from its store of RAAF components De destroyed by fire. Havilland's were too busy with other work to proceed at that time, but by the beginning of 1942 Kevin Parer offered A search was quickly mounted when Bond failed to VH-URW, which he had begun to repair, to the Australian arrive at Wau, but the search was along the normal flight Government for £675. Before this offer could be path and no trace of the Boeing could be found. Three considered, VH-URW was destroyed in a Japanese raid days after the crash, Dick Mant learned of the missing and Kevin Parer himself was killed. aircraft when he landed at Salamaua. Mant was now Flight Superintendent of W. R. Carpenter Airlines, flying When Japan entered the war, Ray Parer tried to sail their four-engined de Havilland D.H.86 airliners between from Lae to Singapore, where he planned to join the Royal Rabaul and Sydney, and recalled having seen the Boeing Air Force. However, the ship he was to take was sunk off flying through a thunderstorm near the Black Cat Range the coast of New Guinea by the Japanese and there were as he was flying north to Rabaul. no survivors. He returned to Australia at the end of 1941 and was in Townsville at the time of his brother Kevin's As he left on his flight south, Mant detoured to the west death. In Sydney he joined the Royal Australian Air Force to search the forest in the vicinity of where he had seen but, at the age of 47 and with some health problems, was the Boeing and, after an hour of searching, spotted a rejected as being too old for flying duties. He was at a yellow fragment of wing in the tree-tops. He immediately loss to find a role for himself in the Air Force, as he was radioed the operator at Salamaua and reported his find. temperamentally suited to be neither an instructor nor an However, he was unable to give precise directions by administrator. radio so he returned to Salamaua and pinpointed the location on the map before resuming his scheduled flight During the 1934 MacRobertson London-Melbourne Air to Australia. A ground party quickly left from Wau and Race, Ray Parer and Goff Hemsworth had been detained found Bond lying semi-conscious where he had been by the Italians for flying over their naval base of La Spezia. since the crash five days earlier. Bond was carried out to Parer had in fact photographed the guns of the base and hospital and eventually recovered. now realised that he held valuable strategic information. He arranged for a friend named Mercy Gould to hand over Six weeks after the crash of the Boeing, on 6th the photographs to the Australian Security Intelligence November, the company's Fox Moth VH-AAZ was Service in a stairway of the Hotel Australia in Sydney. It destroyed when it crashed in the Black Cat Range in the was all very cloak-and-dagger-ish, but he did have the Bitoi Valley. The aircraft was being flown from Salamaua photos which the Italians had suspected in 1934. It seems to Wau by W. (Bill) Forgan Smith when he was caught in though that Customs searches then were not the art form appalling weather. Forgan Smith, who had arrived in New they are today. Guinea only four days earlier, was injured in the crash and wandered for several days in the thick forest before Raids on Bulolo, Lae and Salamaua by aircraft from walking out by following a river. He was found and the carriers Zuikaku and Shokaku on 21st January 1942 admitted to the Salamaua Hospital on 11th November, opened the Japanese attack on Papua and New Guinea. being released five days later. Ernest Clarke, a pilot for Mandated Airlines, and Kevin Parer were both at Salamaua, ready to take off in their The loss of the Fox Moth left the Parer-Glasson Dragons for Wau. Clarke was sitting in the cockpit of his syndicate without an aeroplane. Ray Parer then had the Dragon (VH-USA) at about noon with the engines ticking second Boeing 40-H-4 overhauled and flew it back from over but Kevin Parer, in VH-AEA, was having difficulty in Australia in November 1939. It was registered to him as getting his engines to start and he called Clarke over. VH-ACL in January 1940 but did not actually go into Clarke had just got hold of the propeller when Japanese service until August that year, being used sporadically until fighters roared in with no warning, about 50 feet overhead. November 1941 when it was withdrawn from service and "A burst of machine-gun fire from another sprayed around dismantled. In April 1941 Ray Parer sought permission under the National Security Regulations to sell the us," Clarke reported. "I dropped under the shelter of the machine to Mandated Airlines. Although approval was engine. I got up and saw Kevin get out of his seat and given, negotiations with Mandated Airlines were still taking dash to the back of the cabin, where he fell. The Japs place in November 1941 when its Certificate of were still coming. I covered Kevin with a blanket and Airworthiness lapsed. Then the Japanese attack on New made for a shelter. When the Japs were clear I ran out to Guinea intervened and the Boeing was destroyed in a the plane which was now on fire. I tried to get Kevin out Japanese bombing raid in March 1942. but I couldn't manage it. The Japs saw me and came Kevin Parer's company, Wewak Air Transport, had prospered and on 16th February 1939 had bought another ^ VH-URW crashed at Wau on 30th January 1940 when it struck hills Fox Moth, VH-ABQ. This aircraft suffered minor damage during an attempted missed landing approach. The pilot, R. E. Doyle, three weeks later when it crashed at Maprik due to engine and two native passengers were killed, while the aircraft was badly failure, with pilot Mavin Blackman. The name of the damaged and written off. A DCA investigation revealed that Doyle company was changed to Parer's Air Transport Company. was inexperienced and did not hold an endorsement to fly D. H. 84 type aircraft.

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back and let me have it. A couple of bullets ripped across Bob Parer, meanwhile, had built a freezing works at my legs above the knees but they were nothing - only Wewak. When war was declared in Europe, the shipping shallow flesh wounds. I cleared for shelter and at the service was cut and he had to close his freezer. He went edge of the drome stumbled in a small hole and sprained to Bougainville with a friend, George Taylor, gold both my ankles. It's a wonder they didn't come back and prospecting on a section of the later Panguna mine site. finish me off. But for Kevin's plane not starting, we would After disappointing results, they tried creeks leading to the have both been shot down in the air." coast and finally struck it rich at a creek at Atomo village. They sent their parcel of gold to Jack Read, the District The initial attack by the fighters was followed by a Officer at Kieta for shipment to the bank but by this stage number of big flying boats which bombed from a high Japan had entered the war and Japanese warships were altitude, and then the fighters returned and did some more advancing on the area. Proceeding to Kieta, Bob and machine-gunning. Clarke's Dragon was bombed and George Taylor found the town in chaos, with looting of the while he was sheltering in the trench, shrapnel from stores. Unable to contact Jack Read, who was in the another blast killed Kevin Parer. Kevin thus became the bush, they used dynamite to blow the door off the safe first person killed by enemy action on the New Guinea containing their gold, which they recovered together with mainland. one thousand pounds of government money. A short time Another pilot, Arthur Collins, who had just landed, later. Read returned and they handed him the money. scrambled to shelter but his and ten or eleven other civil Then the party left by two launches on the long trip to aircraft were destroyed in the attack along with Tulagi. Lockheed Hudson A16-146, which had been flown to Before leaving Kieta, Bob Parer had sent a note to Salamaua by Flight Lieutenant John F. Murphy for repairs Paul Mason, volunteering to join him as a coastwatcher. after it had been damaged by Japanese fighters two days However, he was advised to go to Australia, as he had a earlier. Most of the workshops and hangars at the wife and child who would not have been provided for had aerodrome were also destroyed. Apart from his leg he joined Mason. Bob Parer arrived in Sydney via New wounds, Ernest Clarke also suffered severe burns to his Caledonia about July 1942 for a happy reunion with his hands from his heroic attempt to drag Kevin Parer from his burning aircraft, but with the help of friendly natives from family, who had been told by the Red Cross that he was the missions he was evacuated to Kokoda and thence to missing, presumed dead. It was then that he learned that Australia. Clarke was subsequently awarded the George his brother, Kevin, had been killed in the first air raid on Medal for his actions. the mainland at Salamaua in January The Japanese landed at Rabaul on 23rd January and Ray Parer was transferred from the RAAF's Active List the frantic evacuation of civilians to Australia began. All to the Reserve on 31st October 1942 and this gave him available aircraft were pressed into service, flying grossly the opportunity to contribute to the war effort in other overloaded to bring women and children and finally the ways. He was accepted by the Australian Merchant Navy men from the danger zone to Port Moresby, from where and soon was back in New Guinea as the chief engineer they were evacuated to Cairns. Mavin Blackman, now of a small vessel, the 65-foot schooner Melanesia, running working for Guinea Airways, was at Lae when the supplies, ammunition and troops around the Japanese- Japanese attacked there and destroyed all the aircraft on occupied northern coast for the American forces. This the aerodrome. However, a plane arrived from Wau was one of a fleet of small craft the Americans were bringing dynamite to destroy the aerodrome and Mavin assembling for use around New Guinea. When the just succeeded in getting a lift back to Wau in it. He then Japanese finally took Lae, their destroyers worked along found a derelict Gipsy Moth that had crashed in 1930, and the area, but the Allied small ships hid by day in sheltered flew it from Wau to Upper Watut during the day for inlets before venturing out at night. Ultimately the protection. The Guinea Airways staff at Wau had already Melanesia was running from Lae into Finschhafen and left for Australia and Blackman was flying back to Wau at further south. night to work on the Boeing VH-ACL. Two days later he During one trip in the Melanesia, Parer survived a finally decided he had to leave and asked Bernard Parer heavy attack by 30 Japanese Zeros in Douglas Harbour, to accompany him. Only one-and-a half hours after they near Buna. All the crew jumped overboard at the start of had taken off, Watut was attacked by the Japanese. the attack, in which the schooner's engine was riddled with Blackman and Parer then began a nerve-wracking flight in machine-gun bullets and part of the ship caught fire. As the insecure Moth right around the coastline of New the vessel began to sink, the crew swam back, Parer Guinea to Daru, then across the to Horn started the engines and they beached her. Then they Island, then to Cape York and down the coastline to plugged the holes and got the bilge pump running to Townsville, landing when necessary to borrow petrol. refloat the vessel. While repairs were being carried out, They completed the 1,500 mile flight on 8th February. Parer was walking in a mangrove swamp ashore when he tripped over a tree root. A hidden Japanese officer, armed with a hooked knuckle-duster, jumped at him and quickly Among those destroyed were Kevin Parer's D.H.84 VH- had Parer's head under water, trying to drown him. But AEA and D.H.83 Fox Moth VH-AAX, Mandated Airlines' D.H.84s Parer managed to pull his Bowie knife from his belt and VH-USA and VH-UVB, and Avro 642 Eighteen VH-UXD, and Guinea stabbed his assailant in the head. He later told a friend Airways' Ford4-AT-E Trimotor VH-USX. Bernard Parer had gone gold-mining at Watut and later in the that it was the only time he ever really felt scared, but the Sepik and for a while was employed as a storeman/clerk at Wau for Parer's Air Transport Company. During the war he was given a commission in ANGAU even though he didn't have a day's training and couldn't even salute. During his service he was involved in the Bob Parer joined Ansett Airlines in Melbourne for a short time supervision of labourers working on the proposed road over the before taking a job in Brisbane in charge of a workshop overhauling ranges to Wau. After the war, he and Cyril Parer operated Karlai Australian and American aircraft. After the war he bough a joinery Plantation at Wide Bay in east New Britain for many years until they works and then in 1954 returned to Aitape, where he ran plantations. retired to Australia in the 1970s. Bernard died on 10th August 1997. Hediedin July 1977.

107 AHSA Aviation Heritage memory haunted Parer for the rest of his life and he never On 15th June, Ray and his crew left Mackay but struck wanted to talk about it, even with his family. bad weather and lost oil pressure, so they returned to Mackay. They reached Cairns three days later and With the arrival of American forces in New Guinea, dismantled the engine for a badly-needed overhaul. Ray Parer's local knowledge and experience were in Normally a patient man with engines, Ray Parer had to be demand. On a number of occasions he flew in the jump prevented from dancing in frustration on the dismantled seat of Douglas C-47s to impart to the Americans an bits and pieces. The launch left a week later, direct for understanding of the importance of weather conditions in Samarai. New Guinea, where the terrain was dangerous enough in good visibility but when the clouds build up in the Back in Australia in the early 1950s, whilst driving a afternoons, flying in the mountainous regions becomes truck, Ray Parer was involved in an horrific accident. He impossible. was under the truck when it blew up, and he received appalling third-degree burns over two-thirds of his body. In September 1943 Ray Parer left his work with the He was rushed to Townsville Hospital, where it was American small ships and bought a grocery shop in the thought he might die. He spent six months in hospital and Sydney suburb of Edgecliff. Within a few months, his recovery took nearly three years. He was scarred with however, he was back at sea in northern waters as chief terrible burn marks ail over his body. engineer on a military ship. Although he received war damage compensation for the loss of his holdings in New Eventually he went back to New Guinea, sailing up the Guinea, he remained bitter that the Government never Fly River. He returned to Australia and tried to raise really compensated him for the true extent of his losses. backing for a boat to sail up to New Guinea, to take In 1945 he bought a 45-foot ketch from the Royal natives out to the plantations. This was a dream he was Australian Navy at Darwin. With this vessel, he tried his not able to realise, but in 1956 he returned to New Guinea hand at pearling, sailing to Thursday Island in the Torres to join the oil exploration firm, Australasian Petroleum Strait but finding only one real pearl on the voyage, Company, as skipper of one of their small boats. The oil although he did find a fair quantity of mother-of-pearl. search was unsuccessful and the project was abandoned His thoughts then turned again to flying. He was in 1958. Parer then joined Steamships Trading Company having trouble getting a medical clearance to renew his in Port Moresby as a barge skipper, but the job lasted only a few months and he then left New Guinea for the last pilot's licence because of high blood pressure but he time in 1958. He went into a mixed business in the managed to obtain it and spent some time flying a Sydney suburb of Woollahra for a time before he moved to Supermarine Walrus amphibian out of Lae. Unfortunately Queensland, where he managed two farms near Gympie. the high blood pressure, which had plagued him all his life, He finally retired to a 5V2-acre farming property at Mount soon caused him to be grounded from flying. Bitterly Nebo, near Brisbane. When friends asked him what he disappointed, he never discussed this part of his career farmed there, he would tell them he was "growing rocks". with his family or closest friends. As chairman of the organising committee, author Ray Parer tried a number of other ventures, none of which was a great success. He obtained a Master Nelson Eustis announced in April 1966 plans for the re­ Mariner's certificate and went to work for the New Guinea enactment in 1969 of the first flight from England to Department of Public Works, running small ships in New Australia by Ross Smith in the Vickers Vimy. The Guinea waters, salvaging wrecked ships and picking up committee included Wally Shiers, the only surviving stranded Japanese soldiers along the coasts. In the midst member of the Vimy crew, and Ray Parer. of this, he set up a trucking company, running from The president of Parer's old school, St. Stanislaus Townsville to Sydney. His time was divided among his Vincentian College at Bathurst, the Very Reverend Father trucking business and skippering a small ship travelling up J. Keady, announced in November 1966 that the College the Fly River from Daru and Port Moresby. Even today had employed architects to design an Australian Airmen's that area of the Western Province of New Guinea is Memorial. To be completed by October 1967, at a cost of rugged and wild, with millions of square kilometres of $20,000, the building would house the D.H.9 aircraft P.D. rainforest 60 to 90 metres tall, with swamp underneath. A that Parer and McIntosh flew from England in 1920. man could be lost in such country only 200 metres from Owned by the since 1922, the civilisation and never be seen again. In the wet season, it aircraft, repainted in inaccurate markings, was one of rains 6 hours a day and turns the ground to mud; when it those (including the Smith brothers' Vickers Vimy) placed doesn't rain, the ground becomes a dustbowl. In those on exhibition in November 1941 in the aircraft hall of the days, the natives of the area were not far from headhunter newly-opened Memorial building in Canberra, It was level. Later, he went back to prospecting, up the Sepik removed from display in June 1955, when it was displaced and again at Wau. by the Memorial's Lancaster and Spitfire, and transported In June 1947 Ray Parer was engaged to sail the 45- first to RAAF Fairbairn and then to Duntroon for storage, foot launch Lady Yetive from Brisbane to Samarai for the until it was sent to Bathurst for exhibition in that city's Methodist Mission at Salamo in the Goodenough Islands Sesqui-centenary celebrations in March 1965. Thereafter, group. The Mission had bought the launch, which had it was put in storage at St. Stanislaus College. been a Darwin pearling lugger before the war, from the Ray Parer died quietly on 5th July 1967 in the Australian Army and had had it overhauled at Brisbane Greenslopes Repatriation Hospital in Brisbane after a long before Parer took over. Ray set out with Engineer Tom battle with cancer, aged 73. He was twice married and is Holack and a crew of four natives, but the day after they survived by his son Michael. Those who knew him said left Brisbane the engine started giving trouble. The next that most of his adventures will never be known: he was day the engine failed and they proceeded under sail while the only man who knew the full story and he was an repairing the oil-feed system. At Palm Island, 60 miles inherently shy man who was too modest to talk about south of Mackay, they ran out of oil. After receiving a himself. In the early days, aerodromes were unevenly supply of oil from another launch, they were able to reach surfaced and every take-off and landing demanded Mackay, where the vessel underwent repairs. exacting skill; and without the benefit of modern navigation

108 AHSA Aviation Heritage aids and instruments, the conduct of flights depended on Aero Historical Preservation Incorporated offered to carry pilots making correct decisions in every crisis and out the restoration work but it was not until the beginning emergency. Ray Parer was involved in some amazing of 1975 that work actually began. An initial group of up to ventures but with great skill and good fortune he came eight people, led by Eric J. Counahan, began the through them all. He was a brave man but very casual, rebuilding, working on Saturday afternoons. Membership unassuming and retiring, a man who liked to start new of the group dwindled over the years but eventually settled projects, but once they were under way would lose interest at a steady four stalwarts. Then, on 8th June 1986, the and move on to something else. This typified his life. He P.D. suffered serious damage when a vehicle crashed was no glory-hunter, but always loved a challenge, through the wall of the store. Undaunted, the group set to especially where flying was concerned. He was a man of work again, much as Ray Parer had done in 1920, and the high ideals, half visionary, half genius, with an artistic aircraft, largely complete, was able to be displayed at the nature. He seemed almost reckless but he was actually a Bicentennial Air Show at RAAF Richmond in October careful and calculating flier. It is generally agreed that in 1988. his gold-mining days, he made - and lost - £1.5 million. Restoration was finally completed and the aircraft was Where it went, nobody knows, but money had little accepted by. the Director of the Australian War Memorial meaning to Ray Parer. In his later years he never had on 8th January 1990 at a ceremony for the media. The much money, but he never starved. He was always date marked the 70th anniversary of the P.D.'s arrival in quietly spoken and polite; he never swore, and chose his Darwin. At the time of writing (1998), the fuselage of the words carefully. He was always a gentleman. His whole D.H.9 is on display in the Treloar C building at Mitchell, an family was obsessed with fame and achievement, but Ray industrial suburb of Canberra. Treloar C is a very large, was probably the only one who was at peace with himself, climate-controlled building in which there are stored many and in his later life became almost a bit of a mystic. vehicles, a few tanks, many artillery pieces, and at least In November 1968, authorities in Canberra announced twelve aircraft. The remainder of the D.H.9 is stored in that the streets in the suburb of Scullin would be named specially-made crates in an adjacent storage building. As after aviation pioneers. The names included Raymond the P.D. does not have a military history as such, it is Parer, John McIntosh, Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith, thought likely that it will ultimately be displayed in the Walter Shiers, Bert Hinkler, Sir Charles Kingsford Smith, mooted Museum of Australia. Charles Ulm, James Mollison, Paul McGinness and Sir -oOo- Ivan Holyman. Fitting company, indeed. My sincere thanks to Mr Michael Parer for his *** assistance in preparing this record of his father's Following Ray Parer's death, the plans for the Airmen's achievements, and to Mr Neville Parnell. My thanks also Memorial at St. Stanislaus College failed to materialise to Mr Eric Counahan for his generous assistance with the and the D.H.9 was kept in an open-sided shed, where the history of the D.H.9 P.D., and to Parer family members elements took their toll. An inspection in 1970 showed the Andre Shiel and Gonza Rajkovic. ^ aircraft to be in urgent need of restoration and in November that year it was retrieved from the school and returned to the Duntroon store. The Australian Society for

Bibliography Boulton, Bob Parer, Raymond J. P. Aviators Of The Charles Ulm And Kingsford Smith Era Flight And Adventures Of Parer And McIntosh Echidna Publishing (1993) Messenger (1986 - originally published 1921) Copley, Greg Parnell, Neville and Boughton, Trevor Australians In The Air Flypast - A Record Of Aviation In Australia Rigby Ltd, Adelaide (1976). Australian Government Publishing Service (1988) Eustis, Nelson Sinclair, James The Greatest Air Race - England-Australia 1919 Wings Of Gold Rigby Limited, Adelaide (1969). Pacific Publications (Aust) Pty Ltd (1978). Frater, Alexander Williams, Sir Richard Beyond The Blue Horizon - On the Track of Imperial These Are Facts Airways Australian War Memorial and the Australian William Heinemann Ltd, London (1986). Government Publishing Service (1977). Fysh, Sir W. Hudson Periodicals: Qantas Rising AHSA Journal and Aviation Heritage Angus And Robertson Ltd (1965) Aviation Historical Society Of Australia, various Gibson, Ron J. editions. Australia And Australians In Civil Aviation - An Index To Early Bird News Events 1823 To 1920 The Early Birds Association Of Australia Inc. various Qantas Airways Ltd (1971) editions. Godwin, John Flight Magazine Battling Parer Various editions. Rigby Ltd (1968) Man and Aerial Machines Gwynn-Jones, Terry Issue No.23 True Australian Air Stories Pacific Islands Monthly Rigby Ltd (1977) Various editions Sea, Land And Air Joy, William Various editions The Aviators Golden Press Pty Ltd (1983)

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Korean War K-Sites USAF K-Sites in Korea Compiled by Clive Lynch

This listing, both numerically and alphabetically, of locations in Korea known as K-Sites, identifies the bases that the Far East Air Force operated during the Korean War.

The place name spellings used are those found in Fifth Air Force general orders designating the K-Sites, and other official Fifth Air Force documents.

K-Sites By Number K-47 Chunchon Paengyong-do K-53 K-1 Pusan-West K-48 Iri Pohang K-3 K-2 Taegu (Taegu #1) K-49 Yangsu-ri Pusan-East K-9 K-3 Pohang K-50 Sokcho-ri Pusan-West K-1 K-4 Sachon K-51 Inje Pyonggang K-21 K-5 Taejon K-52 Yanggu Pyongtaek K-6 K-6 Pyongtaek K-53 Paengyong-do Pyongyang K-23 K-7 Kwangju K-54 Cho-do Pyongyang East K-24 K-8 Kunsan K-55 Osan-ni Sachon K-4 K-9 Pusan-East Seishin see Chongjin K-10 Chinhae K-Sites Alphabetically Seoul K-16 K-11 Urusan (Ulsan) Sinanju K-29 K-12 Mangun Andong #2 K-42 Sinmak K-20 K-13 Suwon Changhowon-nl K-44 SInuiju K-30 K-14 KImpo Cheju-do #1 K-39 Sokcho-ri K-50 K-15 Mokpo Cheju-do #2 K-40 Sondok K-26 K-16 Seoul Chinhae K-10 Suwon K-13 K-17 Ongjin (Oshin) Cho-do K-54 Taegu (Taegu #1)K-2 K-18 Kangnung (Koryo) Chongjin (Seishin) K-34 Taegu #2 K-37 K-19 Haeju (Kaishu) Chunchon K-47 Taejon K-5 K-20 Sinmak Chungju K-41 Urusan (Ulsan) K-11 K-21 Pyonggang Haeju (Kaishu) K-19 Wonju K-38 K-22 Onjong-ni Hamhung West K-28 Wonsan K-25 K-23 Pyongyang Hoemun (Kaibun) K-33 Yanggu K-52 K-24 Pyongyang East Hoengsong K-46 Yangsu-ri K-49 K-25 Wonsan Hoeryong (Kainsei) K-35 Yoju K-45 K-26 Sondok Inje K-51 Yonpo K-27 K-27 Yonpo Iri K-48 K-28 Hamhung West Kaibun see Hoemun K-29 Sinanju Kainsei see Hoeryong K-30 SInuiju Kaishu see Haeju K-31 Kilchu (Kisshu) Kanggye K-36 K-32 Oesichon-dong Kangnung (Koryo) K-18 K-33 Hoemun (Kaibun) Kilchu (Kisshu) K-31 K-34 Chongjin (Seishin) KImpo K-14 K-35 Hoeryong (Kainsei) Kisshu see Kilchu K-36 Kanggye Koryo see Kangnung K-37 Taegu #2 Kunsan K-8 K-38 Wonju Kwangju K-7 K-39 Cheju-do #1 Kyongju K-43 K-40 Cheju-do #2 Mangun K-12 K-41 Chungju Mokpo K-15 K-42 Andong #2 Oesichon-dong K-32 K-43 Kyongju OngjIn (Oshin) K-17 K-44 Changhowon-ni Onjong-ni K-22 K-45 Yoju Osan-ni K-55 K-46 Hoengsong Oshin see Ongjin

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■

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The first air supply operation in the history of British service flying is recorded in the top picture. A Henry Far man F.27 staggers into the air from Ora to fly 24 miles to Kut with food bags slung under the cockpit between the wheels. This RNAS machine, together with nine others, was flown by pilots of No. 30 Squadron RAF, including Captain H. A. Petre of the Half Flight, AFC, between April 15-29, 1916.

WINGS OVER MESOPOTAMIA by Group Captain Keith Isaacs AFC, ARAeS, RAAF (Retired) The recent war in Iraq brings to mind when the predecessor of the RAAF, the Australian Flying Corps, also fought in this historic land. The ‘Flalf Flight’, Australian Flying Corps, that was involved in this action laid down a tradition - based on discipline, sacrifice and espirit de corps for subsequent generations of Australian military flyers. (Ed.) The tensions preceding the 1914-18 War to a head on Consequently, when the first flying course started on July 28, 1914, when Austria-Hungary declared war on August 17 the two instructors, Lieutenants H. A. Petre and Serbia. On August 1 Germany announced that it was at E. Harrison, had only one elementary flying machine war with Russia, marched into Luxembourg on the same available for training the first four pupils - Captain T. W. day, and declared war on France on the 3rd. The following White, and Lieutenants R.Williams, G. P. Merz, and D. T. day, German military forces invaded Belgium which Great W. Manwell. This sole airthe Bristol Boxkite biplane, CPS Britain had pledged to defend. The British Government 3, with a 50 hp Gnome rotary engine, which had been the honored the obligation by declaring war on Germany at 11 first military aircraft to fly in Australia. The school's other p.m. English time, on August 4, 1914 - and so began the three machines comprised the non-flying Deperdussin 1914-18 War for the British Empire. Type A Monoplane, CFS 5, with a 35 hp Anzani engine, suitable only for taxiing practice and two Bristol-built Royal it was a time when the Dominions acted together as a Aircraft Factory B.E. 2a, biplanes, CFS 1 and CPS 2, each mutual defence group, and most Australians automatically with a 70 hp Renault engine, which were considered far considered themselves at war with Germany when the too advanced for the trainees. British declaration was announced. Within the first few weeks of hostilities an Australian naval and military The first flying course lasted for three months, and expeditionary force attacked, and subsequently captured, when the four trainees graduated as pilots in November German New Guinea and the adjacent German colonies. the army did not know what Go do with them. As Air Then came the dramatic news that the light cruiser HMAS Marshal Sir Richard Williams stated in AIRCRAFT April, Sydney had sunk the German raider SMS Emden off the 1971, the Training School was not established because of Cocos Islands on November 9. In the Interim, thousands the war, but, because of a much earlier decision to of Australians had flocked to join a specially enlisted develop a Flying Corps within the Commonwealth Military Australian Imperial Force for volunteer service overseas Forces. When the war began that development had riot and, by December 1914, this force was training in Egypt. reached the stage of actual formation of units .. "and so The epic of Gallipoli had yet to eventuate but, already, the the fledgling pilots were sent back to their previous ground Australian soldier and sailor were establishing their duties. In his 1928 book. Guests Of The Unspeakable, fighting prowess. In contrast, the Australian airman was Lieutenant - Colonel T. W. White recalled also that "the still, an unknown quality as 1914 came to a close. Early in great part aviation was to play in the war not yet foreseen. the new year, however, Australia's embryo flying corps For though we had developed pilots wings on our chests was to be called upon to enter the arena of aerial warfare after completing the tests required by the Royal Aero - and, the call was to come from the most unexpected Club, we could find no active service openings ",here we quarter. might be usefully employed, as our Government at that time had no intention of sending a flying unit overseas". Approval for the formation of an Australian Flying Corps, and Flying School, had first been announced by Not withstanding 'Sir Thomas White's recollections the the Minister for Defence, Senator E. D Millen, on Sen- government did, in fact, despatch a flying unit overseas tember 20, 1912. This approval was pro-iulgated in Mili­ shortly after the conclusion of the first flying course. On tary Order 570 of 1912, on October 22, but the first two November 30 the first Australian Aviation Unit comprising military aircraft of the Central Flying School at Point Cook, Lieutenants Harrison and Merz, and several mechanics, Victoria, did not take to the air until March 1, 1914. In the left Point Cook for active service in German New Guinea, event one of these machines, the British built Deperdussin and New Britain. The AAU sailed from Sydney, during Type A monoplane CPS, 4, with a 35 hp Anzani engine, December in HMAS Una, accompanied by two aircraft in was destroyed eight days later in a flying accident. crates - one of the B.E.2as, and the Maurice Farman

Ill AHSA Aviation Heritage seaplane, CFS 7, with a 70 hp Renault engine, which had It is not generally known that the Australian Govern­ been presented to Central Flying School by the patriotic ment prepared a Second Half Flight for service in Meso­ Sydney businessman, Lebbeus Hordern, soon after the potamia. When the original Half Flight left Australia, a outbreak of hostilities. By the time the unit reached the decision was taken to anticipate a further request from fighting zone, however, the campaign was over and the India for reinforcements. Four pilots led by Lieutenant R. AAU returned to Australia early in 1915 with the aircraft Williams, plus an appropriate number of mechanics, were still in their shipping crates. Although disappointed trained and held in reserve at Point Cook "prior to because they had not gone into action, the men of the embarkation for service in India". During this period the flying corps were about to have their morale boosted by a unit already in Mesopotamia was referred to, retrospec­ request to fight in the country wherein lay the cradle of tively, as the First Half Flight. In the event the Second Half mankind - Mesopotamia. Flight never deployed, and was disbanded at the end of 1915. As Monday, February 8, 1915, progressed the incoming signal traffic for the Australian Government was At Basra the Half Flight joined up with Captains P. W. normal and nothing untoward was being received - that is, L. Broke-Smith and H. L. Reilly of the Indian Flying Corps, until a cable arrived from the Viceroy of India, Viscount Lieutenant W. W. A. Buin, a New Zealander who had Hardinge. "Could you provide any trained aviators for been born In Australia, and a number of British and Indian service in the Tigris Valley? All our trained officers are in mechanics. This combined force comprised a full flight Egypt and England ..." the message began, and went on which became known as the Mesopotmia Flight, Indian to request mechanics, flying machines, and motor Flying Corps. The Half Flight personnel were gazetted to transport. A reply was despatched on the 10th stating that the Indian Army, but they still retained their Australian the Commonwealth could furnish some officers, Identity. mechanics, and transport, but was unable to provide any An aircraft park was established at Basra which con­ aeroplanes. tained two Maurice Parman MP11 Shorthorns purchased As further cables were exchanged it transpired that from funds provided by the Rajah of Gwalior, and a when Turkey declared war on Britain on October 31, Maurice Farman M77 Longhorn trans-shipped from Egypt 1914, the oil wells of the Persian Gulf were placed in where it had seen much service. These three pusher jeopardy. Foreseeing this danger the British Government biplanes were subsequently given Indian Flying Corps arranged for a force of brigade strength to be sent from serial numbers, the Shortfiorns becoming IF'C 1 and IPC India to protect the area, and secure the oil on which 7, and the Longhorn IFC 2. depended the very conduct of the war In Europe. This The provision of such out-dated aircraft (the Longhorn army- element known as the Indian Expeditionary Force had first flown in 1912, the Shorthorn in 1913, and by D, landed at Bahrein Island from Bombay on October 23. 1915 both types were mainly relegated to the training role) By November 14 two more brigades had arrived from was indicative of the deplorable planning and India, bringing the force up to divisional strength. The next administration associated with the first Tigris campaign, day an attack was launched against Basra, the principal and which affected every department of the army. The Mesopotamian port. The port was captured on November War Office later appointed a Royal Commission on 21, and the Indian division then advanced to Al Qurna at Mesopotamia which castigated severely the operations in the junction of the Tigris and Euphrates, the two rivers 1915-16, including the provision of aircraft. The machines that embraced Mesopotamia; for, of course, Mesopotamia were primitive and unfit for any sort of war service, least of is the Greek word for "between the rivers". all for war in the conditions and climate of Mesopotamia. Qurna fell on December 9, and, with the advent of the Their numbers were insufficient, they were supplied spring floods, the Indian Army remained in the dirty and without spares, and some had already been withdrawn as foul smelling town until April 1915. it was during this useless from other war areas.. The engines were a Period that Australia was asked to support the Me­ constant source of trouble and anxiety and, together with sopotamian campaign. the fragile wooden airframes, they were entirely unsuited to the hot, humid, dusty, and windy conditions in The Australian Flying Corps could only provide Mesopotamia. The aircraft were not fitted with enough pilots, mechanics, and transport to equip half a flight and, consequently, the unit was named the Half machine-guns, and the bomb-racks supplied from Flight. Petre, who had been promoted to a captain, was England were either the wrong types, or were placed in command and he sailed from Melbourne for unserviceable - some bombs had to be dropped through a Bombay on April 14, 1915, as advance officer. Captain hole cut in the cockpit floor. At first, 2 lb. infantry bombs White then assumed temporary command of the Half were thrown out by hand, and when the 20 lb. aerial Flight, and the other two officers were Lieutenants Merz bombs ultimately arrived many had been damaged in and W. H. Treloar; the latter was an Australian Military transit. The sole service most of the aircraft could perform Forees officer who learnt to fly in England and gained his was reconnaissance and even this task was dependent Pilot's certificate No. 835 on July 9, 1914, flying a Bristol upon whether or not the fierce, dust-laden, northerly Boxikite at Brooklands, before returning to Australia- on Sharnal seasonal wind was blowing. In the humid conditions the maximum speed of the antiquated aircraft April 20 White, Treloar, and 37 other ranks sailed for Bombay in RMS Morea, and four other ranks was about 50 mph and, as an official lEF report stated, "When the Sharnal blows a machine of the Maurice accompanied the motor transport aboard SS Ulysses on Farman type moves backwards when flying at 600 to 1000 May 3. The horses and mule teams, with 30 spare mules feet." This then was the type of aircraft with which the AFC "in case of difficulty with mechanical transport in a sandy first went to war. country", sailed later In another ship. From Bombay the main party of the unit sailed in SS Bankura and arrived at Towards the end of May, 1915, the lEF became an Basra on May 26. Merz had been detained on army corps under the command of General Sir John E. instructional duties at Point Cook, and rejoined the Half Nixon, and was positioned at Qurna for an advance up the Flight on June 13 at Basra. Tigris River to Amara. Major-General C. V. F. Townshend was appointed field commander at Qurna, and he

112 AHSA Aviation Heritage

and obligingly ran aground to await capture by the oncoming British soldiers. Before returning to base White and Reilly flew over Townshend's headquarters in the sloop HMS Espiegle and dropped a message giving details of the retreat, whereupon Townshend immediately took up the pursuit.

Further air reconnaissances were carried out on June 2-3 from the advance landing-ground at Abu Aran to keep in touch with the retreating enemy, and messages were again dropped in the river for the pursuing flotilla. White flags were observed flying over Amara, and Townshend accepted the town's surrender later in the day. During the night telegraphic communications between Amara and Basra broke down, so urgent despatches and maps were flown from Basra in a Shorthorn on June 4. The next day the airmen established that there were no Turkish troops within 25 miles of .Amara. The flying corps detachment moved to Amara on June 9 and, on the 14th, an important reconnaissance flight was made to Kut al Imara, 123 miles to the north-westTo complete this long flight, Reilly and Burn used an advanced refuelling base at Ali Gharbi, 60 miles from Ainara. The Slianial was blowing and visibility was so poor that Reilly, who was now a major in charge of the Mesopotamia Flight, had to fly close to the ground to keep contact. Under the circumstances the airmen compiled a good report and mapped the Turkish dispositions at Es Sinn and Kut. In fact, this original map was amplified by subsequent reconnassance flights and was used by Townshend when he planned his attack on Es Sinn in September. After the fall of Amara General Nixon planned to ad­ vance along the Euphrates to Nasiriya, and an air re­ connaissance was made of the Hammar Lake district on June 19. The Shorthorn, flown by Petre and Burn, de­ veloped engine trouble on the return flight and the same thing happened to the second Shorthorn which Reilly and Treloar flew to reconnoitre Nasiriya on the 20th. Thus the two aircraft allotted to Major General GF. Gorringe, for his advance along the Euphrates, were withdrawn and arranged for Shorthorns IFC 1 and 7 to use a transported to Basra for engine repairs. The aircraft landing-ground at Sherish just south of Qurna. situation became so desperate that General Nixon submitted an urgent request to India for replacement The first air reconnaissances were made early on May machines. 31, prior to the opening attack on the Turkish positions north of Qurna. Petre with Burn as an observer and Reilly While the Shorthorns were being repaired at Basra, It with Broke-Smith, both brought In valuable intelligence of was decided to convert IFC 7 into a seaplane for opera­ aircraft supporting the lEF was greeted enthusiastically by tions on the flooded rivers - by a strange coincidence the the attacking troops as they toiled through the heat. The Maurice Farman seaplane at Point Cook, CFS 7, was aircraft flew to Sakrika, about 12 miles to the north and being converted to a landplane about this same time, in reported on enemy camps, positions, and the amount of the event, three Short 827 seaplanes. Nos 822, 825. and river transport. All the Turkish advance positions were 827, arrived in Basra at the beginning of September, and captured on the 31st and the air arm received due credit the Shorthorn IFC 7 remained in service as a landplane. for its participation in the victories. In the evening the two The Short seaplanes were transferred to Mesopotamia Shoehorns returned to Basra carrying Townshend's from Rufiji Delta in East Africa, where the German cruiser reports and despatcnes, which were then cabled to India. SMS Konigsberg had been put out of action by a naval force which Included the Australian h ht cruiser HMAS The next morning, June 1, White and Reilly flew one of Pioneer. the Shorthorns, fitted with dual controls, from Basra to Qurna against the Sharnal northerly wind. It took the Meanwhile, the call for replacement aircraft resulted In aircraft two hours to cover the 60-odd miles. Continuing two Caudron G.111 sesquiplanes being shipped into on to Abu Aran, the airmen found that the enemy troops Basra on July 4. These machines were Initially numbered were in full retreat. With a strong tail wind now behind C. 1 and C. 2, but later received the serials IFC 3 and IFC them. White and Reilly hurried south with the good news. 4. In the interim, Gorringe had captured the Suq ash On the way they dropped three small bombs which Shuyukh position on the Euphrates on July 6,and called caused confusion among the conglomeration of fleeing for the two Caudrons to be sent to Asani to reconnoitre enemy vessels on the Tigris, one launch, full of Turkish the Nasiriya area. troops, construed the bombing as a warning to surrender

113 4HS4 4viation Heritage

Merz and Reilly each flew a Caudron from Basra, and The new scouts carried RFC serials within the block 4229 reconnaissance flights were made on the 21st and 22nd. - 4250, and three known numbers were 4243,4244, and The Turkish trenches were sketched from the air, and the 4250. For identification in Mesopotamia the S1s were also general positions were plotted on a map. These reports originally numbered MH 5, 6, 8, and 9, which were later gave Gorringe his first comprehensive idea of the enemy changed to IFC 5, 6, (a Shorthorn was still operating as dispositions and the local topography, on July 22-23 one IFC 7), 8 and 9. It is not known for certain whether or not of the Caudrons directed artillery fire on to the Turkish the IFC designation was painted on to the Martinsydes entrenchments, and an attack was, launched on the 24th. and subsequent aircraft. In fact, photographs taken at the The Turks retreated in the evening and Nasirlya was time showed that the I had been deleted from the Maurice occupied on July 25. The battle of Nasiriya had been Farmans and Caudrons, leaving only FC and the fought In a shade temperature of 113 degrees with high particular number. Presumably this was because the humidity and, on the first flight towards the town, Reilly's squadron was by now RFC, rather than an IFC unit. Caudron developed engine trouble. He had to land in the Captain Petre tested the first Martinsyde on August 29 flood waters near Suq ash Shuyukh where, fortunately, a and found that the S. 1 suffered the same disadvantage small garrison helped to save the aircraft. The 80 hp as the Caudron, In that both aircraft were equipped with Gnome rotary engine of the Caudron was difficult to the temperamental 80 lip Gnome rotary engine. The S.1 service in the high temperatures, and the hot, dust-laden took 23 minutes to climb to 7000 feet, where its speed winds affected the air-cooling. was only 50 mph, and consumed 25 gallons of petrol on On July 30, Reilly, with a sergeant mechanic in Cau­ the climb. dron IFC 3, and Merz with Burn in Caudron IFC 4, took off Early in September plans were made to attack and to fly to Basra in company with each other In case of occupy Kut al Imara, and Major-General Townshend engine failure. They unintentionally became parted soon concentrated his forces at Ali Gliarbi. An advanced after leaving Nasiriya and, as anticipated, Reilly was element of No. 30 Squadron flew from Amara to Ali Gharbi forced down with a faulty engine half way to Basra. on September 7 with Shorthorn IFC 1, Caudron IFC 3, Fortunately, the Arabs in the area proved friendly and and Martinsydes IFC 5, 6. On the 11th the Shorthorn was Reilly and his mechanic were able to rectify the fault and destroyed in a bad landing by a British pilot and similar fly on to Basra. misfortune followed with two of the other machines. On Meanwhile Merz and Burn had also been forced to September 13 Martinsyde IFC 5 was damaged severely land because of engine trouble about 20 miles from Abu while being tested in a high wind and was never used Salibiq. According to reports obtained later from friendly again. Three days later Lieutenant Treloar was flying the Arabs, Merz and Burn were attacked by a large force of Caudron, with Captain B. S. Atkins of the Indian Army as well-armed Zobaab tribesmen. Unable to defend their observer, when engine trouble developed over Es Sinn Caudron, which had no machine-guns, the airmen used and the aircraft was forced to land within 100 yards of the their revolvers in a running fight towards Abu Salibiq. They Turkish trenches. Treloar and Atkins were engaged killed one and wounded five of their adversaries, and had immediately in a hand-to-hand fight with Arabs who would travelled about five miles when one of them was have killed them but for the intervention of the Turkish wounded. His companion refused to escape alone, and troops. They were then stripped and taken before the stood by his fallen comrade awaiting the Arabs. Together Turkish commander who made several unsuccessful they died fighting. Merz and Burn were never found. Reilly attempts to Interrogate them, and later provided them with sighted what was left of the Caudron a few days later coffee - and Melbourne-made biscuits! Treloar and Atkins while on a reconnaissance flight. The aircraft had been were then sent to Baghdad on a river steamer and they hacked to pieces by the infuriated Arabs. A punitive remained in captivity until the end of the war. The expedition, which White accompanied on behalf of the Caudron IFC 3 also accompanied them to Baghdad and IFC, searched the villages where the Arab murderers was put on display in. With Merz killed and Treloar were believed to be domiciled - but the culprits had fled. captured, the of pilots sent from Australia was reduced by By way of vengeance the houses of the Sheikh were 50%. burned down, Merz and Burn, an Australian and an Martinsyde IFC 6 was the only machine now left with Australian-born New Zealander, made the supreme sac­ Townshend's division, so Petre and White were ordered rifice in a far-away country, as many of their Anzac up from Basra with all available aircraft. Two barges were compatriots were also doing at Gallipoli. Merz had qual­ already proceeding up the Tigris, one with two Short ified as a medical practitioner before he joined the AFC, seaplanes on board, and the other with the third seaplane and was only 23 when he was killed in Mesopotamia. and Martinsyde IFC 9 In a case. White flew Shorthorn IFC There, in the limitless sands of the Arabian desert, Merz 7 from Basra up to the first seaplane barge, and Petre became the first Australian military pilot to give his life for followed with Martinsyde IFC 8. Coming In to land at his country. The date was July 30, 1915. Sanniyat, Petre touched down outside the prepared In August the Mesopotamia Flight, IFC, became a landing-ground and damaged the scout on the rough squadron of the Royal Plying Corps - No. 30 Squadron, terrain. The Shorthorn IFC 7 eventually arrived by barge, RFC, which had formed originally at Ismailia, Egypt, on the seaplanes, at Sanniyat and joined Martinsyde IFC 6 March 24, 1915. On August 5 all officers of the air unit in for the attack on Es Sinn; the seaplanes, working from the Mesopotamia were gazetted to the RFC but, again, the river, were attached to the artillery. AFC officers retained their Australian identity. The squadron comprised A and B Flights in Mesopotamia, and Townshend attacked Es Sinn and Kut on the 27-28 th C Flight in Ismailia; the latter flight transferred to and, by the following evening, both towns were captured. Mesopotamia at the end of October. Throughout the battle Reilly in Martinsyde IFC 6 and an August also saw the arrival in Basra of four Martinsyde RFC pilot. Lieutenant E. J. Fulton, in Shorthorn IFC 7 S.1 single seat biplane scouts. The three Maurice assisted greatly, and maintained communication contact Farmans and the remaining Caudron formed the equip­ with the rapidly advancing troops. The two machines were ment of A Flight and the four Martinsydes went to B Flight. used also to bomb the retreating Turks. By September 30

114 AHSA Aviation Heritage a landing-ground had been prepared at Kut. and sandhills, around ridges and cracked earth, and over Martinsydes IFC 6 and 8 (now repaired), together with camel thorn. Coming up in the rear of an enemy position Shorthorn IFC 7, flew into the town. Meanwhile the fleeing at Kutuniya, where some 2000 cavalry and camelry, were Turks were still being pursued by Townshend's division in camp. White opened up and charged the Shorthorn and, by October 2, the British were at Aziziya halfway through the startled troops. The cantankerous engine then between Kut and Baghdad. On that day Petre, through no picked up and he flew the rest of the way to Aziziya. It has fault of his own, again damaged while attempting to land been written that "the astonished Turks must have on the rough ground at Aziziya. regarded the spluttering, dust-trailing, ungainly contraption

A Berliet transport wagon for Mesopotamia at Point Cook in April The same Berliet transport wagon, with AK No. 4 on the port tool 1915 with the identification serial, AFC No. 4, on the starboard tool box, in Mesopotamia during August 1915. The vehicle is carrying the box. Lacking aircraft, the Half Flight was at least well equipped - remains of Caudron G.lll, WC 4, after it force landed on July 30 for 1915 - with a motor transport element comprising five wagons, when Men and his Australian-born New Zealand observer, a staff car (at left rear) and one motorcycle, with the AFC Nos. 1 to Lieutenant W. W. A. Burn, were attacked and killed by Arabs near 7 Abu Salibiq.

On October 6 Petre made the first reconnaissance flight as some sort of a dastardly Australian secret weapon." over Baghdad in Martinsyde IFC 6, and reported that he On another occasion one of the Short 827 seaplanes found the town almost empty of troops. The sight of the flown by Maier R. Gordon was airborne with Major first British warplane over the city had an effect out of all General G. V. Kemball, chief of the General Staff in proportion, and its appearance alarmed and panicked the Mesopotamia when engine trouble forced the pilot to land civilian population. Seven days later an aeroplane-lighter between Aziziya and Kut. White set out in his Longhorn to arrived at Kut from Amara with the Longhorn IFC 2; this search for the general, and found the seaplane aground was the oldest aircraft in Mesopotamia and It had spent near a large Arab camp. As he flew over searching for a most of its time in the Aircraft Park at Basra undergoing place to land the Arabs opened tire and their bullets broke repairs. On the 14th White and Broke-Smith took off in an aileron rib and pierced the propeller. White landed IFC 2 to reconnoitre the Shatt al Hai, which they found to close to, the river and ran across with a spare rifle to the be a chain of waterholes rather than a river. general. They both hastened back to the Longhorn, and in the interim two of the Short 827 seaplanes had took off before the Arabs could attack. Gordon was later been converted to landplanes and one of these aircraft escorted to safety by an Indian cavalry patrol which had located the camp of a hostile Arab tribe at Badra, near the seen the aircraft descend and had gone over to its help. Persian border on October 18. Four days later White in the Longhorn, Fulton In the Shorthorn and Reilly In Reinforcements for No. 30 Squadron reached Basra Martinsyde IFC 6 bombed the camp with two 20 lb., three when four Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c biplanes, with 90 30 lb., and sixteen 2 lb. bombs. The raid was so lip RAF engines, arrived from England at the end of successful that the next day, the 23rd, the Sheikh of the October: about this time a third Shorthorn was also re­ tribe sent in a message to ask if he could tender his ceived, and this aircraft was numbered IFC 10. The re­ submission. maining Maurice Farmans and Martinsydes were pooled In preparation for the forthcoming attack against together in A Flight, and the B.E.2es formed B flight. On C'tesiphon, White in the Longhorn and Fulton in the November 9 two B.E.2cs were dispatched on towed Shorthorn carried out dally reconnaissance flights from lighters to Kut where they were erected on arrival. They Aziziya, each flight occupying from two to two-and-ahalf were then flown to Aziziya where one was damaged on hours. On one Such mission White took along as an landing. The B.E.2cs were allotted the IFC numbers 11, obsen/er a cavalry officer. Captain F. C. C. Yeats-Brown 12, 12A (in lieu of 13), and 14 in addition to their official (later author of Caught By The Turks, and Bengal Lancer, RFC serials: for example IFC 11 also carried the RFC the latter book being made into the successful 1935 Gary number 4500. Cooper film, Lives Of A Bengal Lancer). They were flying The preparation for the attack on C'tesiphon included over C’tesiphon when, amid puffs of bursting shrapnel, the a daring plan to send an aircraft to land outside Baghdad, Renault engine started to misfire and forced White to land so that the crew could cut the telegraph wires and isolate in enemy territory at Zeur. Although he could not get the city from the battle-front, Constantinople, and Kifri. airborne again White had sufficient power left in the Volunteers were called, and White and Yeats-Brown engine to taxi and, rather than be captured, he decided to accepted the task knowing that they could not expect to drive home - a mere distance of 15 miles! So, with the return if adverse winds should spring up. White's trusty wind behind him, White rolled and bumped merrily along Longhorn aircraft was loaded with necklaces of guncotton while Yeats-Brown stood up in the observer's seat with his and extra tins of petrol and oil. It was estimated that the rifle at the ready to repel any boarders. They traversed airman would have to fly, at least, 60 miles each way. mile after mile of enemy territory, taxiing in and out of They took off at dawn on November 13 after an uneventful

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flight, landed about eight miles from Baghdad in the rear relieve the town. The seaplane flight left for Basra on of the Turkish positions at Seleucia - but a wing was December 4, and the remaining two serviceable land damaged when it collided with a telegraph pole at the end planes - Petre's Shorthorn IFC 7 and the B.E.2c IFC 11 - of the landing run, making the aircraft useless for further were ordered out of Kut on the 6th. The unserviceable flight. Arabs and Turks immediately attacked the airmen, aircraft left in the town were two B.E.2cs and the but Yeats-Brown managed to blow up the wires while Martinsyde IFC 9. The besieged troops in Kut were White kept the enemy at bay with his rifle fire. The second bombarded and attacked throughout December, and then charge shattered wires all over the Longhorn putting an the Turkish divisions settled down in the new year to end to any ideas White had of taxiing to safety as he had starve the British into surrender. done at Zeur. White and Yeats-Brown were savagely Early in 1916 the Shorthorn and the B.E.2c were flow attacked by the Arabs, and were later taken into custody to Ali Gharbi to operate with a relieving force, the Tigris by the Turks. After the war both wrote books of the years Corps, under the command of Lieutenant- General Sir of captivity in Turkey and, of course, the illustrious career Fenton J. Aylmer. Petre continued to fly whatever aircraft of Longhorn IFC 2 came to an end on that fateful day of were serviceable and, as from January, four more B.E.2cs November 13, 1915. were sent to the area. In addition, the Royal Naval Air The battle of C'tesiphon commenced on November 22, Service provided two Voisin pusher bi planes, with 140 hp the day after Reilly was shot down by gun-fire in Canton Unne engines, on January 17. Seven other RNAS Martinsyde IFC 6 while on a vital reconnaissance flight. machines arrived in February an included two steel Henry Only one aircraft and one Australian pilot now remained in Farman F.27s also with 140 hp Canton Urnne engines, A Flight - Shorthorn IFC 7 and Captain Petre. Early in the and five Short 225 seaplanes each powered with a 225 hp battle Fulton was brought down by ground fire, over the Sunbeam engine. Turkish lines, in Martinsyde IFC 8 which had been February also saw reinforcements arrive from the repaired prior to the battle. Petre In the Shorthorn carried Dardanelles for the Turkish forces, and the new arrival out several important reconnaissance flights, and was included a German Army Air Service unit equipped with joined by two of the Short converted -seaplanes and one Fokker E-type monoplanes. These Eindecker series of of the B.E.2es. From information brought back after one of single-seat fighters were the first enemy aircraft to b fitted Petre's flights, the B.E. 2c effectively bombed some 4000 with a synchronised machine-gun firing throug the Turks at a bridge over the Diyala River. But the Turkish propeller are. The Fokkers operated from Shumran Bend troops greatly out numbered the attacking force and, on in support of the Turks, and made their first appearance November 25, Townshend was forced to retreat first to on the 13th when they bombed Kut. On March 5 one of Lajj, and then to Kut which he reached on December 3. the Voisins was shot down by a Fokker. Th German's sporadic bombing attacks inflicted no great material damage, but did affect the civilian morale in the town. Adverse weather, and the overwhelming number Turkish troops in the area, prevented Kat from being relieved by the British ground forces. However the RFC and RNAS aircraft, accompanying Gorringe's Tigris Force, were now able to operate from Ora, some 24 miles from Kut. During February and March miscellaneous items such as medical supplies, mail, wireless equipment and spare parts were dropped intermittently Into Kut. Then, on March 27, Townshend made an unusual request for a 70 lb. millstone to be air-delivered by parachute. Bearing in mind that, in early 1916, parachutes were rarely if ever used, and were never carried in aircraft for pilots or observers, the general's request created something of a problem, in the event Corporal J. Stubbs, one of the eight IFC mechanics still operating with Petre, designed a special parachute which made the drop possible. By coincidence, the millstone was delivered in Kut to another AFC corporal, J. McK. Sloss, who was later promoted In the field to a flight sergeant for his work in erecting the mills to grind the corn for the beleaguered garrison. Sloss was one of the nine AFC mechanics besieged In Kut. Of added interest Is the fact that Stubbs, other than designing parachutes, was also responsible for fitting a Close-up of a Royal Aircraft Factory B.E.2c of No. 30 Squadron, RFC, equipped with bags of victuals for the beleaguered garrison at battery of five Lewis machine guns under the fuselage of Kut, April 1916. The pilots flew without an observer to save weight a B.E.2c for ground strafing. The guns were attached to and, consequently, had to release the bags while flying the aircraft - the undercarriage of the B.E.2c with the steel tubing from quite a feat. one of the damaged Henry Farman F.27s. One of No. 30 Squadron's pilots. Lieutenant C. J. Cliabot, carried out a flying test but the multiple firings stampeded some nearby Meanwhile, by November 30, the other two B.E.2cs an British cavalry horses and Chabot was ordered to remove Martinsyde IFC 9 had arrived by barge at Kut; Major S. D. the guns forthwith. Massy also arrived from Basra on the 28th to take In April It became necessary to start supplying Kut with command of No. 30 Squadron. The British forces in Kut, food from the air, and the first drops were made on the as from early December, settled down to withstand siege 15th. The aircraft used for this first major air supply until expected reinforcements arrived from overseas to

116 AHSA Aviation Heritage operation in history included four B.E.2~s of the RFC, and "In order to isolate Baghdad from more distant enemy one Voisin, one Henry Farman F.27, and four Short 225s bases, an aeroplane was to fly out, land behind the town of the RNAS. Petre took a leading nart in the operations and cut the wires running W. and N. to the Euphrates, flying the BE.2cs and, on occasions, the F.27. Constantinople and Kifri. White and Yeats-Brown (observer) volunteered for this task. They set out at dawn In all 140 food-dropping flights were made and 19,00 on November 13, the day on which the 6th Division made lb. weight of food was delivered to Kut between April its forward march. Necklaces of guncotton were carried on 15-29. The German Fokker fighters began attacking the the plane, also extra tins of petrol and oil. The distance to food-laden biplanes on the 24th, and an escorting ma­ be covered was at least 60 miles both ways. The airmen chine carrying an observer with a Lewis gun had to be did not expect to return if adverse winds should spring up. provided - even so, one of the Short seaplanes was shot Actually they found that the telegraph wires ran westward down on the 26th. That same day three newly arrived from Baghdad along the main road, and not out into the Snorthorns flew in from Basra, but all three were later desert as the maps showed. As Turkish troops of all arms wrecked in a violent storm during the night of May 2. were constantly moving along the road and as there was Notwithstanding the efforts of the supply dropping aircraft, much bad ground, the choice of a landing place was the food delivered fell far short of what was required and limited. Finally White chose a plot of ground bounded by Townshend surrendered Kut to the Turks on April 29, canals, where the telegraph lines ran about 300 yards 1916. from the road. It was about eight miles from Baghdad and Soon after the fall of Kut, Captain Petre was posted to in the rear of the Turkish position at Seleucia, and the an RFC unit in the . Then, from airmen considered that the few individuals in the vicinity September 1, 1917, until April 27, 1918, he became the could be kept at a distance. However, the narrowness of first commanding officer of No. 29 (Australian Training) the ground and the unexpected arrival of a mounted Squadron, RFC - later No. 5 (Training) Squadron, AFC, as gendarme, led to their colliding with a telegraph pole, from January 19, 1918. The remaining eight AFC which badly smashed a wing and rendered the machine mechanics at Basra were sent to Egypt in early 1916 to useless. Arabs, soon joined by a party of Turks, attacked join the newly formed No. 67 (Australian) Squadron, RFC, the airmen at short range. Nevertheless, Yeats-Brown which became No. 1 Squadron, AFC, January 19, 1918. managed to blow up the wires under fire, while White filled Of the nine AFC mechanics taken with the 13,000 the tanks and kept the enemy off with a rifle. They then prisoners In Kut only two. Flight Sergeant Sloss and started the engine, hoping to escape by taxying, as they Air-Mechanic K. L. Hudson, survived the march of over had once before at Zeur. But this time there was too much 700 miles to Anatolia In Turkey: Corporal T. M. N. Soley against them. They were seized and roughly handled by and Air-Mechanic D. Curran died at Nisibin: and the Arabs, until rescued and taken over by the Turks." Air-Mechanics L. T. Williams, W. C. Rayment, F. L. Adains, W. H. Lord, and J. Munro In the vicinity of the Major White's Escape from Turkey. Taurus Mountains. Continuing his lecture. Major White referred briefly to Thus, to all Intents and purposes, the operational his­ his experiences as a prisoner of war in Turkey for a period tory of the Half Flight. AFC, came to an end when Kut of more than two years. He then related the story of his capitulated at the end of April, 1916. The RFC units re­ escape, at long last, from Constantinople and his return to maining in Basra, including No.30 Squadron, were later the Allied Forces. re-equipped and subsequently played an important role in The story runs as follows:- capturing Mesopotamia from the Turks - and, of course, "In May, 1918, whilst at the Prisoners of War Camp at after the war, Mesopotamia became Iraq. Afion-Kara-Hissar, in Turkey-in-Asia, and after 2'/2 years Perhaps the highest tribute paid to the achievements of captivity, 1 was medically examined by the Turkish of the Half Flight is contained in the words of one of medical authorities. The examination was made in Australia's greatest soldiers. Lieutenant - General Sir response to a request from Constantinople and was, I John Monash ". . . it was not in France alone that Aus­ believe, on account of a cabled inquiry from Australia re­ tralian airmen achieved a repute of high efficiency, or a garding my health. For, though the Turks did little or tradition of sublime valour. In Palestine and in Mesopo­ nothing for the health of their prisoners, they would tamia the same tale unfolded itself. Indeed, it was in the usually carry out an examination, such as it was, when an most easterly theatre of War that the foundations of these inquiry was made. I was in moderately good health, but noble traditions of the Australian air-fighters were laid." decided to feign illness, as I intended to escape from Constantinople if I should be sent there. I had planned an Tom Whites Lecture escape from Aflon-Kara-Hlssar, and had already made In a lecture before the Victorian Section of the the necessary preparations, but as a Turkish Commission Australian Aero Club on 19 January 1926, Major T.W. was then inquiring Into the conduct of the Turkish White a survivor of the Air War in Mesopotamia spoke Commandant at Allon-KaraHissar, I decided to postpone about his experiences. This was reported in Aircraft of 1 the date in deference to the wish of the Senior British February 1926, from which the following Is taken. Officer there. Though I spoke French, I took a French "In opening his lecture. Major White announced that It officer with me to the examination to act as interpreter, so was a story of operations in an ancient country and with that I could gain time for replies when questioned. I ancient aeroplanes. He then traversed the whole area of convinced the Turkish Medical Board that an old injury to the half-flight's activities-which should be familiar to most my foot, which I had kept tightly bandaged for some days, readers of "Aircraft" -from the landing at Bombay to the and a scar on my ankle, the result of a burn, were close of the campaign at Kut-el-Amara, passing lightly evidences of tuberculosis. From this date I had naturally over the incident which ended In his own capture, a week to always walk with a limp, and, a month after I was before the battle of Cstesiphon. examined, I was sent to Constantinople for treatment. The Official War History describes this Incident In the "I was sent to two different hospitals, in the second of following words:- which I found four other British officers shaming sickness, and one (Lieut. Hill, of 'Road to En-dor' fame) feigning

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sers, so that if I was retaken the Turkish soldiers of Gendarmerie might not be able to find them. We were in civilian clothes (as most long service prisoners had worn out their uniforms) and besides being unshaven for some days, I carried a felt hat in an inside pocket of my coat, in hopes that it might be useful as a disguise in replacing the cap I wore. I had also a miniature Russian dictionary and two small bags made from handkerchiefs filled with biscuits and chocolate from a parcel I had recently received. "When nearing Constantinople our train collided with another on a viaduct close to Komkafu station. A number of people were hurt and all were thrown Captain White in the cockpit of MF Longhorn, IFC 2, at Basra in mid-1915. White and violently from their seats. As I had his observer, Captain Francis Yeats-Brown, landed in this aircraft outside Baghdad, and purposely remained standing, SO as to blew up a section of the city's communications before they were captured by the Turks on be able tO make the most of any November 13, 1915. opportunity, and as I was holding on to the parcel rack at the time, I was not madness in hopes of being exchanged. Whilst in hospital I thrown down. The passengers were mostly officers and met a Bosnian flying officer in the Turkish service, who soldiers, with a sprinkling of civilians. Whilst calming a had been wounded whilst flying in Palestine. He was very terrified woman, partly out of pity for her and partly to anxious to leave the Turks, and agreed to take Captain A. deceive any soldiers who might have been watching me J. Bott, M.C., R.A.F., and myself In his aeroplane from regarding my intentions, I put on the hat I was carrying, San Stefano, the German aerodrome near and calling to Captain Bott that I was going, made for the Constantinople, to Lemnos, if we could escape and reach exit. It was a corridor train and there had been a mad rush the aerodrome when he was on duty, but the Turks to get out, so that undue haste on my part did not seem suspected him and forbade him to speak to us. I decided, out-of place. Our guard had been suspicious of us, therefore, that it would be best to attempt to reach Russia. however, from the outset, and I was chased by one soldier The Germans, after over-running Ukrania, had allowed a while another seized Captain Bott. Ukranian steamer and three schooners to come to Constantinople. After we were discharged from hospital "Jumping down on to the line, I found that I could not and confined in an Armenian school at Psamatia, near get along the viaduct owing to the rush of excited people, Constantinople, preparatory to being returned to the so accordingly boarded another railway carriage and ran Concentration Camp at Aflon-Kara-Hissar, I arranged a through that, with the Turkish soldier a few yards behind plan of escape to the Russian ship, through a Ukranian me. Jumping down to the railway track again I ran to the officer and a Greek waiter in a restaurant. We were to abutment of the viaduct and jumped into the street below. escape as best we could from the school where we were In this way I gained about fifteen to. twenty yards on the kept closely guarded, and, at a certain German beer soldier, who preferred to run down the railway garden in Galata, would search for a man who would carry embankment to jumping from the abutment, which was a cigarette behind his ear, and who, when we made our­ not a high one. I ran round the nearest street corner with selves known to him, would find us a hiding place until we the soldier In hot pursuit, running at top speed round could get aboard the Ukranian ship. every subsequent turning and not knowing where they led, endeavouring to shake him off. He shouted to passing "On August 24 we got our opportunity, when foul, of us Turks to stop me, but the people shouted to were more were being sent under escort from Psamatia to interested in hurrying the other way to see the railway Constantinople by train. Foul. Turkish soldiers smash or did not realise what was wanted till I had passed accompanied us, whilst a Turkish officer of the garrison them. Though I took as many turns as possible so that he travelled in a compartment close by. We had decided to seldom had a good chance of shooting me, I had, in one make a bolt for it at the railway terminus in street, to run past a barracks where twenty or thirty Constantinople, in hopes that more than one soldier might Turkish soldiers were standing outside looking stupidly at chase one of us, and perhaps someone might succeed in me through an iron fence and not realising quickly enough getting away. We also agreed to make the most of any what was going on. The soldier who chased me, however, opportunity of escape which might present itself en route. was big and athletic, and realising that he would be Captain Bott was to come with me to Russia, while the bastinadoed and Imprisoned if I succeeded in escaping other two officers - Lieut. Fulton, Royal Flying Corps, and from him, ran his hardest. (I had left some money for him Lieut. Stone, Worcesters - who had no plans of their own, at Psamatia on his return, so that he could buy sufficient had decided to make the most of our abandoned aero­ food for himself during the months' imprisonment he plane scheme of escape. We had given them ail would get, for the Turks give very little food to such particulars and a sketch of the German aerodrome at San prisoners.) I was not in good condition myself though, Stefano. after having taken very little exercise and walked with a "I had accumulated 150 Lira (about £100) in cheques limp for so long. After running about half a mile I was quite that I had surreptitiously cashed from various people exhausted, and decided to take the only alternative to run whilst In hospital, and at Psamatia I had bribed a Turkish into a house immediately after turning a corner and take soldier to turn these into big notes for me, and had sewn the chance whether the Inhabitants were Turks or friendly them Into my braces and the tightening band of my trou- disposed Christians. I accordingly rushed through the first open street door that I saw, considerably startling the old

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Greek ladies who were in the front room of the house. I "I looked in at many cafes before I found one that told them to say nothing about me if they were suited me, for I was by no means well dressed. I found questioned, and going through the house I found a one eventually where practically all the other diners were cupboard, in which I hid myself. The soldier evidently ran drunk with 'rakki,' a Turkish absinthe. Here I was able to on, for the house was not searched. I told the inhabitants eat in peace over an evening newspaper, applauding their of the house who I was, and a young Greek woman who unmusical high-pitched singing when expected to do so. I was present said she would help me if she could. From found it more difficult to find a resting place for the night, her husband, who arrived soon afterwards, I bought a however, as I had no passport of any kind. I explored a Turkish fez and an old Chesterfield coat as a disguise, Mohammedan cemetery and the ruins of a burnt-out leaving my own coat there as the Chesterfield was too house, and decided on one of these two places failing any small to wear over my own. My hair had been clipped better accommodation. Seeing a party of five or six men in short, so that a wound scar at the back of my head what I took to be Russian uniform and overhearing a showed up plainly. I covered this identification mark with remark made by one of them in Russian, I took them to be boot polish and clipped off my moustache, then going to Russian (perhaps Georgians), some of whom, owing to the nearest tramway, went to Galata to search for the man the foundation of a Georgian State by the Germans, had who had promised to find me a hiding place. By taking this been released), who might help me. -I entered into tram I avoided crossing Galata Bridge, which spans the conversation with them in Russian, and finding they were Golden Horn, on foot, for numerous inquisitive gendarmes Bulgarians who, had they known who I was, would have may always be seen there. There were several German taken charge of me, I left them hurriedly. I only learnt and Austrian soldiers and a few Turks in the beer garden. afterwards that many colloquial phrases of Russian are Although I placed many cigarettes behind my ear and identical with Bulgarian. pretended to sleep whilst watching the crowd for about "There were many German and Austrian soldiers in two hours, I left, as I thought a longer stay might draw the streets, and after spending some two hours in the unwelcome attention to me. I walked to Gumush Suyu, buying some cigarettes for my next visit to the beer Grande Rue de Pera and the bazaars in the vicinity, garden, on the way. As I knew only a little Turkish and as, searching and occasionally asking for a home for the owing to the costume I wore, I would be expected to night, I decided to visit the cinema to pass the time. speak Turkish well, I made my purchases at street stalls, Seeing an electric Turkish sign over a street door, I took choosing the moment to buy when heavy traffic was this to be a cinema, but found on getting inside that it was passing, so that though I only moved my lips and pointed a hairdresser's and boot-cleaning establishment, and to what I wanted, the stall-holder imagined I had asked for although I could have stayed with advantage, I considered what I wanted. it safer to leave. "At the steps alongside the Sultan's palace at Dolma "The next place was a cinema theatre all right, but I Batche I hired a caique (a kind of canoe) and went for a found after buying a ticket and getting inside that I was the row on the Bosphorus, deeming it safe there, as I should first to arrive and that I was 1V2 hours too early for the be out of sight of overzealous gendarmes who might show. It must have been obvious to the proprietor that I demand to know why I was not on military service. The old was a stranger, so I decided to leave, and half an hour caiquechi who rowed the boat, however, preferred talking later Visited another cinema theatre, where I sat in the to rowing, so that I had to pretend to be deaf. He was not same row with a Turkish officer, two military cadets and a easily deceived, however, and would stand up and shout few soldiers. After the pictures I could not find the in first one ear and then in the other. Sometimes, when he cemetery, so asked a shop girl who was going home if had repeated a statement several times I could under­ she knew where the Hotel Imperiale was, as I had heard stand his meaning, and when I thought it advisable I of a Greek there who might help me, but she was alarmed would answer with 'evvet' (yes) or a 'yok' (no) or one of the at my appearance and took to her heels. Late at night, many signs which the Turks employ to show their however, I found a Greek lodging-house, where I approval or disapproval. The old man was so persistent, convinced the proprietress that I was a Georgian however, that as the sea was rough I pretended to be Mussulman named Kakaoridse Berodse and that I had seasick, at which he propped me up with the boat's lost my passport. cushions and made me feel quite comfortable. After he "Next morning I went to the underground railway to had rowed me backwards and forwards for two hours, Galata and visited the German beer garden again. After a close to the walls of the palace, with its sleepy-looking wait of some hours an old man wearing a battered guards, I left him, after arranging that he should take me panama hat entered, and I noticed that he had a cigarette for a longer row next morning. I had, of course, no behind his ear. I attracted his attention and placed a intention of seeing him in the morning, but made this cigarette behind my own ear. As he would take no notice appointment merely so that if he suspected me he would of me I went across to his table and addressed him in not inform on me nor have me followed. Russian. He was very agitated and told me afterwards "I then made my way to Pera in search of a cafe and a that he thought I was a Turk who had got hold of our place to pass the night, deciding to revisit the beer garden plans. I convinced him that I was a British officer, in the morning. On the way I was stopped by a gendarme, however, and after ostentatiously bidding him goodbye who, however, merely wanted a light for his cigarette. No told him I would wait for him outside. When he came out I conversation is necessary in a case of this sort. The followed him to a disused carpenter's workshop In a back policeman preferred his unlighted cigarette. I gave him street in Galata. He promised to bring me food each day mine, at the same time trying to convey the impression and said that he would tell me when the Ukranian steamer that I was in a hurry. He took a light, salaamed by 'Batoum: which lay in the harbour, would be ready to sail. touching his heart, lips and brow (a habit we have "I was joined here by Captain Bott on the evening of acquired through mimicking the Turks), I returned the the second day. He was being returned with other British salaam and proceeded on my way. officers and soldiers to Aflon-Kara-Hissar the day after my escape, and whilst waiting at Galata Bridge for a boat to take them to the Asiatic side, he slipped away whilst his

119 AHSA Aviation Heritage guard was not looking, and reaching the quay, took a in connection with money matters. At other times we were caique to the Ukranian ship. He was concealed for the dressed in old sailor's clothes and hidden in various parts night by the third mate, and then, in the uniform of a of the ship. We were told that a Greek waiter in the city Russian sailor, was sent ashore to the place where I was who had passed on some of our cheques to an hiding. Englishman in Constantinople had been taken by the police. I went ashore to investigate, dressed as nearly as "The workshop in which we remained for about a week possible like a Russian civilian. I found several measured about 20 feet by 10 feet and was almost dark gendarmes and soldiers inside the cafe and others when the iron door was shut. A Turkish officer lived standing about outside. I learnt, however, from another immediately above us, and his orderly's room on the waiter there, that the man I wanted, with his mother and ground floor was only separated from us by a thin sisters, had been arrested a day or two before through partition, which had numerous gaps in it. We had sheltering three British officers in his house. Two of these consequently to remain very quiet and wear no boots, officers had been on the train with me at the time of my though, fortunately for us, there were numerous rats that escaping and had made a second attempt. Captain Bott scampered about amongst the shavings that littered the was unsuccessful on two occasions when he went to see floor, so that any unavoidable noise was no doubt the Englishman to whom we had sent our cheques, so I attributed by the Turks to the rats. This was useful, too. In again went ashore and called on him at his office in the a way, in that when sometimes we were about to smoke, Turkish Prisoners' of War Bureau, attached to the Dutch we would make a rustling among the shavings to drown Legation. This department was supervised by Turkish the familiar sound of a match being, struck. We were very officials. I told the Turkish commissionaire at the door of amused to find, too, that a tame rabbit gave us quite a lot the building, in answer to his questions, that I was an of unnecessary alarm for about four days by a rattling of American named Henry O'Neill, that I was from Tarsus plates and tins close to the partition whilst eating food that and that I did not have a card. I said that Mr. Sykes (the had been left for it by the Turkish soldier. Frequently gentleman I wanted to see) was an old friend of mine and people in the street would knock at the door and there would come down at once if he knew that I was there. were two British air-raids whilst we were there, but After some demur and then pretending to Inquire if I could otherwise nothing exciting happened, the old Russian be admitted, I was allowed upstairs. I found four Turkish bringing us food each morning and night. We were cavasses outside Mr. Sykes' office door. One of them eventually discovered, however, by a Turk who climbed asked me if I was a Russian and I answered that I was. the street wall and saw us from over the top of the window Soon afterwards, I noticed that one of the cavasses was a shutters. We accordingly left, and going to the quay, man I had often seen and spoken to when I was in where two gendarmes were standing on duty at the steps, hospital. He was a Levantine Jew, whose sentiments were took a caique to the Ukranian steamer. always with the people who paid him best, and he had no "We got on board safely without being seen by the particular reason for liking me. I had asked a young captain and went below to the third mate's cabin. It Dutchman who was present if he would tell Mr. Sykes that measured only 7 feet by 7 feet, and most of that space I regretted that if I could not see him soon I should have to was taken up by a bunk and a divan. We were told that If leave, and unfortunately I would be leaving the Turkish police were to search the ship we were to hide Constantinople in a few days, when the Jew, who had one in the drawer under the divan and the other in a small been listening, approached me and asked me where I had cupboard measuring about 2ft. 6ln. by 2ft. beneath the learnt English. I replied 'in Turkey,' he answered 'you bunk. The mate had only just left us when we heard the speak English just like an Englishman.' I told him then, as signal-three raps on the deck, given very loudly. Captain if in confidence, that I had purposely deceived the other Bott, being the smaller of us, got into the drawer, which I cavasses as I did not wish to satisfy their curiosity. He closed after him, then I pulled the mattress off the bunk, was satisfied and amused at this, and after I had told him squeezed into the cupboard beneath and put the mattress that my guard was waiting in the street outside, he back over my head. There was a quantity of very dirty brought me a chair and a cigarette. I greeted Mr. Sykes as linen in both hiding places and in this we wrapped an old friend when he appeared, as there were several ourselves. After remaining In this cramped and strange Turks and Greeks in the room watching me. I tremendously hot and stuffy state for an hour or so, we confided to him who I was and was able to arrange for were forced to come out. When we had hidden thus on monetary help through his kindness. four or five occasions I discovered that the supposed signal was given by the wash of waves from passing ferry "When the Turkish police searched the ship, which steamers, which lifted the gangway and struck it heavily they did on six different occasions, we had to go Into against the ship's side. hiding In the ballast tanks, which are small iron compartments, about thirty in number, situated at the "There was difficulty about getting a cargo for the ship bottom of the ship below the propeller shaft tunnel and and its date of sailing was being constantly postponed. which measure only about 2 feet by 2 feet by 8 feet. We The chief engineer, too, wanted us to leave the ship, but were in these tanks for periods varying from one to we had bought revolvers and I told him that I would not thirteen hours^ at a stretch. They were exceedingly allow him to go back on his promise, and that if we went uncomfortable, however, as it was impossible to sit up, ashore I would take him with me. Eventually, however, the the air was foul, it was perfectly dark and we had to be all ship was chartered by a Turkish merchant and loaded with the time in some inches of dirty water. Water constantly tobacco, figs, raisins, etc. The crew were a scroundrelly dripped in from the pumps, too, and until I had marked the lot, who stole large quantities of the cargo, taking It to walls and timed the rise of the water, we had suspected Constantinople for sale and buying vodka with it instead. that some of the Bolshevik members of the crew of letting The ship's officers also borrowed money from the Turkish some water in. There was only one place of entry or exit, merchant to buy cocaine, which they smuggled into and that was a manhole always screwed down and Russia. carefully covered with planks and lumber after we had "We had difficulty in obtaining enough money to carry entered. on with and we both went ashore twice to Constantinople

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"We were thirty-three days in the ship before she Ukranian officer who greatly feared the Bolsheviks gave sailed, during all of which time, except the occasion us shelter, partly because we owned pistols and might be already mentioned and at night when we sometimes came able to help him if the Bolsheviks called at night. The out to promenade on the well deck, we remained below. room was used as an office by day, consequently we Through want of exercise and light and the discomfort of spent the day in the streets and cafes, observing what the tanks, we both became very thin and emaciated, while was going on, and as Captain Bott could speak German Captain Bott developed jaundice. and I had learned Russian whilst in Turkey, we got a good deal of useful information about the Austrians and "Before the ship sailed a motley party of Greeks and Germans there and the situation generally, which I was Jews came on board as passengers and lived in the able to hand in afterwards to the British Intelligence hatches. Nothing exciting happened on the voyage except Officers at Varna, Sofia and Salonica. that there was trouble between the firemen, some of whom were Bolsheviks, and the engineers. There was "Through making a number of arrests and executions some drawing of revolvers and knives, but no damage the Austrians prevented a recurrence of the atrocities that was done, and in the end the third engineer worked as had occurred in Odessa in March, 1918, but there were fireman, whilst the fireman did practically nothing but drink many robberies, frequent shooting in the streets at night, vodka. The very old captain, too, of this very old and very and 225 Austrian soldiers and 60,000 wagons of ammu­ rusted ship, lost his bearings, but managed eventually to nition were blown up by the Bolsheviks. reach Odessa on the night of the third day. "We had intended to reach Archangel, where a British "We landed from a boat the next morning, and as I force was operating, or to travel east to Baku, but the saw an Austrian officer picqueting the jetty with soldiers at British forces had recently evacuated Baku, and we were the place where we intended to land, the boat was steered told by travellers that the Archangel route was impossible. to a public landing Place, where, fortunately, some We were arranging to travel to Yassy, in Roumania, passengers were landing from another steamer. Austrian where we heard that there was an English Military and Gerinan troops were in occupation of the town, and Commission, when we received offers to go as Aviators to owing to recent trouble with Bolsheviks the docks were the Russian Volunteer Army, which was operating in the heavily guarded. We were not molested, however, and region of the Don country, against the Bolsheviks. They hiring a drosky, we drove to an address that had been promised that, after some service with them, to see that given us. The Russian gentleman there could not help us, we joined up with the Ententists' Forces in Siberia. In any but he gave us the address of an English civilian in the case we would have flown there had they been unwilling town, and from two friends of the Russian, who had to let us go, but we missed a train that we should have recently come from Petrograd, we obtained passports. My caught, and a few days afterwards we heard of the passport stated that I was a Russian subject and a native Bulgarian armistice. of Turkistan, by name Sergay Feodovitch Davidoff, with a "Through a Russian mercantile captain whom we met wife named Anastasia, aged 19 years. Captain Bott's we went on board the 'Euphrat' a Russian ship, which the stated that he was a German-speaking Lett, named Austrians were sending to Varna to bring back released Genkoff. These passports were afterwards very useful, as Ukranian prisoners. We went on board at night unnoticed we were able to obtain bread and sugar from the by the Austrian sentries, and remaining hidden till the Austrians at a cheap rate as Russian subjects. steamer left port, reached Varna on November 5. "The Englishman whom we met was in partnership "At Varna the ship was given five days' quarantine, but with a German, a Jew and a Greek, and ran a small with a Russian general and two Naval captains of the tannery. For a short while I worked there, cutting up hides, Russian Fleet, who had also got aboard unknown to the etc.. Captain Bott being too ill to work, and I also sawed Austrians, we evaded the quarantine and managed to get wood as part payment for our food, for which we paid. ashore. Food was very expensive, but fortunately we were able to borrow some money from the Dutch Consul there. Most "The town had been occupied only a few days before food supplies had been cornered by Jewish speculators, by an advance party of British soldiers and French sailors. and speculation more than scarcity was responsible for We went to the French Fleadquarters and were taken by the high prices. A good dinner cost from £10 to £11 and a them to the British Brigadier-General, Ross, who, with suit of clothes from £80 to £I00. about ten officers and about fifty men, was in occupation "The Bolsheviks were still giving trouble in Odessa. of the town, and we reported to the General for duty; but About 20,000 were supposed to be in the town, ready to as we had no uniforms and were both suffering from the break out at any time, and an army of 25,000 Austrians effects of Spanish influenza, for which we had had no and 10,000 to 12,000 Germans were kept in the town to medical attention and as we had no place to lie-up in maintain order. The Bolsheviks had issued a manifesto Odessa, we were sent by train via Plevna to Sofia. From that the killing of officers and rich citizens was to Sofia we were sent by car through the Strouma Valley to recommence on the 20th October, and there was a good Salonica. We were objects of much suspicion to the deal of excitement among the civilians and officers. Guns officers and orderlies at Headquarters there, for I had a were kept trained down several of the main streets by the coat that had been given me in Odessa and which was Austrians, a fort had been constructed outside the .town much too big, a fancy waistcoat with green stripes (also a where the Russian officers hoped to make a stand if the gift), trousers that I had received in a clothes distribution Austrians should be withdrawn from the town, and the in Turkey, and a broad-brimmed felt hat. Austrian gendarmerie patrols and Ukranski police had "We obtained uniforms in Salonica, but unfortunately orders to shoot anyone who was found with arms. As we were detained in that town for two weeks awaiting occupied rooms in the Bolshevik quarter, we always transport, during which time the German armistice was carried our revolvers, and it was mainly because we signed. From Salonica we were sent to Port Said and owned pistols that we were able to find a place to sleep. thence to Cairo, being subsequently sent from Port Said The English residents there had to report regularly to the to Marseilles, arriving in London on December 21st Austrians and were afraid to do much for us, whereas a 1918."

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Harold (“Slim”) Shelton, Pioneer airline pilot, war-time test pilot, gliding enthusiast and engineer. Born Avenel, Victoria, March 4, 1910. Died Merimbula, NSW , May 20, 2003.

When R.M. Ansett bought his first twin-engined aeroplane towards the end of 1936 to supplement the single-engined Fokker Universal that had inaugurated his Hamilton-Melbourne air service eight months earlier, one of the pilots he engaged to fly it was Harold Shelton. For the 27 year old Harold, it seemed a dream come true, in place of the then customary aviator’s garb of fur-lined flying suit, helmet and goggles, the little airliner’s enclosed single-place cockpit enabled the wearing of a splendid uniform, complete with pilot’s brevet and badges of rank. Ansett’s acquisition, offering eight passengers the latest in air transport comfort, was an Airspeed Envoy, built by Nevil Shute’s company. Airspeed Ltd, in England. Previously the personal aircraft of British motor magnate (founder of Morris Motors Ltd) and philanthropist. Lord Nuffield, it was similar to Stella Australis in which C.P.T. Ulm and his crew were lost near Honolulu In 1934 while attempting a trans-Pacific flight. Unlike most airliners then operating in Australia, it boasted the latest technical innovation -- a fully retractable undercarriage! Harold Shelton was born and reared in the tiny Victorian settlement of Avenel, just north of Seymour. As a child, he was captivated when he saw a World War 1 biplane fly over his school playground. For him it was a magic moment, marking the beginning of a life-long fascination with aviation. Moving to Melbourne as a teenager, he began an apprenticeship in electrical and mechanical engineering, and experienced his first flight - in a DH-60 Cirrus Moth from Fishermens Bend. On turning 18, he wanted to join the RAAF, but his father refused him permission, his flying training having to wait until he was 21 when he joined the (then) Victorian Aero Club. He made his first solo flight from Essendon only a month afterwards, and four months later was issued with his 6a0 licence - No 811, signed by the Controller of Civil Aviation, Colonel H.C. Brinsmead. Completing his engineering studies in 1932, he opened an electrical workshop in South Yarra, but continued to fly part-time at weekends, even building a small Graham Heath monoplane in company with his friend, Harry Rolfe. Two years later, seeking to further his aviation experience, he went to England, where for the following 18 months he worked with the British aircraft manufacturer. Monospar. It was during this time that he met his future wife, Violet Dibble, from Somerset, while she was working in London. But his career prospects in Britain were cut short when he broke his right hand while hand-starting an experimental aero engine at the Monospar works. Australia was in the grip of the Great Depression when he returned in 1936, but in Melbourne he found a job as an “aerial advertiser”, flying a DH.50, the four-passenger cabin of which was fitted with a powerful loud speaker system. On one occasion its noise is reputed to have disrupted proceedings in the city Law Courts in William Street, prompting the judge concerned to suspend the case he was hearing at the time. Harold also began conducting passenger flights from Essendon, extending these to Victorian country districts and to New South Wales. It was in this role that he first came to the notice of R,M. Ansett, then in his second year of airline operations. After 18 months with Ansett, during which he experienced several forced landings arising from engine trouble, Harold left the company when “RM” refused him complimentary travel to Hamilton for himself and his newly wedded wife. He promptly joined the Essendon-based Australian National Airways, newly formed from an amalgamation of Holyman’s Airways and Adelaide Airways, and now Australia’s premier airline. After flying Dragon Rapides on their Bass Strait services, he became a First Officer on their revolutionary new DC-2 and DC-3 airliners. In 1941, with the war making increasing demands on the infant airline industry, Harold Shelton was offered a command with Guinea Airways, operating the highly demanding Adelaide-Darwin service in all weathers with twin- engined Lockheed 10s and 14s. Many adventurous trips with wartime priority passengers followed until the end 1942, when he was invited to join the Beaufort Division of the Commonwealth Department of Aircraft Production (later the Government Aircraft Factory) as a test pilot. He remained in this hazardous but essential calling until after the war, flight testing literally hundreds of Beaufort bombers and Beaufighters coming off the Fishermens Bend production line for the wartime RAAF, and later, Australia’s locally produced Lincoln bombers. A number of times his skills averted total disaster when equipment failures and other problems developed during test flights, particularly in Beauforts. His personal accounts of these close shaves would make a story in themselves. Returning afterwards to Australian National Airways, he became the company’s test pilot, as well as flying DC-3s on regular passenger services. But a non-fatal accident at night near Mangalore In the former Airlines of Australia DC-3, VH-UZJ “Kyilla” (the cause of which remains in dispute more than 50 years later), somewhat unjustly ended his airline career. He resumed electrical engineering in Melbourne, but continued to fly, becoming especially well known in the Australian gliding movement. In July 2002, the pilot community presented him with a silver medal commemorating his 70 years of commitment to aviation. He remained a qualified and practising glider pilot until after he turned 90. Active in both the Early Birds Association and the Retired Airline Pilots Association, he was highly respected by a wide variety of friends and colleagues, many of them many years his junior, rarely missing the monthly retired pilots lunch at Sandringham. A member of the Masonic Lodge for most of his adult years, the Brighton (Victoria) Lodge made him life member. A compassionate, committed family man, Harold cared for his wife Vi throughout her declining years, nursing her at home until the end of her days. For years afterwards, he looked after himself in his own home at Brighton, going to live with his daughter Margaret and her husband at Merimbula, NSW, only during the last weeks of his life The irony of his eventual passing would have appealed to Harold’s sense of humour. Surmounting both the hazards of early airline operations and those of the war years, and avoiding dramatic brushes with violent death by the slimmest of margins during his test pilot years, he died peacefully in his sleep -- at the ripe old age of 93.He is survived by his daughters, Margaret and Elizabeth, his sons-in-law, and three much loved grandchildren. Macarthur Job

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CONFUSING THE ENEMY? R.A.A.F. Serial Number Allotment Scrambled Suffix Numbers - 1950-1952 by John Hopton © 2002 All photographs from the Hopton Collection An Introductory Note Towards the end of 1949, within Australia's Vampires, the first two machines had already been Department of Air it is clear that more than usually lunatic numbered as A79-1 and A79-2 in parallel to their De proposals were being bandied about, in dealing with Havilland airframe numbers 4001 and 4002; the remaining perceived problems related to security. Over the years, 48 machines of the first contract and the 30 on the second various documentation has surfaced to enable the contract were allotted numbers at random from A79-5 to interested researcher to see some of the multitude of A79-996, this latter being in fact the highest of the random ideas that were discussed at this time - in view of which numbers issued, the comment is more than fair. In the post-war period, "security" was an area of such paranoid conservatism as With Australian involvement in Korea and the to be almost unbelievable, often leading to extremes that consequent delivery of the Meteors, these also received can in today's light been seen as ludicrous - as some few random numbers. The original machine of this type, the in the period also viewed the subject. mk.lll EE427, had been delivered in mid-1946 and

Meteor T.7 (eLx:-WA732) : c. mid-1951 at Iwakuni, Japan when in use with Meteor T.7 (eY-A77-305) : 14 Sep 63 at Richmond, N.S.W. when in use with No. 77 Sqn. : later re-serialled as A77-702. No. 22 Sqn.'s Communication Flight : this aircraft still survives to-day at the R.A.A.F. Museum, Point Cook, Vic.

Of the fortunately few such proposals that came to became A77-1. It was only on the books for nine months fruition was one that, "in the interests of security", called before being damaged beyond repair, and it was not until for an entirely new approach to the serialling of R.A.A.F. February, 1951 that further examples of the type were aircraft. Until this time, each type of aircraft taken on taken on charge - all examples delivered to July, 1952 strength had simply been numbered from -1 onward within receiving "scrambled" serial numbers, within the range the group, a practice instituted at the introduction of the A77-11 to A77-982. Exceptions were three two-seat R.A.A.F.'s Stores Identification (serial number) system in variants sent to Australia for use at the L.R.W.E., September, 1921. During the Second World War, some Woomera, in the period 1952-1953, which were numbered block allocations within that system took place, but as A77-2 to A77-4 essentially numerical sequencing continued, One abnormality was of course the introduction at the The next victims of this policy were the Sikorsky S.51 s. beginning of the 'War of the number "-1001" for A80-1 had arrived late in 1947 and been numbered In the prototypes. But .... such a simple system as then in old style; the second and third examples arrived in April, use.allowed an easy calculation of strength, and this could 1951 and were numbered under the new system. The two not be tolerated. imported Canberras were likewise so numbered, although it is interesting to note that three examples of this type This new system for the serialling of aircraft was, supplied on loan (B.2s) were allotted A84-1, -2 & -3 essentially, the idea that all examples of the newer types respectively. The two Winjeel prototypes were also within received, from the Vampire onwards, would in future be this random series. given a random number within the group -1 to -999 as a suffix to their type-identification "A" number. This new The last type to be included in this system were the policy was advised to the Department of Aircraft first dozen Neptunes, which were received in November, Production, via Department of Air memo S.A.S. of 12 1951 and given numbers within the range A89-225 to A89- January, 1950. It was in turn swiftly followed by 983. In total, almost 170 of these random numbers have Department of Air memo 9/84/14(2) of 16 January, been traced. wherein the new serials for the 50 DH-100 Vampires then under construction were detailed.® In the case of the As these "serial numbers" had always been primarily intended as "stores Identification numbers" it is clear that

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Vampire FB.31 (ain 4060) : 17 Sep 61 at Laverton, Vic. : the former A79- Meteor F.8 (ex-WF750) : this is the only known instance where the suffix- 622 is seen when in use with No. 21 Sqn. - this unit had been grounded on 02 numbers were duplicated - ’'-422” being applied originally to the Meteor Apr 60, and their aircraft were held at Laverton until disposal : on 14 Mar and later to the Vampire : undated, at Iwakuni, Japan when in use with No. 63, A79-422 was transferred to the Lord Mayor's Holiday Camp at Portsea, 77 Sqn. : returned to Australia and in use to 17 Oct 60 when placed in Vic.; in September, 1966 it was acquired by the Moorabbin Air Museum. storage : converted as U.21 and on charge as such 02 Feb 62 : destroyed in trials at Woomera, S.A. on 04 Aug 69. the system was seen to oe ineffective, in this area at least, in the serial-suffix. Seemingly, not a great problem, and after a fairly short period. A number of Items can be seen easy enough to carry out. Then an additional sixty-eight to place the dating of a rethink of the use of this random Vampire Trainers were ordered, being numbered A79-600 allotting at about July, 1952 - only 19 months after its onward, and the identical problem arose. In this instance, inception. the three Meteors, the Winjeel and the Sikorsky S.51 in the block remained unchanged; the sole Neptune having A new policy was therefore implimented at this time, already been re-numbered. The six Vampires, nos. 609, wherein each type, as well as having its distinctive "A" 622, 633, 650, 674 and 687 all joined the A79-4xx block number, was allotted a specific block of suffix serials. On as per the method used with the -8xx series above. To 29 July, the four Meteor T.7s were re-numbered as A77- this point then, 10 of the DH-100 variant had been so re­ 701 to A77-704, and all future Meteor F.8 deliveries (from numbered. Some references also indicate A79-227 and August) from A77-851 onward. Production Canberra A79-83 to have been at least allotted the new numbers B.20's commenced at A84-201 (and included local A79-427 and A79-443. Both aircraft are thought to have conversions to T.21), English-built T.4's at A84-501, the been involved in the mk.32 program, but this particular Winjeels at A85-401, and the Sabres at A94-901. The area still requires more research at present to prove this Neptunes were - oddly enough - the only existing type as a fact. group to be re-numbered, becoming A89-301 to A89-312. Serials allotted from type-number A96, the Convair To further confuse, it was considered that the 440s, in general used either the airframe identification acquisition of a batch of 36 DH-115 Vampire Trainers number (or part thereof) as the individual serial suffix, or in would be a good thing; these were allotted A79-801 some instances, the "last three" from the original military onward. And it is at this point that the whole system procurement serial number served the same purpose. becomes more than just a little on the silly side of things. With minor variations, this system continues in use today. Two Meteors occupied nos. 802 and 811, which this block of 36 (and an additional five for the R.A.N.) aircraft would This data has been assembled from a wide range of "duplicate", and four Vampires used nos. 841, 862, 872 sources available to the compiler, from original and 876 - which would not be "duplicated". The Meteors documentation to published works, varying in quality from do not appear to have bothered the powers-that-be, but good to bad. The interpretation made Is that of the the four Vampires were re-numbered into the A79-4xx compiler. block by the simple expedient of exchanging the 8 for a 4

The Random Serial Number Suffix List

The listing that follows is, as far as we have been able to determine, the complete run of the "random" serial number suffixes that were Issued. The list is of simple style. Note that underlined entries are considered to be doubtful, in that proof-positive has yet to be found In relation to their exact Identities.

suffix aircraft type airframe previous additional no. and mark no. identity notes

5 Vampire FB.31 4048 9 Vampire FB.31 4070 11 Meteor F.8 WH259 14 Vampire F.30 4029 15 Meteor F.8 WE911 17 Meteor F.8 WA694 18 Vampire F.30 4020 24 Vampire F.30 4012 29 Meteor F.8 WA938

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suffix aircraft type airframe previous additional no. and mark no. identity notes

31 Meteor F.8 WE903 36 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4056 46 Meteor F.8 WA746 60 Vampire F.30 4044 65 Meteor F.8 WH475 76 Vampire FB.31 4038 83 Vampire F.30 4014 89 Vampire F.30 4025 91 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4057 109 Vampire F.30 4013 111 Vampire FB.31 4065 115 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4037 120 Meteor F.8 WE880 125 Canberra B.2 WD983 128 Meteor F.8 WE908 134 Meteor F.8 WE898 139 Meteor F.8 WA949 151 Vampire FB.31 4075 153 Vampire F.30 4019 157 Meteor F.8/U.21 WE889 160 Vampire FB.31 4064 163 Meteor F.8 WA941 165 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4030 170 Vampire F.30 4010 175 Vampire FB.31 4059 178 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4051 187 Vampire F.30 4040 189 Meteor F.8 WA961 193 Meteor F.8/U.21 WE969 199 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4043 202 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4039 207 Meteor F.8/U.21 WH251 215 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4054 217Vampire FB.31 4068 225 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5112 to A89-311 227Vampire F.30 4006 to A79-427

Sikorsky S.51 : 16 Sep 62 at Williamtown, N.S.W. : taken on charge on 17 CA-22 Winjeel (ain 1526) : c. Feb 51 over southern Melbourne suburbs, Apr 51, this was the last survivor and was in use until 09 Jan 64 when it was Vic. : first prototype in original colour-scheme and with empennage in transferred to Wagga, N.S.W. as an instructional airframe : A8-374 also initial position. survives at the R.A.A.F. Museum, Point Cook, Vic.

228 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5094 to A89-306 229 Meteor T.7 WA731 to A77-701 231 Meteor F.8 WA944 235 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4045 236 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5111 to A89-310 251 Meteor F.8 WE906 258 Meteor F.8 WH254 263 Vampire F.30 4021 275 Vampire F.30 4049 282 Vampire FB.31 4080

125 AHSA Aviation Heritage suffix aircraft type airframe previous additional no. and mark no. identity notes

294 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5093 to A89-303 300 Meteor F.8 WA935 305 Meteor T.7 WA732 to A77-702 307 Canberra B.2 WD939 308 Vampire FB.31 4066 309 Vampire F.30 4009 316 Meteor F.8 WA945 321 Vampire F.30 4028 333 Vampire FB.31 4034 343 Meteor F.8 WE274 354 Meteor F.8 WA934 364 CA-22 Winjeel 1527 368 Meteor F.8 WA952 373 Meteor F.8 WA936 374 Sikorsky S.51 375 Vampire F.30 4011 380 Meteor T.7 WG974 to A77-703 385 Meteor F.8 WE918 390 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4053 393 Meteor F.8 WE877 397 Meteor F.8 WE896 405 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5122 to A89-312 408 Vampire FB.31 4078 409 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4055 ex A79-609 415 Meteor F.8 WE900 422b Meteor F.8/U.21 WF750 422 Vampire FB.31 4060 ex A79-622 427 Vampire 32 4006 ex A79-227 433 Vampire FB.31 4074 ex A79-633 436 Meteor F.8 WE971 440 Vampire FB.31 4069 444 Vampire FB.31 4073 ex A79-844 446 Meteor F.8 WA783 450 Vampire F.30 4026 ex A79-650 453 Vampire F.30 4016 462 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4036 ex A79-862 464 Meteor F.8 WA958 467 Vampire FB.31 4076 472 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4032 ex A79-872 474 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4050 ex A79-674 476 Vampire F.30 4018 ex A79-876 484 Vampire F.30 4004 487 Vampire F.30 4007 ex A79-687 510 Meteor F.8/U.21 WE905 514 Vampire FB.31 4077 520 Vampire FB.31 4063 529 Vampire F.30 4022 536 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4052 550 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4046 552 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4062 559 Meteor F.8 WA910 560 Vampire F.30 4003 564 Vampire FB.31 4058 567 Vampire F.30 4033 570 Meteor F.7 WE890 577 Meteor T.7 WG977 to A77-704 586 Vampire F.30 4005 587 Meteor F.8 WA939 589 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5088 to A89-307 591 Neptune (P2V-5) 426-5022 to A89-302 593 Vampire FB.31 4071 595 Neptune (P2V-5) 426-5021 to A89-301 609 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4055 to A79-409 616 Meteor F.8 WA956 618 CA-22 Winjeel 1526 622 Vampire FB.31 4060 to A79-422 627 Meteor F.8 WE928

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suffix aircraft type airframe previous additional no. and mark no. identity notes

633 Vampire FB.31 4074 to A79-433 636 Sikorsky S.51 643 Meteor F.8 WE886 650 Vampire F.30 4026 to A79-450 674 Vampire FB.31 4050 to A79-474 687 Vampire F.30 4007 694 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5110 to A89-309 721 Meteor F.8 WA954 726 Meteor F.8 WA957 728 Meteor F.8 WA951 730 Meteor F.8 WA782 733 Vampire FB.31 4079 734 Meteor F.8 WA907 735 Meteor F.8 WA942 736 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5087 to A89-308 737 Vampire F.30 4023 740 Meteor F.8 WA948 741 Meteor F.8 WA947 744 Meteor F.8 WA786 754 Vampire F.30 4042 762 Vampire F.30 4015 777 Vampire F.30 4027 793 Meteor F.8 WH252 796 Vampire F.30 4024 802 Meteor F.8/U.21 WA998 811 Meteor F.8 WA937 841 Vampire FB.31 4073 to A79-444 862 Vampire FB.31 4036 to A79-462 872 Vampire F.30/FB.21 4032 to A79-472 876 Vampire F.30 4018 to A79-476 901 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4047 911 Meteor F.8 WA946 914 Vampire F.30 4017 915 Vampire FB.31 4067 920 Meteor F.8 WF653 934 Vampire FB.31 4072 942 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4031 949 Meteor F.8 WA960 953 Meteor F.8 WE874 959 Meteor F.8 WA909 973 Vampire F.30 4008 982 Meteor F.8 WA950 983 Neptune (P2V-5) 526-5086 to A89-305 985 Vampire FB.31 4061 996 Vampire F.30/FB.31 4041

FOOTNOTES a - "Man and Aerial Machines" : \ssue 4, page 50 : this memo set out in whole b - this appears to be the only instance of a "duplicated" number

LAST AMENDED : 26 Jul 02

Vampire F.30 (ain 4050) : c. 1954 at Laverton, Vic. : the order to change the serial number to A79-474 was not issued until April, 1956 by which time the aircraft had been up-graded to FB.31 standard; later, target-towing equipment was fitted : after use with No. 25 Sqn., withdrawn from use on 20 Feb 63 and modified as Instructional Airframe no. 21 - approved for scrapping in February, 1967.

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