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Aviation Historical Society OF

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION $A3. 00

Registered in Australia for transmission by post as a periodical

VOLo VII No. 3 MAY-JUNE 1966

British aviatrix Miss Sheila Scott arrived at Darwin on 31st May on her round-the-world solo speed record attempt for women. The west to east attempt, using a Piper Comanche 260B G-ATOY, departed from London on l8th May. Miss Scott later flew to Syd­ ney via Mount Isa and Brisbane. On arrival at Sydney on 2nd June the aircraft was flown to Bankstown where repairs were made to radio equipment which had caused trouble during the flight to date. Departure from Sydney, direct to Auckland, was on 6th June, after the weather in mid-Tasman had delayed departure by 24 hours. Miss Scott arrived back at London on 20th June and claimed the record with a ,flight of 28,656 miles at an average speed (including stops) of just over 36 m.p.h. The existing record, held by American Mrs Gerry Mock, was 32.77 m.p.h, Another record claimed was the PAI class C-lc (aircraft weight l,750kg-3s000kg) for London-Darwin and also for London-Sydney. Following the withdrawal of Eoyal Australian Navy Firefly target-towing aircraft from Avalon, Vic., the Victorian air charter firm of Executive Air Services won the tender for a two-year cantract towing for naval units in the Melbourne area. The firm was the only one to tender using straight civil aircraft5 other tenderers planned to use converted military types. Aero Commander 68O aircraft are to be converted for the contract.. The first of Qantas' training HSI25 aircraft arrived at on 15th June after a nine-,day delivery flight from Britain. The aircraft, VH-ECE, will be used for training flights at Narromine, N.S.W., and Avalon, Vic, Its fleetmate VH-ECF is due for delivery in July. This aircraft was seen at an open day at the manufacturer’s aerodrome at Hatfield recently with the name "Dominie” on the nose. Ipec-Air began a new air-freight service in Australia on 22nd June. The company chartered a Bristol I70 VH-ADL from the Air Express Company and flew freight from Brisbane to Cowra, N.S.W. The goods were then trucked to south­ ern cities. Licensing restrictions prevented a flight from Brisbane to Mel'— bourne. Ipec-Air Owns Douglas DC-4 G-AEWK in England but cannot use it in Australia due to inability to obtain an import licence for the aircraft. Work commenced on 7th June on the first stage of the construction of the new International Air Terminal at Sydney Airport. The terminal will be sit­ uated on the south-western side of the airport diagonally opposite the pres­ ent terminal area. A.H.S.A. Journal -36- May-June I966 The Indonesian airline Garuda is planning to operate through Sydney to New Caledonia and later to . The service will commence when economic conditions in Indonesia permit. A spokesman for the Indonesian Embassy said in May that notice had been given to the Australian Government of the service and it was hoped to commence before the end of the year. Indonesia is entitled to operate a service to Australia under the terms of a''^reciprocal agreement which allows Qantas into Jakarta. It; is understoodIthdt iDouglds DC-8 aircraft at present on delivery to Garuda will be used.. Reginald Duigan, who helped build and later flew the first Australian- mad® aircraft, died at Herne Hill, Geelong, Vic., on 14th June, aged 76. The aircraft was built with his brother, John Robertson Duj-gan, at Spring Plains, near Kyneton, Vic., in I9IO. It is at present on dis3)lay at the Applied Science Museum in Melbourne. J. R. Duigan made his early trials in July, 1910, and what he regarded as his first successful flight on 7th October of that year. The Federal Government has given approval for two charter firms to import jet aircraft. They are Business Jets, of Melbourne, which will operate a GAMD Mystere 20, and Rei Aviation, of Sydney, which plans to use a Lear Jet, During May it was announced that twenty-three airlines had applied to the U.S. Civil Aeronautics Board for approval to operate extended routes across the South Pacific through Australia to Indonesia and other Asian ports. Applicants included Eastern, Continental and United Airlines, On 30th June two notable personalities in Australian aviation retireds Sir Hudson Fysh, Chairman of Qantas, and Sir Giles Chippendall, Chairman of the Board of the Australian National Airlines Commission, the operators of TAA. The positions of the two retiring Chairmen were filled respectively by Sir Roland Wilson, former Secretary to the Treasury, and Sir Frederick Scher- ger, former Chairman of'the; Chiefs of Staff, On 30th June also. Sir Norman Nock of Sydney retired from the Qantas board, Messrs K. C. Wilkinson of Melbourne and T. J. N. Foley of Sydney joined the board, - After a three-day search over rugged Tasmanian country, search aircraft discovered the wreckage of Cessna 172G VH-PIA on 15th May,. The pilot. Miss Mary Fergusson, had been killed in the crash. More than twenty aircraft were used in the search, the biggest in Australia, since I962 when Wackett Trainer VH—BEC was lost in desert country in . The well-known Australian Mustang VH-FCB has been sold to an American living in the Philippines. The red aircraft has been flown from its usual Moorabbin base to Essendon, where it arrived on 14th May, to await movement to Manila. It spent much of its civil life at country air displays, flown by Melbourne pilot Jack McDonald. East West Airlines, of Tamworth, N.S.W * > has ordered a fourth Fokker Friendship, which will be registered VH-EWK. During May Ansett-ANA retired Douglas DC-6B VH-INA from use and it is now at Essendon .with one engine" removed. On 29th May, the Department of Civil Avidtion changed the current official- name of to , When the'hew Airport at Tullamar- ine is operational, it .will be iknown afe Melbourne Airport, The change to Essen- don Airport has; been made at an early stage to falmiliairise aircrew and ground » personnel with the new titles before operations commence at the new airport. A.H.S.A. Journal -37- May-June I966 During June several flights were made from West Beach Airport hy two L»382B Hercules of Alaskan Airlines. The flights were in support of the U.S. forces in Vietnam. The aircraft were N9263R "City of Fairbanks" and N9267R "City of Anchorage". Both were finished in a striking red and gold scheme, Australia's light aircraft industry is seeking over one million dollars in Commonwealth Government "bounty" support of its production against foreign competition, Victa Ltd. wants $994»137 to help build 96 light aircraft dur­ ing the next five years. Transavia Pty. Ltd, wants $236,350 spread over three years for 85 Airtruk agricultural and utility aircraft. Other parties involved at present include Cropmaster and Aerostructures, About the same time the ABC television programme "Four Corners" featured a report on the light aircraft industry in Australia, From intervieufs included in the show it seemed that the Australian agents for American aircraft are to mount strong opposition to any scheme by Australian manufacturers to strengthen their "Australian made" aircraft industry. TAA's Electra VH-TLB returned to Essendon in May after having wing spar modifications in New York. VH-TLA and -TLC are also scheduled to have the modifications done. After two years* service with Fiji Airways^ Douglas DC-BC ‘wtr-EDC has returned to its crew training duties with Qantas at Sydney Airport, . It carried Australian registration during its period in Fiji and was replaced by Douglas DC-3C VQ-FAI on lease from NZNAC, Formerly xefristered as ZK-CAW, it was acquired frbm the defunct SPANZj and was once Ansett-ANA's VH-ANM, and Australia ratified agreement for a permanent air service between the two countries on 31st May. The agreement will enable Iran to operate services to Australia as soon as it is ready. Plans for one of the biggest civil and military air displays ever held in Australia were announced in May. To be sponsored by Rothmans Cigarettes, the three-days display is to be held at Parafield and Edinburgh airfields in South Australia. A general aviation symposium will be held in conjunction. At daybreak on 28th May, Piper Colt VH-RQJ was stolen from a hangar at Archerfield, Qld., and flown on a 45-niinute "beat up" of Brisbane, Police later charged a 24-year-old private pilot in connection with the flight. The aircraft was landed in a park in suburban Ashgrove after being flown under the Storay Bridge, A recent issue of Ansett-ANA's house journal. Panorama, notes that the airline's Douglas DC-3 VH-ABE hasiflown a total of 62-PSS .hours. Idiis world- famous airliner is at present operated by Airlines of South Australia, a sub­ sidiary of Ansett Transport Industries. During May the Corby CJl was undergoing final assembly at Camden, N.S.W. This Australian-designed and built ultra-light came fourth in the Rollason design competition in Britain, It is powered by a 48 bp Augusta engine, has the marking VH-CBS and is finished a bright red with white trim. The design is by John Corby, a Qantas employee, and the construction was done at his home in Sutherland, a Sydney suburb. Plans are eventually to fit the air­ craft with spats and a canopy. The Sydney-based charter firm Chartwell has applied to DCA for per­ mission to operate a twice-daily service between Sydney and Cessnock, not served by an airline at present. The firm uses D.H,104 Dove VH-DSM, A.H.S.A. Journal -38- . May-June 1$66 Ansett-ANA has ordered the Pokker F-27QC ’’quick change” passenger-cargo version of the Friendship. The first delivered will he used by Ansett-WIAL on New Guinea routes. The aircraft's performance in this role will he closely studied by Ansett-ANA to check the success of this type of operation: passenger by day and cargo by night. Assembly of .the first Victa Aircruiser 210 was nearly completed in May. The aircraft, which is very similar to the Airtourer in external appearance, is powered by a 210 hp Continental fuel injection engine. Victa spokesmen have stated that'’production will not commence;^ if the outcome of the Tariff Board enquiry commencing in Canberra on 9th June does not allow Victa's request for a bounty on its future production. During May Flying Review International reported that an Assistant District Commissioner in Papua, Mr. Paul Sebere, an ei-RAAP wartime pilot, had located a P-40 Kittyhawk and a B-25 Mitchell in northern Papua. States of preservation and poss­ ibilities of recovery were not disclosed. On 2nd May six Mirage aircraft of No. 75 (F) Squadron left Williamtown RAAF Base for Darwin, to replace the Sabres of No. 76 (P) at present detached for the air defence of |^^win. Sixty supporting ground crew personnel also went, in a Hercules "of No. 2,6 (t) Squadron, to Darwin. Senator Gorton, the Minister for Works, stated on 4th May that seven new buildings estimated to cost A$2,000,Q00 would complete the current erection programme at the RAAF Academy,.^AAF Base, Point Cook. Tenders for the ex­ tensions, which would include,academic buildings and accommodation for cadets, would close in June. Work was to be completed by December 19^7• The RAAF will fit a revolutionary type of machine-gun on its Macchi trainers now on order, it was announced on 5th May. The gun, known as the Minigun, is manufactured by the General Electric Company of America, and is a lightweight machine-gun capable of a high firing rate. It is based on the Gatling gun developed late last century and used by the United States and other nations before . The six barrels of the gun revolve around a central point, enabling the gun to fire at the rate pf 6,000 rounds per minute, in long bursts. The gun is enclosed in a streamlined pod, which results in a self-contained unit capable of being attached to many types of aircraft. For use with the Macchi trainer, the pods are slung underneath each wing, attached to the aircraft by two lugs. The Minigun pods will give the trainee pilot experience in aerial gunnery during an advanced stage of his flying training. For training purposes the rate of fire will probably be reduced. Standard 7*62mm ammunition, used by all Australian services, is used by the Minigun. - On 6th May, six United States Space Flight Controllers arrived at Car­ narvon (W.A.) Tracking Station to prepare for the United States space shot Gemini 0. Astronauts Thomas Stafford and Eugene Cernan are'scheduled to be launched into space on 17th May. The Minister for Air, Mr. P. Howson, said on 6th May that two defects had appeared in the Goblin engines of the RAAF's Vampire jet traineh,s. About 50 engines were affected by cracks in the high-temperature regions, together with an unidentified noise. The faults had forced the RAAF to curtail its pilot training programme. Spares were being obtained from Britain and to replace the cracked sections, but difficulty was being experienced in tracing the engine noise. A.H.SoAo Journal -39- May-Jujae I966 Oa 7th May, CAG-Sabre AMt949, of AEDU at RAAF Base LaTertoii, piloted by Jit, Ltc Ro Whitman, had a sparrowhawk inducted ixito the engine, causing a sudden loss of power during take-off, at an airspeed of approximately 120 knotso The pilot had to brake, with some 2,000 feet of runway lefto Both main wheel tyres blew out, and the Sabre continued through the boundary barbed wire fence and across Sayer's Road before stopping in a mud patch. The aircraft was not badly damaged, and Fit, Lt, Whitman was unharmed. The Minister for Air, Mr, Howson, announced on 8th June that two Australian airmen had been mentioned in dispatches for gallantry in Vietnam, W. Off, P. A. Latham and Cpl, C, J, Downes won their awards for the part they played in the successful recovery of the damaged DHC-4 Caribou A4-173 under threat of ■'fird ’daring the repairs (see page‘27 of the May‘'1965 issme of the Journal), On 9th June the Minister for the Navy, Mr. Chaney, said that the U.So Navy had reported that Australia's second guided missile destroyer H.M.A.S. Hobart had achieved a satisfactory standard of efficiencyo The assessment had been made after a four-week intensive training cruise off San Diego, During the cruise the ship fired two Tartar missiles against drogue targets. Both were "kills". The ship had now fired six missiles for six "kills". The biggest intake of WRAAP since World War II passed out from recruit training at RAAF Base Edinburgh (S.A,) on 10th June. Sixty-^four young women — 27 from Queensland, 12 from Western Australia, 11 from New South Wales, six from Tasmania, five, from South Australia and three from Victoria — graduated, from the 158th course since post-war WRAAP training began in 1951• On 24th June, Cadet Pilot R, Marman became the first RAAP cadet to make his first flight with his father as instructor. Cadet Marman*s father. Pit, Lt. P. Marman, is an instructor with No, 1 BPTS, RAAP Base Point Cook, The flight was made in a Winjeel trainer. Cadet Marman is one of 45 trainees on the biggest peacetime course ever held by the RAAP. The trainees include six Navy cadets, seven from the Army, and 32 from the RAAP, A contract was signed on 24th June for eight H,S.748 Andover aircraft for the RAAP's School of Air Navigation, RAAP Base East Sale. The contract, worth A$l8,000,000, will give delivery to the RAAP of the Andovers in the later half of 1968, They will replace the School's present equipment of Dakotas, On 28th June GAP Mirage IIIO AS- flown by F/0ff» E« Walker on a routine delivery flight from Avalon to Williamtown, set a new record between the control towers at Essendon and Kingsford Smith Airports, The 450 statute miles were covered in 27 minutes 4 seconds. The flight, at an average speed of over 900 mph, slashed 11 minutes 4I seconds from the previous record set by a Qantas in 19640 The new record flight was helped along by a 140 mph jet-stream tail wind, Mr. Howson, Minister for Air, announced on 8th M^y that the RAAP Caribou . , Transport Flight was to be re-named as’No..35(T) - Souadfon, The ;flighty .which has been operating in,South Vietnam since July, 1964j, had: carried out 15,166 ,.. sorties, carrying - some- ES million lb« of Preight, apd 70,223, passengers . Vung Tau is home base of the squadron, and the aircraft often fly on sorties of 9 to 10 hours' duration is support of the Australian Task Force, and units of the U.S. South Vietnamese, and other forces.

On 10th May the appointment of Air Commodore J, Dowling to be Deputy Com­ mander of the Australian Task Force Vietnam was announced. He will also be Commander of the RAAP Component of the Force, A.H.S.A. Journal■ -40- May-June I966 A three-service“parade at Russell Offices, Canberra, on l8th May, ended more than 45 years of military service for Air Chief Marshal Sir Frederick Scherger, KBE, CB, DSO, AFC. He was the first member of the RAAF to reach the rank of Air Chief Marshal. His career reads like a calendar of the RAAF, his postings have circled the globe, and the stories about him are legion. He entered the RAAF in 1925> having graduated from the Royal Mil­ itary College, Duntroon, in I924, and was trained as a pilot at Point Cook. He later became the RAAF’s chief test pilot, and was awarded the AFC in 1940 in recognition of his work in this field. During the 1939-45 war he served as Air Officer Commanding No. 10 Operational Group, and First Tac­ tical Air Force in the South West Pacific Area. He commanded the Allied air forces at Aitape, Noemfoor, Balikpapan, Tarakan and Labuan, and was awarded the DSO. After the war, he led the RAAF Fighter Wing element of the Bri'tish Commonwealth Occupation Force in . Sir Frederick attended the 1946 course at the Imperial Defence College, London. On his return to Australia he took over the appointment of Deputy Chief of the Air Staff, and was awarded the CBE in the 1950 Birthday Honours List. During 1951-52 he held the position of Head of the Australian Joint Services Staff, Washington. Later in 1952 he was appointed Air Officer Commanding Malayan Command, and in 1954 was awarded the CB for his services in that appointment. In 1955 he became Air Member for Personnel, which post he held until he was appointed Chief of the Air Staff in March 1957» with the rank of Air Marshal, He was knighted in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours List. He took over his last services appointment as Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, in May I96I. He was twice extended in this appointment and completed a five-year term on the date of his retirement. In March 1965 he was promoted to the rank at which he retired. The first test firing of the ELDO Europa I space vehicle from Woomera was carried out on 24th May. The launch was made from a pad on the edge of Lake Hart salt plain, after a delay of 24 hours due to a failurip of a range impact predicting computer. The rocket consists of a British Blue Streak rocket as the first stage, a French second stage and a German third stage. An Italian satellite is carried. Only the first stage rockets were fired on the flight, chemicals and water being carried to simulate the weights of the other sections. The flight was I42 miles short of its predicted 46O miles, the Blue Streak's engine being cut twenty seconds before the scheduled flame-out when readings indicated the rocket was off course. This was later proved to be a fault in the tracking gear and not in the rocket. On 21st May it was disclosed that the lack of records of costs, persons carried and destinations of the VIP transport aircraft operated by No. 34 (ST) Squadron, RAAF Base Fairbairn, was causing comment in political circles. Concern was mainly over money, claimed to be appropriated for defence usage by the RAAF, being used in large amounts for purposes not linked with national security. The sinking of the dredge "W. D. Atlas" off Jervis Bay on the night of 201th May resulted in two and two Bell Iroquois helicopters from the RAN Air Station, HMAS Albatross, Nowra, being called into the search for survivors on 21st May. Two members of the dredge crew were picked up by helicopter at 8 a.m. and another two were also saved by heli­ copter at 10 a.m. The four survivors were taken to the Naval Hospital;; at' Nowra. No other members of the crew of I7 were found. AoHoSoAo Journal -41- May-June I966 Mainlsnanc© ni©n on a roulin© visi't "to ssrvic© “tli© au'torna'fcic wsallisr station on Ashmore Reef, some 500 miles west of Darwin, on 23ri. May found the wreckage of what is helieved to he a wartime RAAP Beaufighlter. Two engines, the wing, four machine-guns and a radio set were discovered» It is thought that the remains had previously been covered hy shifting sands* On 25th May eight Iroquois helicopters of No* 9 (UH) Squadron, A2-.1017 to A2-1024 inclusive, left for Vietnam on hoard the RAN Troop Trans­ port HMAS Sydney, after a farewell formation flight over Sydney the previous day* Flying, off the ship, the helicopters landed at Vung Tau, Vietnam, on 7th June, on pads prepared hy a detachment from No«5 Airfield Construction Sqdn, RAAF. ' The Minister for Air, Mr» Howson, said on 2.5th May that approaches had heen made to a numher of overseas air forces, including the RAF, ENZAF and USAF, re­ garding training of RAAF pilots, He stated that all of the approaches, were_ only in the "exploratory" stage* The cost and the numher of pilots would he examined before any decision could he taken, Because of the rapid expansion of the RAAF more pilots than can at present he trained in the RAAP may he needed, and this is given as the reason for the approaches to overseas ser­ vices* After the engine of his Mirage A3-29 flamed—out on 30th May, Pit. Lt. G. Cooper landed on the abandoned wartime strip at Tomago, seven miles from Williamtown, N.ScW, The flame-out, caused by a sparrowhawk being sucked into the intake, occurred at 1,500 feet at 38O knots* The pilot used his airspeed to gain altitude to 3,800 feet in a zoom, at the top of which he attempted to re-light the engine, but without success. The time from flame-out to touch­ down was 90 seconds* Three RAAP men, Pig* Off. N* Conn, W. Off.B* Luff and Sgt* L. Cotton, spent a week during Hay on windswept 59000ft. Mt. Torbreek in the Victorian Alps near Eildon, re-erecting a memorial to four airmen killed during World .War JIo Originally erected during the war, the memorial was wrecked two years ago when a dead,tree fell on.it* The memorial marks the scene of an , . Anson crash on 16th May, I94O* Infoggyweather the aircraft failed to clear the mountain hy 200 feet,* Pit. Off* A* Daniels, and Cpls* P. E* Hyland, P. Sass and I. Stowder lost their lives in the crash* Cpl„ Hyland's parents paid to have a memorial erected, and a plaque hearing the names of the crew was made from metal from the wreckage* The plaque was salvaged from under the fallen tree by Mr* D. Fry, a Forests Commission officer, and takaa to RAAP Base Laverton for repair* The three RAAP men took it from Laverton to the lonely site hy truck, and between violent storms re-erected the memorial. During June Her Majesty the Queen gave approval to the award of a special medal for service in Vietnam, and to the design of a ribbon for the medal. The approval followed a joint approach by the Prime Ministers of New Zealand and Australia,* The ribbon has been designed to incorporate the colours traditionally symbolic of the three services, together with red and yellow, the national colours of the Government of the Republic of Vietnam.^ On 1st June a detachment from No* 5 AirfieldConstruction Squadron RAAP arrived in Vietnam* The Minister for Air, Mr. Howson, said that.the detachment consisted of specialist personnel, to be augmented by local civilian labour. Their task would be to construct and improve airfield and domestic facilities to be used by the RAAP Component of the Australian Task Force* One of their first tasks was the preparation of landing pads at Vung Tau for the helicopters of No.9 Squadron, RAAP (see second paragraph on this page). A#H«S*A« Journal - 42 - May-June 1966

During the Coral Sea celet)ration^ in early May, Vice-Admiral Paul Ramsey, Deputy Chief 'of Naval Operations (Air) for the U*S, Navy, was the official guest. His party travelled in Douglas C-118B 12845, and aU»S# Navy band was carried in two Douglas C-54^s of the USN, Four Lockheed P-3 Or'tons also visited some capital cities, and they were open for -public inspection - the first tiija^ for this type in Australia. Aborigines at Snake Bay, Melville Island, said on 4th-June that they expected to have talks soon with representatives of the Japanese Government whose Seif Defence Air Force has stated that it wants to salvage and restore any Zero fighters that can be found so that cadets may rebuild them for museums,^ The Melville Islanders have a Zero v^hich they regard as their property^ This aircraft crash-landed on 19th February 1942 .after attacking Darwin about 40 miles away. The airqraft is in very poor con­ dition and considerable work would be required to restore ii^ for display.

Contributors to Notes: ^A* ‘Coutts, C. Lynqh, P, Ricketts, T, Webbs

ALBATROS - D Va OF THE AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL The Albatros D Va which was displayed for years in the Australian War Memor­ ial, Canberra, has been in storage at Dnntroon Military College since 1955, it was recently t^^-^sported to Camden, NSW, for restoration at the Camden Aviation Museum, The restoration plan was initiated by the Australian Society of World War One Aero Historians who are using the facilities of the Aviation Museu3?i which have been pro­ vided by its curator, Harold Thomas, who is also a Vice-President of the NSW Branch £l£ AHSA, It is expected that the restoration work will be completed within the year and, on completion, the Albatros D Va will be returned to Canberra for display at the Australian Ifer Memorial,* The aircraft was flown from Canberra within the cargo hold of Lockheed Hercules A97-207 of No.36(T) Squadron,. RAAF, The fuselage, with undercarriage still fitted, was tied down on the centre line and the wings were alongside. On arrival at Camden on 29th June, the aircraft was^ inspected by both groups concerned with the restorat­ ion work. The inspection revealed that the basic structure was still sound but the years of storage had produced a somewhat tattered external appearance. When displayed in the Australian War Memorial before li^55, the Albatros D Va had 0. very dark green paiht on the upper fuselage and clear varnish below, and lozenge-patterned fabric on the wings* Beneath the dark green paint could be traced the outline of a roundel which was probably painted on the fuselage at some time after the aircraft was captured. Photographs taken shortly after it landed near Armentiferes suggest that it may have been undergoing a new paint job at its home aerodrome because the cross jpatee on the fuselage was partly obscured by a semi­ transparent wash. In the 1917 photograph, there is no serial number visible on the fuselage, but the "[.e^end Albts^D.Sa, 5390 is discernible on the forward strut on the starboard wing. The Albatros D Va was forced down by Lieutenant J, Sandy and Sergeant H, Hughes in an R,E,8 of No.3 Squadron, AFC, on 17th December 1917, in a fight in which the Australians were engaged by six German aircraft. The Germans broke off combat when other Allied aircraft approached, and another AFC pilot subsequently observed the R,E.8 cruising normally and apparently continuing the allotted artilleiy spotting. However, the aircraft did not return to base and the dead bodies of the Australians were found later in the 'crashed R,E,8 about 50 miles from the combat scene. From examination of the bodies and wreckage, it was concluded that both crew members had been killed by a single bullet and thia.t the aircraft had flown in wide left-hand circles until the fuel was exhausted. A.H,S«A. Journal - 43 - May-June 1966

CIVIL AVIATION IN NEW GUINEA The First Six Years 1927-32 by Neville M. Parnell

As far back as 1897, expeditions had been despatched into New Guinea in search of precious metals and, from that time onwards, various companies had sent men into the thencarinibal-infested jungles in an endeavour to obtain gold. The finding of payable quantities of gold by William "Shark-Eye" Park in 1922 paved the way, five years later, for the founding of the world's most successful, unsubsidised, commercial aviation company which was to accomplish the unprecedented .feat of transporting a 2,500 TON dredge by air. Park’s discovery did not at first attract much attention and, in 1923, only about twenty miners were working with varying success in the area. Shortly after this, C.J. Levien, then District Officer at Morobe, decided to resign from his Gov­ ernment post and take to prospecting activities by pegging out part of the Koranga Creek. Later he went into partnership with Park and Nettleton (Park’s original partner) and eventually bought them out. During the intervening years he amassed a large sum of money by working the claim by primitive box and dish methods with native labour. Early in 1926, Bill Royal and Richard Glasson discovered the phen­ omenally rich gold deposits at the head of Edie Creek (7,500 feet altitude) which was 4,000 feet higher than the Koranga field. About the same time, Levien began action which resulted in the formation of the gold-mining company, Guinea Gold No- Liability, in , South Australia, in February 1926, Until early 1927, the only means of communication between the goldfields and the coast was by native carriers - who took nearly ten days to walk from Salamaua on the coast. In this comparatively short trek of 35 miles, the trail reached an altitude of 4,000 feet in three different places and the track led through jungle in which the carriers were continually subjected to raids by unfriendly tribes. By Government ordinance, a carrier’s load was limited to 50 lb,, including his own food. The cost of goods delivered on the field was therefore exorbitant, espec­ ially as the carriers demanded up to £40 per head over and above their wages and, in the ten days' walk, frequently consumed half of the load as food. These factors, combined with the exasperating delays which occurred with this form of transport, caused Levien to seek some alternative means. With his intimate knowledge of the area, he decided that it would be far too costly to build a road or railway to the fields. The annual rainfall of about 300 inches in the hills would make either system subject to severe engineering problems due to the unstable earth. Kaindi, the mountain range above the Bulolo River, is said to have two seasons the raiiy and the wetl In January 1927, Guinea Gold No-iLiability purchased the D,H.37, G-AUAA, from the Civil Aviation Branch of the Department of Defence, The aircraft was small but it was capable of carrying: a payload of 600 lb, A pilot, E.Aij- Mustar, and‘mechanic, Mullins, were engaged for the D.H,37, While it was being shipped to New Guinea, an ex-AFC pilot named Clarke went from Rabaul to the goldfield, and recommended the airfield sites at Lae (on the coast) and Wau (in the goldfield area), Levien, on behalf of Guinea Gold No-Liability Company, cleared and prepared the airfields, Ray Parer was also in Melbourne at the time seeking an aircraft for operations in New Guinea and just missed purchasing the 0,11,37. He immediately contact the Larkin Aviation Supply Company and bought the D,H.4, G-AUCM, He sent a telegram to shipping agents in Sydney and booked space for the aircraft on the first available ship, the "Melusia", forestalling the Guinea Gold Co. who also wanted space for the D,H.37. Unfortxinately, Parer was \mable to raise the financial backing until too late; his option on the space lapsed and he had to watch the D,H.4 being unloaded and the DaH,37 put in its place. A.H*S,A# Journal - 44 - May-June 1966

HoweTer, a storm on the way damaged the D#H«37 severely and Mustar and Liillins were still repairing it at Rahaul when Parer and his mechanic^ Gallet^ arrived three weeks later on the ”Marsina"» The first flight in the Territory was made by Parer on 19th April 1927 with most of the residents of Rahaul watching* He circled a few times and found that the airspeed indicator was not registering and neither was the engine thermometer* With steam coming from the radiator, he thought that he had better land in a hurry. The stalling speed of the D.H.4 was 55 mph* Luckily the wind was light and he skimmed low over the trees before landing with a slight bump* But Parents luck again deserted him as a wheel went into a hole and the aircraft-over­ turned* On 31st March 1927, Mistar and Mullins in the D.H.37 left Rabaul and flew 450 miles^ mainly over open sea^ to Lae in 5 hours 19 minutes* They had to wait there for two weeks because the airfield at Wau was not ready* It was an unknown site, an unknown distance from the coast over difficult terrain which had never been seen from the air* On Sunday, 17th April 1927, the first attempt to fly to Wau was made* Fol­ lowing directions, they searched for two and a half hours beyond the Bulolo valley and, not finding the airfield, were forced to jreturn to Lae* During the afternoon a second flight was made but also with no success* On the following day, Mustar and L/iillins took with them R* Lewers, a miner who knew the track from Salamaua to Wau* They took off from Lae with the D.H.37 carrying a payload of 637 lb* While conditions permitted, they flew at low altitude, picking up the trail that Lewers knew. Presently they sighted the rest house that was used at the end of the first day*s march; they reached the highest point of the range (6,200 feet) and almost immediately saw the fourth day*s rest house then lost the track. They were worried; the aircraft was in a bank of clouds and they had to climb higher to clear the mountains* At last there was a break in the cloud and far beneath they saw a group of pine trees that Lewers knew. He waved Mustar to go down the river* The D*H*37 circled over a deep valley, gradually losing height as they headed toward a small "postage stamp" clear­ ing* It was Wau airfield. The aircraft nearly overturned when it landed a little short of the actual strip* The first aeroplane had come to Yi/'au in a little more than 30 minutes, and knell of the weary stretches of ten days^ marches had been sounded. Mustar gives this description of the route from Lae to Wau : "The D*H,37 is doing very well* The three-ply is standing up very well indeed; but the wet season is just commencing and - - we shall see. The work is interesting yet. monotonous, I make two trips per day, five days a week, and carry 500 lb* each trip. The ^route^ follows the Markham River westward for 12 miles (all forest and swamp beneath). The Markham runs through a valley as wide as the Nile Valley and almost as fertile* The course then turns toward the south and follows a tributaiy for 12 miles, with more forest and swamp beneath, and a landing ground within two miles of the turn* Turning again almost south, it follows the Wamput River ten miles to its source, climbing up the valley with mountains 10,000 feet on the left and 8,000 feet on the right rough, heavy forest country* At the source of the Wamput we reaph 3,700 feet and you look into a second valley the Watut. It is usually a 30 minute run to this point. Now, for 15 miles. there are mountains covered with grass. These are the lower hills of the valley prop­ er, The mountains that form the boundaries are timbered from about 6,000 feet upward to the simmiits, some 11,000 feet. Close to the pass and on the route, now 160 degrees and a straight line to the Wau, there is a good landing ground, and another a few miles farther on and a bit to the east* After 15 miles the grassed mountains cease* The change is to extra heavily timbered country* What catches the eye here is the enorm­ ous pine trees thousands of them. The Wau ground is now in sight, ten miles dis- tant. It is the only piece of open ground between ranges rising as high as 10,000 feet and is absolutely unique, It^s on the lower side of a mountain, triangular in shape, about 800 yards long, 75 at the top and 400 at the bottom* Very high trees all aroxmd* From the timber at the lower end, for a distance of 200 yards, it is flat and soft* Then it starts off with a slope of four degrees for the next 400 yards. Next A*H«S#A« cJou.i'118.1 45 May-June 1966

comes a piece 50 yards long, with a slope of about two degrees. The balance is four degrees, perhaps more. One must land up the slope and hang the windi Its usual dir­ ection is up the slope too, I always (nearly) land so as to stop on the flat piece and, before I stop running, open up and turn right angles to the slope. That's so I don't 'run backwards. The first time I landed with cargo, lower down on the four de­ gree slope, I had to discharge it before I could move, using full engine - just like having chocks under the wheels, I used to taxi to the top and turn no good! Now I carry the tail around, point the nose downhill, and hold on with three 'boys' to help me. If we let it go, it would be off on its own,* so we gently ease it downhill till the wheel brings it up against a tussock. Then I climb in. Downhill, engine, and against the wind, we fairly leap into the atmosphere. The slope saves the down­ wind landings, but one does come in at a rate. To make this drome more interesting, there is a small watercourse that cuts the top end in two longitudinally, for 200 yards. It disappears lower down, so I use a piece of ground about 150 yards long by about 40 yards wide: get used to anything in time. Downwind, the rise of the ground would probably be greater than the climb of the machine. Now, to cap the lot, this excellent aerodrome is 3,500 feet above sea level. That is why the '37', which has a useful load of about 1,100 lb, (including petrol, oil and pilot), now carries only 500 lb, cargo, I have left Wau with 720 lb. on return, that being about the permiss­ ible, but getting off.is not getting on. I could perhaps manage 650 lb, but I like safety first s I might make a dud landing and need all my climb. On 50^ of the mid­ day runs, it has clouded down to within a few hundred feet of the aerodrome. The cumulus extends as high as 29,000 feet or more and when they topple into the Gap, we have to sit and wait. It is impossible to climb over them. The Gap often has a layer over it at 8,000 feet, sometimes at 4,000 feet. Then I have to go under. The ground drops away very quickly from the edge of the pass. The funnelling effect of the steep valley on the Markham side seems to keep the clouds lifted off the pass, but sometimes the gate is shut". Meanwhile, Parer was still at Rabaul, raising money for repair of the D,H,4, He formed Pacific Aerial Transport and took Charles Lexius-Burlington as partner. He sold 200 shares at £1 each to a local merchant, Aloysius Ah Hihn, and was given £100 by a miner, George Robertson, in appreciation of his flight from England to Australia in 1920, They ordered dope, lacquer, wing fabric, and engine spares from Larkin, ViThile waiting for the materials to arrive,, they stripped thae aircraft. They cut up an old boiler to repair the sheet metal parts in the wings. The petrol tank was made from galvanised iron sheet, threp times heavier than the original. Six weeks later, the rebuilt aircraft was complete. The first test flight was made on 17th June 1927, just prior to departure of the "Montoro". Parfr gave an exhibition of flying with a few stunts. They were ready to leave Rabaul on 22nd Ju^ne but heavy rain delayed their departure until the following day when they flew to Lae, landing there in mist and rain. The opposition had arrivedi Miners crowded around offering staggering sums to freight themselves and their equipment to the goldfields. The D,H.37 was already working to the limitj in the first six months, it carried 8,000 lb, of cargo and 150 passengers to Wau, It was obvious that more aircraft, or larger aircraft, would be needed to handle the flow of traffic, fn December 1927, the D,H.37 was within a mile of Wau when it lost its propeller, McGilvery, another pilot for'the company, brought it down to a good landing in the kunai grass, missing all the rocks that were scattered around. This left Parer as the only service for Wau, Until tlie D,H.37 was repaired, he flew ■ to^ and fro,transporting all the supplies’•and equipment, 'He made the first flight from Salamaua to Port Moresby over the Owen Stanley Range which,. in places, rises to 10,000 feet. On the route was Mt, Victoria, 13,000 feet high, that had to be almost circumnavigated via the valleys to avoid the risks of flying blind, in cloud over the top. A,H.S»A. Journal - 46 - May-June 1966

As a Ko Liability company was: prohibited under New Guinea ordinances from trad­ ing as a "common carrier", the pri^icipals of Guineki Gold formed a second company,

Guinea Airways Ltd•} in Adelaide in November 19E7 for the aviation activities. The weather caused deterioration in the wood and fabric aircraft, and Mustar suggested all-metal aircraft, A pilot, Allan Cros‘s, was sent from Melbourne to Lae, and Mustar went to Europe to find a large metal aircraft that would be suitable for the tropical conditions, and would be able to lift an jl,800 lb, load over the mountains. At Dessau in , he found the ideal aircraft the W.34b. One was purchased. shipped to Eabaul and assembled there with floats, After the flignu xro hae, bh© floats were replaced by^ wheels. The aircraft, G-AUGZ, was put into service in April 1928, a year after Mustar's fipst flight in New Guinea, A second Junkers W,34b was shipped to Melbourae, It was assembled and registered G-AUJD in December 1928, and flown to Lae, a distance of 3,300 miles in six days. In five weeks, Mustar com­ pleted 67 trips with 115,081 lb, of cargo and 26 passengers. Aamong the cargo carried to Wau each month were two tons of frozen meat, 50 caaes of beer, and 60 cases of whisky. The biggest human load was 14 passengers - two white and twelve natives : four on the cabin floor with their backs to the bulkhead, four sitting on their knees, and four in front, Mustar warned them not to move "S'pose you movS, you die finish quick time’," During the first nine months of operation, Guinea Airways carried 367,000 lb, of goods between the coast and the goldfield. The saving in time and labour is realised when it is considered that this quantity would have necessitated employment of 1,000 natives. In the same period, 498 passengers were carried. At the outset fares and freight charges were high owing to the risks and the doubts regarding the probable life of the goldfields. The highest passepger fare from Lae to Wau was £33,6,8, at a time when the D,H,37 was urgently needed for cargo^and passengers had to be discour­ aged, The rate was later reduced to £25 in and £15 out, then £10 outj and with the growth of the field, the fare later averaged £5 return. The cargo rate started at l/6d, per lb, from Salamaua to Wau, and was steadily reduced to 3d, per lb. These low freight and passenger charges were only possible with the establishment of the goldfields and the increase of goods available fop carriage. Up to 1930 the fields progressed slowly while Guinea Airways and some smaller organisations served the miners continuously (see Table 3), Some of the firms failed and others were absorbed into Guinea Airways. Flying conditions were not good, and crashes took toll of aircraft. In 1928, D,H,9 G-AGFB "City of Brisbane" (the previous owner had been a news­ paper in Brisbane, Qld.) was taken for its maiden flight after assembly by Guinea Air­ ways - Allan Cross was pilot, with Mullins and Gardiner as passengers, The aircraft acted as though it were tail heavy but eventually took off - only to come down on its back. After the crew had recovered their breath, the D,H,9 was turned back on to its wheels - and flown off again. The aircraft made 13 trips and, on the last, the engine failed and Cross made a forced landing on an island in the Bulolo River near Wau, Ryan B,1 G-AUGR, owned by Airgold Ltd, and piloted by Captain "Skip" Moody, was flying from Wau to Lae on 20th April 1928 when the fuel supply was exhausted about ten miles from Lae, While trying to land from the seawarc( side of the aerodrome, the air­ craft stalled and dropped into the sea. Moody was able to cut his way out of the cabin with a pen-knife, much to the astonishment of his friends who rushed out to pick him up. Flying in New Guinea was more than hazardous at times it was downright dang­ erous, If one did crash, particularly in the more inaccessible places, the chances of walking out were very remote, even if there were no injuries. The jungle was so thick that a crashed aircraft could vanish into the undergrowth and not be seen from the air. Smoke from signal fires could be gone by the time it reached the tops of the trees, and even Verey lights would not always rise above them. A.H.S.A. Journal - 4:7 - May-June 1966

Junkers W,34d VH-UM disappeared without trace in the jungle. The aircraft, piloted by Les Trist, left Lae for Bulolo at 7,15 am on 22nd May 1931 with a cargo of rice and a sewing machine. The weather was very foggy and Trist apparently stray­ ed slightly west of the normal Lae-Wau route and flew into the side of a heavily- timbered mountain near Wampit, Both wings were torn off and the engine was driven back into the cargo compartment. It was not until several months later, when a party of natives on a hunting foray brought a skull to the District Officer, that the whereabouts of the wreckage of the W,34d were known. Fortunately this was not the case with the crash of Handley Page W,9 Hampstead VH-ULK, but it will give an idea of the conditions with which the rescue parties had to contend. On the morning of Saturday, 31st May 1930, flying conditions were per­ fect - the Gap was free of clouds and the Salamaua side of the mountain range was clear and sunlit. Captain G,I, Thompson, pilot for New Guinea Goldfields Ltd,, and McMurtrie, his mechanic, left Wau and arrived at Salamaua twenty-five minutes later, A full cargo of I'g tons was loaded and the fuel tanks were filled. The aircraft left at 11,00 am on the return flight. By this time clouds had banked up and the moun­ tains between Salamaua and Wau were completely hidden. In the gorge there are moun­ tains on three sides, l/Vhenever a break appeared in the clouds, all that could be seen was a steep mountainside covered with tropical jungle. It took an hour for the Hampstead to climb to 8,000 feet but, even at this' comparatively safe height, the clouds showed no break. Finding it impossible to get above them, Thompson followed his usual practice of flying through the clouds on a compass course to Wau, crossing the ranges where they were about 7,000 feet high. He had been flying this route daily for nearly nine months but, soon after the aircraft entered the clouds, he found himself in a violent electrical storm and, though the Eeid indicator was work­ ing perfectly, it was impossible to maintain a steady course. The aircraft was tossed to and fro and the indicated air speed varied from 50 to 110 mph. This lasted for 15 minutes. Then the Hampstead went into a spin and lost 2,000 feet in altitude before Thompson could regain control. For half an hour they struggled to regain the lost height. Frequently, trees appeared out of the dense mist and the aircraft missed them by a few feet only. An altitude of 8,000 feet had been reached when a range of mountains loomed out of the mist and was too close to be avoided, Thompson turned to the right and the Hampstead came down at about 50 mph on trees growing on the 45 de­ gree slope. The whole front of the cockpit and the left engine were swept to one side, and Thompson and McMurtrie were left'sitting in the nose of the aircraft with nothing in front of them. Neither had received the slightest injury although Thomp­ son's feet were pinned by a piece of wreckage. With the aid of a broken branch as a lever, McMurtrie managed to free him. Among the wreckage, they found the shattered propellers of the engines, both of which were considerably damaged. The wings were shattered but the tail and part of the fuselage were undamaged. During the remainder of that day and the next, the two men remained at the spot, smothered in mist. Once, just for a moment, the clouds broke and they caught a glimpse of the coastline. Both men knew the anxiety that would be felt at Salamaua and Wau so, early on Monday morning, they set out to walk to the coast, taking with them an axe and some rope and sufficient tinned food supplies to last for a week. Later that day, one of the Junkers aircraft of Guinea Airways flew overhead and they saw that their wrecked Hajnpstead had been located. They spent that night under a rock at an altitude of 6,000 feet, bitterly cold in pouring rain, without a change of clothing and without a blanket, McMurtrie had been on sick leave following a bout of fever and had re­ turned to New Guinea only a day before the accident. The strain and shock proved too much and he became delirious during the night, Thompson, with the sick man on his hands, decided to return to the site of the crash. It took days to traverse the distance that had originally been covered in one day. That meant two more nights in the incessant pouring rain, with neither shelter nor warmth. A.H.S.A, Journal - 48 - May-June 1966

When it heoame knoisn that the Handley Page Hampstead was missing, a number of aircraft set out from Salamaua and Wau, in spite of the cloudy and foggy conditions, to search the area, A call was made for volunteers for overland search, and two rescue parties were formed when the wreckage was sighted. It was estimated that a four days' forced march would be needed to reach the site. The natives were given light packs of about 30 lb, each, containing bedding, carrying outfit, and food suf­ ficient for a five-day journey. On Monday, 2nd June, No,l Party left Wau at noon and Ho,2 Party followed at 1,15 pm, Ross, the pilot who had located the wreck during the aerial search, said that the ai,rcrart was lying on the Salamaua side of the liiper Range about 2,000 feet below the highest point which was about 10,000 feet above sea level. The land parties had no maps of the intervening country and set out with this meagre information only. They took a north-easterly course to the Bulolo River and then found a winding tributary. There were no tracks and they kept to the bed of this creek until late afternoon when they set lup camp for the night at an altitude of 4,000 feet. Heavy rain fell continuously until 5 am on Tuesday morning. Moving off soon after daylight, they followed the creek to an altitude of 5,000 feet and then continued along a spur in an easterly direction until midday. From this point to the site of the wreck, the country was exceedingly rough and covered with dense jungle. Tracks had to be cut all the way through the thick undergrowth and up steep slopes. Progress was not only slowj it was also made unpleasant by stinging vines and nettles and by the wet, slippery ground. Footholds were treacherous and often gave way under the weight of a man. Just after noon on the third day, 'Lone Pine', a landmark used by aircraft, was sighted and, later in the afternoon, a clearing gave the party the first glimpse of Wau since they set out. An aircraft was heard but the thick overhead growth of giant trees obscured it from sight. Heavy rain fell all day. During the fourth day they climbed 1,200 feet and, when they camped for the night, were in full sight of Wau, For the first time, the party was able to light fires which were seen by residents of Wau; the answering flashes of electric torches cheered the party greatly. This camp site was even more unpleasant than those of the previous nights. The trees were twisted and stunted, and thickly covered with moss that hung in dripping festoons or lay like a carpet on the tops of the trees. On the following morning, there was great excitement when, at 7,47 am, a De Havilland Moth flew overhead. By printing with charcoal on the fly of the tent, they asked the pilot to give directions to the wreckage. He dropped a tobacco tin containing his answer but it was lost in the undergrowth, Selk, the pilot, saw the party make an unsuccessful search, and dropped another message tied to a towel that was attached to his automatic pistol. The meassafe read: "The plane is about 700 feet below where you are camped, I will fly a straight line towards it". As Selk flew over, one of the party, Taylor, took a compass bearing. Keeping to this bear­ ing, they slashed through the tangled vegetation. Although they were within a quarter of a mile of the Hampstead, they could see no more thsin a few yards in any direction so they decided to-spread out fanwise. Each man took a few natives witH him and made in the dicection indicated by the pilot. Half an hour later, Taylor and a native constable emerged from the forest at the site of the wreck, ajid the other members of the party broke through the undergrowth within a few minutes. No sign of life had been visible from the air and, until the land party reached the scene, there was no way of knowing whether the crew had survived. The chance of finding them alive had seemed remote to the party but Taylor found both Thompson and McMurtrie alive and unhurt, Selk was circling overhead and the news was sig­ nalled to him. He dashed off to Wau with the glad tidings. Toward the end of 1929, after mining surveys had confirmed the belief that dredging in the Bulolo River would be profitable, a solution was needed to the problem of transporting bucket dredges from the coast to the leased areas. The success of the Junkers W,34's was known but their load was inadequate for this task. A*H*S#At Journal - 49 - May-June 1966

Air transport on such a scale had never been attempted before^ and the loss of an important piece of the dredge might set the operation back by months. It was con­ ceivable that a run of bad luck might ruin the whole enterprise. On 22nd December 1929, the directors of Guinea Airways and Placer Development (a group that had taken an option on Guinea Gold No-Liability^ s areas) met at the Menzies Hotel in Melbourne, Vic., to decide whether the form of transport would be road or air. Major Berryman, who represented the Junkers company in Australia, had that morning received a' blue­ print which showed how the Junkers G.31 passenger aircraft could be converted to a cargo carrier by means of a hatchway in the roof directly over the centre of gravity of the aircraft. Small models were made of the cargo compartment of the Junkers G.31 and the more critical parts of the dredge. The parts were then "loaded” into the compartment to determine whether they could be placed over the centre of gravity. It was found that all parts could be balanced safely. Further, it was realised that:- (1) the cost of sectionalising a dredge and re-assembling on the field would not be excessive; (2) with proper precautions, the risk of losing parts was slight; (3) the saving in time would be enormous. It was decided to abandon all ideas of road transport and to carry all of the machin­ ery by air. The total weight of the two dredges and associated hydro-electric plant was estimated to be 2,400 short tons and that an average of 200 tons per month would have to be freighted to ensure that dredging operations could begin by 11 March 1932, i.e., 21 months after financial arrangements had been finalised. In the event, this estimate was out by only 12 days. Placer Development formed another company, Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd., for oper­ ations on the goldfield. Mustar became technical aviation adviser to the company, stnd Cross, now chief pilot for Guinea Airways, left immediately for Gemany to attend the flight trials of the Junkers G.31 aircraft. Two were ordered by the Bulolo com­ pany and they were to be operated by Guinea Airways under a management fee, A third Junkers G.31 was bought by Guinea Airways for their own use in transporting equipment for New Guinea Goldfields Ltd., Day Dawn Ltd., and other smaller mining companies. Junkers G.31 aircraft were unquestionably the most suitable aircraft for the task at the time and each cost approximately £30,000. The cargo compartment was 24 feet in length, 6 feet 5 inches in width and 5 feet 9 inches in height. The hatchway in the roof was 11 feet 10 inches long by 5 feet wide; it was domed in shape to provide an extra 12 inches of headroom directly over the centre of gravity. The interior of the ' cargo compartment was fairly free of obstructions except for two sets of stays which angled back from the floor to meet the side of the fuselage at the roof. A side door was provided at the rear of the compartment for loading small items of cargo. The G.31 had a normal payload of 5,800 lb., allowing for a crew of two and sufficient fuel for 3*^ hours^ flight. As the average flying time from Lae to Bulolo and return was only 75 minutes, a reduced fuel load was practicable and permitted 7,100 lb. to be lifted. The heaviest part to be transported was the dredgers upper tumbler shaft which weighed 6,950 lb. The engines were 525 hp Pratt & Whitney Hornets and the flying efficiency was such that flight could be maintained on any two engines at a fully loaded weight in the vicinity of 9-^ tons. In a test at full load at an alti­ tude of 3,000 feet, the G.31 actually climbed at 200 feet per minute. Even with only one engine operative, the aircraft was able to carry on to the nearest emerg­ ency airstrip, e.g., at Watut, Sangan and Zenag. Under normal conditions, the G.31 would climb to 7,000 feet in 35 minutes with three-quarter throttle, and the useful ceiling was 12,000 feet. This was ample margin for flight^s to the goldfield were made at altitudes averaging only 6,000 feet by threading through the ranges. A.H.S.A. Jouraal - 50 - May-June iy66

The two Junkers G.Sl's for Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. were ¥E-U0U (named Paul) and VH-UOV (named Peter), and the aircraft for Guinea Airways was VH-UOW, The first of the G.Sl's was shipped to Lae on the "Temeraire" and arrived on 31st December 1930, Soon afterward, the first shipment of dredge parts arrived from Sydney and, when the aircraft was assembled, movement of dredge parts began immediately. The Junkers G.31 for Guinea Airways later made its first flight to Wau on 23rd April 1931, For the tv/elve months ended March 1932, a total of 2,500 short tons were carried by Guinea Airways in the Bulolo company's aircraft without a single mishap. During November 1931, a total of 581 tons were carried and, on 24th, Bill Wiltshire (of Guinea Air­ ways) made a record nine flights from Salamaua to Wau and return. On 27th November, Cross flew to the goldfield with the key part - the upper tumbler shaft - a solid piece of steel of 12 feet length and weighing 6,950 lb, (about 3g tons). Other crit­ ical parts were a further two tumbler shafts, steel hull plates, and a 103-foot steel lattice mast which was built in five sections for transport. The first dredge, Bulolo No.l, was assembled and, in an impressive ceremony on 20th March 1932, the Administrator of the Mandated Territory (Brigadier-General Wisdom), operated a switch to set the machinery in operation. In a brief speech he referred to the struggles of the pioneers who contributed to the success of the goldfields and expressed regret for the absence of C.J, Levien who was one of the first in the area and the moving force in the founding of Guinea Gold No-Liability and Guinea Airways, and had been the first to envisage freighting a dredge to the Bulolo Valley by air. Levien, who was 58 years old, had died due to spinal menin­ gitis in Melbourne, Vic,, on 20th January 1932 - just two months before his dreams became reality. His ashes were scattered over the valley from a Guinea Airways aircraft after the ceremony. In 3^ years' operations, aircraft of Guinea Airways Ltd, and the two Junkers G,31's operated by them for the Bulolo company made a total of 5,987 trips and carried more than 12 million lb, of cargo and 6,776 passengers. The monthly ton­ nage was built up from 35 tons in April 1931 to 350 tons per month later as the aircraft fleet increased and the staff became better organised and more experienced in loading the aircraft. This extract from a letter written by an internationally-known mining engineer who visited the goldfields in 1932 admirably sums up the progress that had been made in six years' pioneering effort: "Yi/hile having no official connection with any of the companies operating in the Wau-Bulolo region, I have had an opportunity, as an individual, to study the service rendered and hear the comments of the managers and, other officials of companies whose entire transport is by air from the ports of Lae' and Salamaua, My outstanding impression is one of amazement at the efficiency and adequacy of the services, completely overshadowing any parallel accomplislment I have seen or kno-wn of in any other part of the world, I have heard no adverse comment whatever from any source, while,praise has been unstinted. Freedom from accidents to passengers and from either loss or damage to goods in transit is phenomenal, I understand that, to date, no passenger has been injured although the entire white population of the region has gone in by plane, and most of them are frequent users of the service. An official having knowledge of the details regarding the thousands of tons of freight carried from the Seaboard by plane told me that the aggregate loss plus damage suffered thereby was considerably less than that of mere transfer from ship to dockside at the ports - this official being entirely unconnected with any of the air companies. It is certain that the air service has made possible large developments which would never have taken place if the roads had been waited for,,,*'

The author is endebted to the Mitchell Library in Sydney, N.S.Vlf,, for permission to reproduce photographs from the H.L, Dowling Collection, A.H.S.A, Journal - 51 - May-June 1966

References: High. Lights and Flights in New Guinea by L, Rhys Hodder 1942 Gold Dust and Ashes by I, Idriess Angus & Robertson 1933 Guinea Airways Thornquest Press Guinea Airways Diary 1942 Rabaul Times (Newspaper) Rabaul, N.G. 1927 The Air Log (Periodical) Sydney, NSW 1939 Aircraft (Periodical) Melbourne, Vic, Various ' B.P, Magazine (House Journal) London, England 1935 Air Annual of The British Empire 1934-35 Commonwealth Year Book Ciih. Govt, Printer Various

Table 1 Weight and Value of Gold from New Guinea for Each Year Ended 3Qth June ;

Year Ozs, £ Year Ozs. £ Year Ozs, £ 1926 10,067 25,169 1929 79,748 179,433 1932^ 108,647 398.939 1927 84,760 195,428 ' 1930 42,.819 96,338 1933 196,823 933.940 1928 113,874 256,216 1931 55,201 154,046 To 1965 3,647,778 37,469,516 ^ Introduction of the dredges

Table 2 Aerial Services for the Five Aerodromes in New Guinea Territory for Each Year Ended 30th June: Year 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 Aircraft 13 15 13 15 15 19 Pilots 9 10 12 17 18 22 Flights 821 1,532 2,882 2,672 4,664 7,228 Hours Flown 1,534 2,626 3,619 3,969 5,160 8,499 Miles Flown 4^ 107,208 187,705 272,976 325,807 424,232 680,871 Passengers (P) 814 1,293 2,490 2,992 3,450 6,948 Passengers (NP) 94 65 64 87 31 93 Freight (Ib.J 518,831 1,385,510 3,062,430 3,107,616 9,778,072 10,982,936 Mail (lb.) 6,171 13,876 23,257 24,604 23,394 47,097 Fatalities 1 2 ^ Estimate only Passengers j (P) - Paying; (NP) - Non-Paying

\

GOLDFIELDS AREA AND ADJACENT COAST Showing Air Routes Between Lae-lflfau 4 and Salamaua-Wau Scale : 1 Inch = 40 Miles approx.

BULrawAT

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A.H.S.A. Journal - 52 - May-June 1966

Table 3 Owners and Aircraft Operated in New Guinea in the Period of 1927-32; (with details of deletion from the civil register due to accident, etc.) Guinea Gold Mo-Liability D.H.37 UAA 105 Returned to Australia after use in Hew Guinea D.H.9 UFB 853 Crashed 3. 3,28 near Wau (see page 46) Guinea Airways Ltd, D.H.60G Gipsy Moth DID 819 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea D,H.60G Gipsy Moth UIO 891 Withdrawn from service 30.4.40 D,H.60G Gipsy Moth URL 973 Damaged 13, 7,35 at Kiaipit D.E.60M Moth UMJ 1372 Crashed 26,12,32 p,t Wau Junkers F,13L UKW 2044 Damaged .42 during military action in R.G, Jiinkers W,34b UGZ 2601 Crashed 6. 3,30 At Vfau Junkers W,34b UJD 2604 Deleted 12.31 Junkers W,34d UNM 2610 Impressed 2.42 into EAAF as A44-3 Junkers Vif,34d UNR 2611 Crashed 22, 5,31 near Wampit (see page 47) Junkers W,33/34f UOX 1368 Impressed 3.42 into EAAF as A44-2 Junkers G,31 UOW 3010 Impressed 1.42 into EAAF as A44-1 Bulolo Gold Dredging Ltd. Junkers G.31 UOD 3011 D^aged .42 during military action in N,G. Junkers G,31 UOV 3012 Damaged .42 during military action in N,G, R. Parer & A. McDonald D.H.9C UKI Crashed 13. 7.29 at Port Moresby Bulolo Goldfields Aeroplane Service D.H.4 ■ UCM Deleted 6.30 D.H,9 UFS Deleted 10.34 Bristol Fighter UEB 4965 Crashed 14. 4.28 at Wau Junkers W,33 UIW 2575 Deleted 6.36 Pacific Air Transport Ltd. Fokker F.VII UQF 4845 Deleted 10.37 D.H.50A UMN 1 Deleted 10.37 L. HoIden (later Holden' s Air Transport Services Ltd.) dThVboa UGD 3 Deleted 10.36 D.H.61 UHW 330 Crashed 2,11.34 at Kiaipit UIY Deleted 3,34 Waco Model lOT ULV AlOO Damaged ,42 during military action in N.G. Airgold Ltd. Avro 504K UEP Burnt 6. 6,28 at Wau Westland Widgeon III UGI TifA1681 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea Ryan B,1 Brougham UGR Crashed 20. 4,28 in sea off Lae (see page 46) D.H.60X Gipsy Moth UHJ 466 Deleted 9.31 Farman Sport UHL 30 (After shor"" use, both were returned to Australi^> Farman Sport UHM 31 (due to unsuitability for the airfields in N.G, Taylor & Ross Air Transport Co. D.H.9C UJA Crashed 2.11,29 in sea,off Salamaua D,H,60G Gipsy Moth UKL 973 Damaged 13. 7.35 at Kiaipit D,H.60G Gipsy Moth UIQ 893 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea Simmonds Spartan UKQ 5 Crashed 4,42 in New Guinea Edie Greek Gold Co, Avro 504K UEW Deleted 10.29 A.H.S.A. Journal - 53 - May-June 1966

Ellyou Goldfields Ltd. Handley Page Hampstead ULK W9-1 Crashed 31. 5.30 near Wau (see page 47) Papuan Airways D.H.60G Gipsy Moth ULE 1072 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea Mandated Territory Airways Ltd. Cornier Libelle ULS 103 Deleted 5.31 Slqytravel Australia Ltd, Junkers F,13L UPL 2075 Deleted 11.31 Morobe Trading Co, D.H.60X Gipsy Moth UGE 2 (Sold to Guinea Airways (Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea C. D. Pratt D. H,60X Gipsy Moth UHJ 466 (Sold to Airgold Ltd, (Deleted 9.31 W..Royal - A. Pent land D.Hi60X Gipsy Moth UGN 98 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea L. Shaw Bristol Tourer UDJ 6118 Returned to Australia after use in New Guinea Bristol Tourer DDK 6119 Crashed 15, 2,28 at Lae N.B. The last three letters only of the registration have been shown with construct­ ors' numbers above. Before mid-1929^ the full registrations would have been in the form G-AUxx after that time, the form was VH-Uxx. Owners were allowed a period of 12 months to effect the change on aircraft in use at that time.

Table 4 Comparison of Typical Data for the Aircraft Types

Aircraft Type Engine Type H.P. Span Length Cmiise Empty Loaded (mph) Wt.(lb) Wt.(lb) Avro 504K (l) Clerget 130 36' 0" 29' 5" 75 1,100 1,800 Avro Avian (l) A.D.C, Cirrus 90 28' 0" 24' 3" 87 935 1,435 Bristol Fighter (l) Siddeley Puma 240 38' 3" 24'10" 110 1,934 2,800 Bristol Tourer (l) Siddeley Puma 240 39' 5" 26' 1" 100 1,900 3,000 D.H.4 (l) Rolls Royce Eagle 375 42' 4” 30' 6" 117 2,387 3,472 D.H.9 & D.H.9C (l) Siddeley Puma 240 42' 4" 30' 6" 95 2,193 3,420 D.H.37 (l) Rolls Royce Falcon 275 37' 0" 28'10" 100 2,118 3,318 D.H.50A (l) 450 42'11" 30' 5" 130 2,336 4.200 D,H.60G, M, & X (l) D.H, Gipsy 120 30' 0" 23'11" 85 920 1,650 D.H.61 (l) Bristol Jupiter 500 52' 0" 38' 9" 105 3,465 6.200 Dornier Libelle (l) A.D.C, Cirrus 90 31' 9" 24' 4" 75 1,010 1,550 Farman Sport (l) Anzani 45 23' 1'^ 19'11" 50 440 880 Fokker F.VII (l) Bristol Jupiter 480 63' 4” 47' 6" 100 4,298 7,935 H.P, Hampstead (3) Bristol Jupiter 420 79' 0" 60' 4" 95 8,364 14,500 Junkers F.13L (l) Junkers L5 200 58' 8" 31' 6" 85 2,530 3,850 Junkers W,34 (l) Bristol Jupiter 450 58' 3" 35' 9" 109 3,300 4,620 Junkers G,31 (3) P & W Hornet 525 99' 6” 54' 2" 105 10,900 17,600 Ryan Brougham (1) Tifright mirlwind 200 42' 0” 27' 9" 120 1,800 3,300 Simmonds Spartan (l) A.D.C, Cirrus 95 30' 7" 35' 0" 92 965 1,750 Waco Model lOT (1) Trfright Whirlwind 200 30' 3" 22' 6" 110 1,787 2,600 Westland fifidgeon (l) A.D.C, Cirrus 95 36' 4i" 23' 5” 86 1,055 1,600 A.H.S.A. Journal - 54 - May-June 1966

THE MEMBERS AM3 THEIR IHrERESTS D. PARTIMGTON 4 Belfield Road, Didsbury, Manchester 20, England (26): Interested in the complete civil registers, pre-war and post-war, of all countries, and in com­ piling constructors’ lists of post-war light aircraft S. MOJHEAIN 17 Ings Way East, Lepton, Huddersfield, Yorkshire, England: General aviation interests and colour photography

WAHCS, DISPOSALS, ETC, S. MOUHTAIN (address above): Would like tp exchange news of aircraft productiofi, etc • j and original colour slides K.J. ALDERl/IAN Ivy House, North Road, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, England: Wants to exchange photographs and information about W,W,2 types of aircraft that have been preserved in Australia P, CONRAN 16 South Summer Stw, Dublin 8, Ireland: Would like to correspond with members with an interest in the careers of Avro Ten VH-UXX "Faith in Australia" and Fokker F.VIIBSm VE-USU "Southern Cross" F,W,H. UNDERWOOD 30 Park Road, Hampton Wick, Kingston-on-Thames, Surrey, England: Wants photographs of Auster variants - j/l with Lycoming engine (VH-BOJ), j/l con­ verted to "Kingsmith" (VH-AYJ), j/2 with Lycoming engine (VH-BQM)j these were omit­ ted from the note on page 34 of the March-April issue

A.H.S.A. MEMBERSHIP CARD Membership cards are issued to financial members of the Society. IT SHOULD BE NOTED that the card does not authorise the holder to act officially in any way in‘the name of The Aviation Historical Society of Australia, except with the writ­ ten authority of the Honorary Secretary of the Society. The Card does not confer any authority for access to any premises or establishment. The Aviation Historical Society of Australia, its office-bearers and members, will not be responsible in any way for any damage, loss or injury which is incurred by, or arises from, the actions of any Member of the Society, Recently, the NSW Branch was advised by the Department of Civil Aviation in Sydney of complaints by tenants of hangars at the airports that persons representing themselves as members of AESA had entered hangars and interfered with equipment in­ side, It must be stressed that pemission must be sought from a responsible per­ sonnel before approaching aircraft in hangars. The officers in charge of the pre­ mises are responsible to a great degree for the equipment and aircraft in the hangars and will naturally resent unauthorised people who move around, and.enter, aircraft while seeking details 6uch as constructors' plates. Unauthorised activity of this nature bring? discredit to the Society and raises difficulties for responsible mem­ bers who may make the correct formal approach and find that their requests are re­ jected due to tenants' unhappy experience with other enthusiasts. Where complaints are received by AHSA, and it is known that a member has not been acting for the benefit of the Society and its members, e.g,, for the Journal, the Society will advise the relevant authority that the member in question has not been acting on behalf of this Society in any capacity whatsoever.

The Notes for this issue (pages 35 to 42) were prepared in draft by mem­ bers of the N.S.W, Branch: Civil P, Ricketts; Military C, Lynch Hon, Secretary : J.A, Pryor, 17 Howard Ave,, Mt, Waverley, Victoria, Australia Journal Committee: J.K, McKay (Editor), N, Follett, G, Hayward, J. Hopton, I, McArthur, D, Prossor, J, Pryor A.H.S.A. JOURNAL Supplement MAY-JUNE 1966

i!i» ill

Airfield at Lae, N.G.: 1932 H. L. Downing Collection Mitchell Library, Sydney

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Ray Parer H. L. Downing Collection D.H.37 G-AUAA via F. Walters

Junkers W.33 VH-UIW at Wau, H. L. Downing D.H. 61 VH-UHW at Wau, H. L. Downing N.G. ^’The Lady Lettie^^ Collection N.G. **Canberra^^ Collection (note slope) 111 HiiMHI ■I III li

D.H.9G G-EBXR (later VH-UJA)H. L. Downing Junkers G.31 VH-UOW H. L. Downing *''The Lady Peggy'**’ Collection Collection