AHSA 2003 AH Vol 34 No 02.Pdf
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The Journal ill of the ■ iiill Aviation Historical Society ■III illiil: ill I of Australia Inc. A0033653P, ARB\ 092-671-773 iiiiiii iiiiiliW ■ The Journal of the AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY OIO of AUSTRALIA Inc. A00336533P, ARBN 092-671-773 Volume 34 - Number 2 - June 2003 EDITOR, DESIGN & PRODUCTION EDITORIAL Bill Baker I believe that this issue of Aviation Heritage has wide and Address all correspondence to; electric variety of interesting articles which I hope you will The Editor, AHSA, enjoy. As you will see there are many aspects of Australian P.O. Box 2007, aviation history that can be recorded. Think about it!! As South Melbourne 3205 Victoria, Australia. always I welcome any new material from members, pictures 03 9583 4072 Phone & Fax from your collection could make an interesting page. E.mail: [email protected] Don't forget the Newsletter (still looking for a new Editor) do www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/ahsa.html you have a product (book, CD, Models) that would interest Subscription Rates; our members - we would be happy to advertise it. Australia A$45. The September issue will have the second part of Greg Asia-Pacific A$55 Banfield's biography on the amazing Ray Parer, a vastly Rest of World A$68. underrated Australian Aviator Overseas payment to be in Australian currency by International Money Order or Editors wish iist; Bank Draft. Overseas personal cheques Priority 1: First to Fly in Australia.{ Still waiting, waiting.) cannot be accepted. Any facet of Australia's aviation history, Malaya, GAF Articles for Publication; Nomad, Korea, Vietnam, anything that interests you and can Are to be on an Australian theme. be printed. How about the history of Airbus in Australia? Or The Editor reserves the right to edit any some photos out of your collection for the Members Photo article accepted for publication. Page? Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands come Payment is not made for articles. under our banner also. Anything!! Please include sufficient postage for the return of originals if that is required. Cover: A terrific picture taken of Ray Parer's crash at A - H and the Computer; Contributions for Moulmein, Burma on his England-Australia flight co the Journal are most welcome in any form, ordinates the start of Greg Banfield's two part article. but if you have a computer, exported on a Next Issue; Volume 34 Number 3 will be in your letter-box 3V2" disc in ASSCII format (plain text), or in the first week of September 2003. WIN 6, would be just great! (Include hard copy also). However Macintosh discs can be Contents; translated. All photographs submitted will be 43 Ray Parer Pt-1 Greg Banfield 57 Madang Memories Jim Dunstan copied and the originals returned within 5 60 David Staig and the Young Australia Keith Meggs days of receipt. 62 Secret Mission X Denis Baker Disclaimer; 63 On a Ring and a Prayer Neville Hayes 1. Whilst every effort is made to check the 64 Aspects of the Flying Doctor Service Mike Flanagan authenticity of the material and advertising 66 An Old Contagion Mac Job printed, the Publishers, Editors, and the 71 Tail Skid Charlie Reg Adkins Aviation Historical Society of Australia and its 73 An Easter Saturday Tragedy John Laming 76 Toilets Roger Me Donald Office Bearers cannot accept responsibility 77 Douglas DC 3 Kelly/Hopton for any non-performance. 79 Fijian Belle Richard Hourigan 2. The views expressed in 'Aviation Heritage' are not necessarily those of the AHSA or its Editors. Meetings of the AHSA; Melbourne Branch: The fourth Wednesday in every AVIATION HERITAGE month, 7:30 at the Airforce Association, 4 Cromwell Street, ISSN 0815-4392 South Yarra. Further information - Keith Meggs 9580 0140. Print Post Approved PP 320418/00017 NSW Branch: The first Wednesday in every month 7:45 Studio 1 at the Powerhouse Museum, enter from the Macarthur Street end. Further information Warwick Bigsworth 02 9872 2323 Queensland Branch: The last Friday in every month 7:30 at the RQAC Archerfield. Meals available. Contact Richard Hitchins, 07 3388 3900 P.O. BOX 2007, SOUTH MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA AHSA Aviation Heritage RAY PARER by Greg Banfield PART 1 - "BATTLING PARER" Raymond John Paul Parer was born on 19th February, White Boxkites. 1894 in Melbourne, the second of seven sons of Mr and When he first soloed Mrs Michael Parer. He spent much of his childhood in after 572 hours' dual Queenstown, Tasmania, before the family moved to King instruction, he took * Island in Bass Strait, where he was educated by a off and didn't just do ■ ' .... : governess. His maternal grandfather, John Paul Carolin, one circuit as was ■ was for nearly 27 years a member of the Bendigo City expected but he did Council and served two terms as Mayor. Carolin was an turns and banks ■ astute businessman who was deeply interested in all before coming in to things mechanical: he held the Australian agency for land. His instructor ■ Singer Sewing Machines; was agent for Hastings Deering; panicked at this and another of his American agencies brought with it the behaviour but Parer took to flying like a ■=■'1 dealership for Lambert motor cars. Grandfather Cardin's .... taste for engineering was inherited by the Parer boys and duck to water. Ray, who took his middle names from him, was a gifted Unfortunately, he (though at times very rough) mechanic, who could turn his never did excel at hand to repairing anything. Even at an early age Ray was passing the obsessed with aircraft, and built kites and at one time a theoretical exams glider in which he made his first "flight" from the top of a and, at the end of six barn in Mentone, Victoria. That glider's only flight was months, the other six trainees were given their aviator's from the roof straight to the ground, but Ray climbed out of certificates while Parer was turned down. He was told he the wreckage unhurt. Later he built successful gliders, would never make an aviator and that he would be constructed of ti-tree timber and covered with calico. returned to the ranks, in spite of his French instructor's report that he regarded him as the most promising pupil The family later returned to Melbourne, where his he had ever had. At the first opportunity, Parer rode to father ran the Bourke Street "Crystal Cafe". One night, as Melbourne on his motorcycle to put his case before higher a joke, Ray and his brothers put a lantern in a boxkite and authorities. The officer who interviewed him was so flew it above the town, causing a deal of consternation. impressed with his keenness, enthusiasm and practical He attended Christian Brothers' College at East St. Kilda ability (which counted most in those days) that he for a short time before moving on to Mentone College as a intervened in the matter and within the month Parer was boarder, then worked as a mechanic at O'Grady's Foundry given his commission as a Lieutenant. for a few months before he was sent with his elder brother to St. Stanislaus Vincentian College at Bathurst, NSW. At Point Cook he had met up with another junior One of his pursuits at school was boxing, at which he was subaltern, D. R. (Reg) Williams, and they became firm quite successful. friends. They were posted to England for further training, first at Reading, then at Shawbury, near Shrewsbury. Next On King Island in 1913 he drove off in a truck to go they went to Turnhill for training in stunt flying, and then to hunting. His shotgun was lying on the floor of the truck Ayr in Scotland for training in fighter tactics. By this stage, and it accidentally discharged, the blast hitting Ray in the Ray Parer and Reg Williams were the only two remaining leg. This resulted in septic poisoning, so serious that at of the original course of seven, the others having failed to one stage it was thought he might lose the leg, and qualify at various points. leaving a lifelong scar. He then went to work for the Brodribb Engineering Company in Melbourne and during Early in his flying career, his record was annotated by this time realised that he needed a higher standard of his first medical examiner in Australia that his heart was education in mathematics and physics to fit him for the not very strong and that he should never be permitted to career In aviation he even then envisaged. Consequently fly above 10,000 feet. This comment was copied by each he enrolled in St. Francis Xavier's College in Melbourne, succeeding medical officer he saw, without any further test from where he graduated in 1916. or investigation, but as a result, he was precluded from combat flying, even though he had often flown well above It was usual for men to transfer from the Army to the that altitude without noticing any ill-effects. Instead he Australian Flying Corps but Ray Parer applied straight for was seconded early in 1916 to the Royal Flying Corps, the Flying Corps in 1916 and was accepted as a Private. where he was posted to the Central Despatch Pool. This It was the dawning of the era of aviation and he Unit received new aircraft and tested them before they desperately wanted to be in on it. A short (160 cm/5 ft 3 were delivered to the squadrons, as well as assessing in), slightly-built man, he was sent as a mechanic direct to damaged aircraft before and after repairs.