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....if« DON’T CALL ME KILLER lllll 111 ill Hi IP III ill iii ■ill lii'iiiWlfi m ilii 'i*iiIII ill liili •ill III i||ili lllll . iiiit* '■iiiiiii!iii" ■Illlli .1 ii tiil ill i;ij||||lHM iii IlHlI fill iiiiii ^■H■II|i■liif i ilBBW iii The Journal of the AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY of AUSTRALIA Inc. A00336533P, ARBN 092-671-773 Volume 35 - Number 3 September 2004

EDITORIAL EDITOR, DESIGN & PRODUCTION Bill Baker Firstly I must apologise for the mistake I made on the last cover Address all correspondence to; where I put the March identification panel on it in place of the June The Editor, AHSA, one, however it was correct on the Editorial page. P.O. Box 2007, South Melbourne 3205 Victoria, Australia. In the Val St Leon biography it is very interesting to read about the 03 9583 4072 Phone & Fax strikes that crippled Qantas in 1957 and 1966, as Val was a E.mail: [email protected] member of the Qantas executive of the Australian Federation of www.ctie.monash.edu.au/hargrave/ahsa.html Air Pilots (Overseas Branch). Coming from the pilots side some of Qantas actions do seem a little bit childish. It would be great to Subscription Rates; have some one write this up so we could publish it, forty plus years Australia A$45. should make it easier to do so. Asia-Pacific A$55 Rest of World A$68. Editors wish list: Overseas payment to be in Australian currency Priority 1: First to Fly in Australia^ Still waiting, waiting.) by International Money Order or Bank Draft. Any facet of Australia’s aviation history, Malaya, GAF Nomad, Overseas personal cheques cannot be accepted. Korea, Vietnam, anything that interests you and can be printed. Articles for Publication; How about the history of Airbus in Australia? Or some photos out Are to be on an Australian theme. of your collection for the Member’s Photo Page? Don’t forget that The Editor reserves the right to edit any article Papua New Guinea and the Pacific Islands come under our accepted for publication. banner also. Anything!! Payment is not made for articles. Please include sufficient postage for the return of Cover: Our cover this issue comes from Val St. Leon’s originals if that is required. biographical article. The scene is the proving flight of Australia to South Africa and was shot at Cocas Keeling Island during a A - H and the Computer; Contributions for the landing. Journal are most welcome in any form, but if you have a computer, exported on a i'll disc in Next Issue: Volume 35 Number 4 will be in your letter-box in the ASSCII format (plain text), or WIN 6, would be first week of Deceember 2004. just great! (Include hard copy also). However Macintosh discs can be translated. All Contents: photographs submitted will be copied and the 91 Capt Val St. Leon Greg Banfield originals returned within 5 days of receipt. 108 Fate Deals a Double Tragedy John M.Smith Disclaimer; 109 Those Rottnest Catalinas Arthur Jones 1. Whilst every effort is made to check the 130 Addendum to Yeoman/Cropmaster History authenticity of the material and advertising A.Eckford/C.Lynch printed, the Publishers, Editors, and the Aviation 113 Don’t Call Me Killer Kristen Alexander Historical Society of Australia and its Office 124 Qperation Comex Sole-1956 Mike Flanagan Bearers cannot accept responsibility for any non­ 130 Disaster at Mornington performance. 130 Forty Three Years Ago Bill Roepcke 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 month, 7:30 at the Airforce Association, 4 Cromwell Street, South Yarra. Further information - Keith Meggs 9580 0140. 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 AVIATION HERITAGE Queensland Branch: The last Friday in every month 7:30 at the ISSN 0815 -4392 RQAC Archerfield. Meals available. Contact Richard Hitchins, 07 Print Post Approved PP 320418/00017 3388 3900 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 2004 by the Publishers; THE AVIATION HISTORICAL SOCIETY COME ALONG TO A MEETING. OF AUSTRALIA INC., JOIN A FRIEND. A0033653P ARBN 092-671-773 P.O. BOX 2007, SOUTH MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA AHSA Aviation Heritage

CAPTAIN VAL ST. LEON

A Gloster Gladiator of No. 3 Squadron, RAAF in early 1941. Norman Valentine St. Leon enlisted in the RAAF in 1939 as an engineer, serving with No.3 Squadron in the Middle East before returning to Australia to duties with No.2 OTU based at Mildura. He then set up and ran the Allison engine overhaul department at Oakey, leaving the Air Force in 1946 to join Qantas. With the introduction of Lockheed Constellations in 1947, he became Qantas' first Chief Flight Engineer. In 1952 he remustered as a pilot, becoming a Captain on the Douglas DC-3, Lockheed Electra, Boeing 707 and Boeing 747. Val St.Leon was decorated with the Middle East campaign Stars, both Vietnam medals, and the rare Air Efficiency Award (AE), and served in the RAAF Reserve until 1965 as a Flight Lieutenant. During his career he became a Fellow of the Royal Meteorological Society (FRMetS), a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS), and a Member of the Royal Institute of Navigation (MRIN). Now aged 82, he is hoping to complete a Master of Literature Degree in 2004. He recorded this interview with Greg Ban field on 6th August 2003. Ail photos Val St Leon.

I was born in Sydney on 6th November 1921, into a apprenticeship he went straight up to New Guinea to get theatrical family. Family mythology encouraged a belief more flying experience with Guinea Airways. He then that my great-grandfather started the first circus in joined Australian National Airways, subsequently became Australia in 1842, when he arrived in this country. My their Flight Superintendent, and had a very good career son's research shows that the circus was operating in the with them. We met again briefly in Brisbane in 1950. early 1850s and that he changed his name four times for theatrical reasons. The whole of my family otherwise was At a very early age I had decided I would do the connected with show business in general. Both my mother tradesman's entrance examinations to join the RAAF. This and father were on the Tivoli, Clay's, J. C. Williamson and I did at the age of 17 years and two months, which was J. and N. Tait circuits and I grew up in that atmosphere, quite illegal as the minimum age was 18. I passed the oral but the entertainment profession never appealed to me. and practical trade test examinations very successfully and was accepted for enlistment for a period of six years, but My mother had been teaching me with the aid of then I had to inform the Air Force that I had made a Blackfriars Correspondence Schools during our constant mistake in my age. The Air Force wrote me a very nice travelling but my formal education did not start until the letter asking me to complete the medical examinations, age of ten. I went into the correct class for my age when I have two teeth filled, and said that they would then think began school in Sydney. When my secondary education about allowing me to enlist before the specified age was completed I was accepted into Sydney Technical College when I was apprenticed at Coote and Jorgensen When war broke out in September 1939 I was called (now Borg Warner) as a fitter and turner at the age of up, and enlisted in the Permanent Air Force on 16th sixteen. October, before I was 18. I hadn't completed my apprenticeship at that stage but when I came out of the Air I served alongside Charlie Gray, a senior apprentice Force seven years later I was given my papers because who was a couple of years ahead of me. Charlie was the engineering work I had been doing was the equivalent learning to fly and was building up his hours to get his B standard and I was a recognised tradesman. Licence, which was what the Commercial Pilot Licence was then called, and I got a bit of the aviation bug from I completed my training at Laverton and graduated as him. When he gained the required 100 hours, he was a Fitter 2E, and was then posted to Richmond, where I issued with his licence, and as soon as he finished his started to learn a little bit about aircraft and engines in general. One of my most unusual jobs was to make the

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Scarfe gun mountings for the Qantas C Class flying boats when they were impressed by the RAAF and converted to military configuration. My next unusual job was to land every Lockheed Hudson that came by ship Into Sydney Harbour. The outer wings had been removed for shipment and I would enter the fuselage and pump the landing gear down after the Titan crane lifted us from the ship's deck. After the crane deposited us on the wharf, I would insert the landing gear pins and the aircraft would then be transported by road to Richmond. No.3 Squadron, RAAF When the officers and men of No.3 Squadron left for service in the Middle East in July 1940 I was hoping to join them, but it was not until October, when the first reinforcements were sent, that I was posted to No.3 Squadron. Two fitters who had been on my engineering course at Laverton went Westland Lysunder of No. 3 Squadron RAAF. Being flown by Gordon Steege on an away with this squadron in July and their Army co-operation exercise with the Sixth Division, December 1940. names are on a brass plate at the entrance on the old gate at Richmond. They marched out in full The Gladiators, also fighter biplanes but with an enclosed uniform (with leggings!) to the tune of Roll Out The BarrelL cockpit, were protecting the Gauntlets, which were To the best of my knowledge this is the only time a withdrawn on 12th December. The Lysanders were squadron departed for overseas service as a complete unit spotting for the Sixth Division artillery. during World War Two. Towards the end of December 1940, after about a With fourteen others, commissioned officers and month at Ikingi Maryut, we joined the rest of the squadron airmen, I sailed on the Aquitania for Bombay. We at Salum. We were operating just outside Badia, on the disembarked at Bombay to join a British troopship which border between Libya and Egypt, and were very close to took us to Ismailia in Egypt. We then travelled by road to the Italian Fort Capuzzo. Ikingi Maryut near Alexandria, where one part of No.3 When the Sixth Division took Bardia on 4th January Squadron was located, equipped with Westland Lysanders 1941, we then moved up to Gambut, which was an Italian and training with the AIF's Sixth Division on army co­ aerodrome, to support the next engagement, Tobruk. We operation work. The other part of the squadron was were a completely mobile squadron and well known for operating from an advanced landing ground called Salum. "acquiring" additional equipment that we needed to keep No.3 was then an Army Co-operation squadron operating. I had my own Italian "Moto Guzzi" motor bike attached to the Sixth Division AIF. The aircraft were and the squadron had over a hundred vehicles and a provided by the RAF and we were equipped with two mobile workshop that we were not supposed to have on flights of Gloster Gladiators, as well as the one flight of issue. The nickname for No.3 was the "Hydraulic Lysanders. Four Gloster Gauntlets were also allotted to Squadron", well known for its lifting qualities. the squadron. The Gauntlet was the RAF's last two-bay The Lysander flight was re-equipped with Gladiators fighter biplane with an open cockpit, but we were using by 11th January. It was very difficult to maintain the them for bombing, carrying four bombs under the wings. aeroplanes due to the conditions. We had to strain the petrol through chamois filters to try to keep the dirt and dust out of the fuel but It was an uphill battle. After Tobruk fell to General Wavell's forces on 22nd January, we moved on then from Gambut through Tobruk to El Gazala, another Italian aerodrome. While we stayed at Gazala, I was badly burned by an exploding drum of captured Italian petrol, and most of us soon acquired the ulcers called "desert sores" on our arms and legs, due to very bad food. However, on one occasion, I shot a gazelle and, while it was a bit "gamey", we enjoyed fresh meat which was a welcome change from the "bully beef and "burgoo". Due to military activity, we started to understand that something was happening in Greece, because the Sixth Division was withdrawn from the Benghazi area and sent Mobile workshop captured from the Italians by No. 3 Squadron RAAF. In the there. Being attached to the Sixth Division, we Western desert 1941. were expecting to go with them. However, on

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conflict and the Afrika Korps soon pushed us back. I understand that No.3 Squadron was the last to leave Benghazi, on 3rd April, and we blew up a good number of the installations that could be useful to the Germans and Italians as we departed. We came back a lot more hurriedly than we had gone forward. We were under the command of General Wavell and this was the first retreat that had occurred In the Western Desert operations. We suffered a number of very serious attacks on our convoy by the Germans In Messerschmitt Me 110s. At one part of our departure from Benina, we were stuck on the road at Derna Pass and couldn't move. Messerschmitt 110s flew backwards and forwards across Derna Pass raking us with gunfire as we were trying to get out. I jumped from the top of a Crosley truck and sustained Hawker Hurricanes of No. 3 Squadron, RAAF at Benina, early 1941. some Injuries but, along with two or three of my mates, I found a culvert underneath the 29th January 1941 we began to be re-equipped with road and we had some success in covering Hawker Hurricane Mk.ls which had seen service in the ourselves there. When the attack passed, the convoy Battle of Britain and weren't in very good shape. moved on. I think two airmen were killed at Derna in this engagement. Benghazi fell on 7th February and three days later we occupied a nearby aerodrome called Benina, and lived in The convoy, incidentally, was comprised solely of the bombed-out quarters of the Italian Regia Aeronautica. No.3 Squadron vehicles and we had no tanks or Bren Gun We had some difficulty in converting to the Hurricanes, and Carriers to support us. In fact, when the Sixth Division was we were finding great trouble In getting decent food, with sent to Greece, we had to hand In all our rifles and so we the result that we were poorly nourished and there was a didn't even have them to protect ourselves with. At one lot of illness. aerodrome where the Hurricanes landed for the night during the retreat, we were surrounded by the crack Italian My number nearly came up at Benina when a Heinkel Ariete Armoured Division. As we had nothing else to 111K came in with gear and flaps down as if it were going protect ourselves with, and we certainly couldn’t fly the to land, but then the pilot realised that he had made a aeroplanes at night time, we placed ten of our Hurricanes mistake and dropped a stick of bombs where I was lying in the flying position to allow the guns to point down slightly prone. The explosion went over my body and I was and give enfilading fire around the perimeter of our camp, unscathed. This episode I recorded, as I was carrying a The pilots sat in the aeroplanes ready to fire if we detected small Kodak Retina camera and I still have these any movement around us. Fortunately a Scottish photographs today. We were targeted regularly at this Regiment came in and saved us from capture, aerodrome. After leaving Derna, we went along the coast to It was also very difficult to get petrol for the Cyrene, which was formerly a Greek City-State. Cyrene aeroplanes as it was almost impossible to get a full load was a miniature Greek city, complete with a small theatre from a convoy. The fuel used to come up in four-gallon (similar to Epidauris in Greece) and beautiful temples tins along the coast road and, by the time it reached us at the various places we were operating from, about 90% of the tins would be empty due to their developing leaks from rattling around on the trucks. The Afrika Korps was much better equipped with "jerricans". About this time, we had a very big scare one night at Benina when the gas rattles went off and we thought we were being gassed. Clad only in our pyjamas or whatever we were sleeping in, we made our way to shelter, crouched under our gas capes and put on our gas masks, only to discover that we had not emptied them of the dirt and dust which had collected over the time we had spent coming through the desert up from Salum. While we did believe that there were gas cannisters located close to Benina, in actual fact It was not gas but advectlon type fog which had blown in from the sea and was billowing around, making the gas rattles operate. From Benina, part of our squadron went to Curtiss Tomahawk, one of the first introduced into service, with No.3 squadron. Agedabla, but the Germans had then entered the In Syria 1941.

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which had been utilised by the Italians. We stayed there a day or so regrouping, and then finally moved down to a more-or-less safe haven at El Adem, and then Into Egypt itself. There we started to lick our wounds and try to recover the squadron, because we certainly weren't operative at that stage. The squadron had retreated more than 500 miles In ten days and operated from nine different airfields. Early in May 1941, we moved by train to Palestine to Aqir and then Lydda and re­ equipped with Curtiss Tomahawk fighter aeroplanes, which were just becoming available to us. Our Hurricanes were certainly worn-out by then: their engines had no compression and they weren't at all useful for fighting purposes. We had a lot of difficulty with our pilots transferring to Tomahawks and various photographs I have kept show that we lost 16 aeroplanes in training accidents, firstly at Aqir and then Lydda, where we were based for the Curtiss Tomahawk being retrieved at Lydda 1941 re-equipment program. The Tomahawks had a tendency to swing on take-off if the torque of the engine General Dentz, and some of his senior officers were taken wasn't corrected smartly; as the aircraft took off abreast in into custody as hostages by the Allies. This had the pairs, such swings caused a number of collisions. Another desired effect and all prisoners were returned to Syria. problem was that some pilots had not flown retractable However, the plans to arrest General Dentz were undercarriage aircraft before, and we experienced some almost thwarted at the last minute when, taking advantage gear-up landings. of the prevailing confusion, he attempted to flee from Then the war as far as we were concerned moved up Rayak to France in his Potez transport. Unhappily for him, to Syria, and we went through Haifa, then Nazareth, to an souvenir hunters from No.3 Squadron had discovered his aerodrome near Rosh Pinna, which was close to Lake aircraft (which even had a toilet with a gilded seat in it) and Tiberias (the Sea of Gallllee). From there we operated various items were quickly removed, rendering the aircraft against the Vichy French, losing a few aeroplanes and completely unserviceable. We were in serious trouble for pilots. having looted the aircraft but were pardoned, with no questions asked, provided we returned everything. The 3 In July we moved up through Damascus to an Squadron song celebrates this episode, aerodrome named Rayak, outside of Zahle, very close to the ruins of Baalbek. The Vichy French forces in Syria had Rayak was a fully-equipped French aerodrome surrendered after a bloody battle which lasted from 7th complete with hangars. The French barracks were very June to 12th July 1941 and In which Australia alone dirty and completely louse- and flea-ridden. We operated from there for some time, more or less in pacification exercises. It was a much better climate than the desert of Egypt and Libya, and we did have some leave there, enabling us to visit Beirut. Generally speaking, it was a much more pleasant experience, but it didn't last very long. We were called back again into Egypt on 3rd September and moved up in the next push against Rommel's forces. However, we didn't get very far - we didn't even reach Tobruk - and we came back again very quickly. We were forced to retreat to Gambut, from where we operated for almost four months, before moving back to El Daba and later to Amariya. At one stage we were at LG 138, a landing ground just over the Libyan border, and it was here on 8th December 1941 that I saw an Australian de Havilland D.H.86 air ambulance shot down. 1 It was from the Curtiss Kitthawk being serviced by Val St. Leon in the Western Desert, early 1942. RAAF's No.1 Air Ambulance Unit and was flown by Ron Duffield, who was waiting to land suffered more than 400 troops killed and 1,200 wounded. when he was twice attacked by Messerschmitt Allied prisoners of war, including a number of Australians, had covertly been shipped to Vichy France, from where they would have been handed over to the Germans. l.The aircraft was A31-8, which had previously been When this was discovered, the Vichy French commander, operated by W. R. Carpenter & Company Ltd as VH-UYU until it was impressed by the RAAF on 25th June 1941.

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reaching Bombay we moved up to Dololi near Poona and, without much difficulty, I managed to catch pneumonia and pleurisy. As a result, I spent the entire voyage from Bombay to Melbourne in the ship's hospital, and when we were landed at Melbourne I just managed to get out of the hospital bed and drag myself ashore. I weighed myself and found that I weighed only 7 stone 6 pounds (47.2 kg) so it probably was a good idea that I did come home then. After some leave I had recovered somewhat and I was then posted to No.2 Operational Training Unit at Mlldura to set up Kittyhawk maintenance for the operational training program. All the No.3 Squadron fellows who had been sent home came to Mlldura on instructional duties, and we had five Kittyhawks to train all the pilots who went to Nos.75, 76 and 77 Squadrons. Wing Arabs maintaining an aerodrome for Hawker Hurricanes of No. 3 Squadron, RAAF, Commander Peter Jeffrey had been the CO of in the Western Desert early 1941. No.3 Squadron and he came along with us to Me 110s. With his controls shot away and the rear Mlldura for a while as CO of No.2 OTU after fuselage and the port petrol tank on fire, he skilfully he had formed Nos.75 and 76 Squadrons on the east managed to land the aircraft with no loss of life, although coast. the D.H.86 was destroyed. Ron later became a Captain in The facilities for maintenance weren't good at Mildura Qantas. and there were a number of occasions where I had to take As we regrouped back in Egypt on 16th December, over the local garage to do some work. If Kittyhawks were we were re-equipped with Curtiss Kittyhawks, which were being handled Incorrectly, they were rather prone to nosing much better aeroplanes than the Tomahawks. The Model over and we would find a lot of bent propeller tips. Quite H81 Tomahawk had two .303 machine guns in each wing illegally of course, I was straightening propeller blades at and two synchronised .50 Inch guns mounted on the nose the garage, but we managed to maintain the aircraft in and firing through the arc of the propeller. It had a bad some way and push a few pilots through into the habit of having a bullet hang in one of the nose-mounted squadrons that were being formed. After our time in the guns, with the result of either shooting a blade off or at desert without much supervision, we were all inclined to least putting a hole through a blade and unbalancing the cut corners. propeller. The Model H87 Kittyhawk, on the other hand, had six .50 inch guns, three on each wing, which didn't Having been at Mildura for about 15 months, I was have to fire through the arc of the propeller. The Kittyhawk posted to Amberley In Queensland, and from there to could handle the Messerschmitt 110 but it was no match Oakey on 2nd June 1943 to form the Allison Overhaul for the Messerschmitt 109 and 109G. Its service ceiling Division. I went there as a Sergeant with nothing but 20 was only 29,000 feet so it was really a low-altitude airmen - no officers - and we had our first engine ready aeroplane that was not particularly adaptable to the close and running after a complete overhaul, even though it was fighting that occurred with the Messerschmitt 109G. unpainted, on a test-stand we had built. In six weeks. Consequently It was used basically for ground strafing. By this time, Japan had come Into the war and there was a move afoot within the RAF Command that all personnel who were members of the Australian Permanent Air Force would be returned home as they were needed for instructional duties for the formation of squadrons which would take place in Australia once Lend-Lease aircraft became available. This was just before the ... battle for El Alamein in July 1942 and we wanted to see it through, but those were the orders and 66 of us, officers and airmen, were sent home. Kittyhawks, Allison engines and Mosquitoes We sailed to Bombay, where we trans­ shipped for the voyage to Australia. I was in a fairly weakened state from the poor conditions in the desert and from having lived North American P-5 ID being run up by Sgt. Val St Leon at Oakey, Qld 1945. StLeon and his men assembled 100 Mustangs which arrived in crates from the USA. on bad food for an extended period. After Most of these aircraft went to Bofu and Iwakuni in Japan

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That was a remarkable operation. I was only 21 and a Sergeant, but I was in charge of the complete Allison Overhaul Department and I soon had 400 men working for me. And those airmen worked. I have no hesitation in saying that they gave me the greatest support and help, and without them the operation could not have progressed In the manner it did. Eventually we were producing two to three engines per day, which is remarkable for the Air Force when you consider that we had all sorts of things disrupting the production, such as airmen going on shearing leave or harvesting leave and so on. About this time, I had some Illusions that I was needed in aircrew and volunteered as such. Had I been accepted, it would have meant that I would lose my rank and go back to Initial Training, but the authorities wouldn't allow me to take flying training. They maintained that I was doing my bit and that there were plenty of aircrew available at that stage. However, I still wanted to fly and I started to become somewhat disenchanted with the Air Force as I was being kept at Oakey for longer than I expected. As the war was starting to draw to a close, I sat for the Department of Civil Aviation's engineering examinations. This was permitted, even though the Department wouldn't issue you with a licence because you were still serving In the RAAF, but my Qantas Flight Engineers Gil Squires and Don Brown (both on right) idea was to leave the Air Force and go into civil aviation in with L. 749 Constellation nose gear rig at the Lockheed Training some form or other. School, Burbank, 1947. I was then posted at the end of October 1945 to No.87 to visit Qantas at Rose Bay to see whether they could offer (Photographic Reconnaissance) Squadron which was in me some sort of job. I was interviewed by Fred Caterson, the process of moving to Parkes, and was equipped with who was the Timekeeper there and I showed him that I de Havilland Mosquitoes. Occasionally we used to service had sat for my engineer's licences even though I hadn't the Qantas Lancastrians when they would come in to been granted them yet by the Department of Civil Aviation. Parkes either for training or refuelling, and I had the germ He gave me a letter offering me a job provided I could get of an idea. out of the Air Force. In February 1946, preparations were made to close Armed with this document, I then applied for release, Parkes as an Air Force base and aircraft, equipment and but there was one thing I had forgotten - that I had signed some personnel were transferred from No.87 Squadron to on as a Permanent airman for another six years and the Survey Flight at Canberra. I was among those transferred. Air Force didn't want to release me. In those days. If you I didn't like Canberra, and I decided that the Air Force was wanted early release you were supposed to buy your way out but they wouldn't even grant me that facility. Nevertheless, I persevered and finally I was discharged on 14th August 1946. My papers read, "At the cessation of hostilities." The war had been over for a year at that stage and I always wondered whether they were referring to their hostilities or mine! into Qantas I duly joined Qantas on 15th August 1946 as an Engine Fitter. I then sat for the ground engineer's C and D licences which were available to me at Rose Bay, namely the Short Hythe flying boats and their Bristol Pegasus engines, plus the Pratt & Whitney engines of TEAL's Sandringham flying boats which we handled. Within three months of having successfully obtained those licences, the Works Manager, Arthur Baird called me in and offered me the position of Technical Instructor. This involved setting up a school at Rose Bay to give some engineering training to the apprentices and to conduct courses for pilots. Qantas Flight Engineers Andy Dry burgh, Keith Stark, Don Brown, Gil Squires Don Moorhouse, Doug Fairweather and Ernie Manning. While in the USA training on the LockheedL. 749 Constellation, 1947. no longer my cup of tea. I was then a Flight Sergeant and I couldn't be promoted any further because you had to be 2. F. D. C. Caterson became Qantas' Assistant Staff 26 years of age to be a Warrant Officer or to be Manager (Industrial), and subsequently joined the commissioned. I requested leave and went in full regalia Australian Federation of Air Pilots as their industrial advocate.

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Technical Development and in over-all charge of the Constellation project and Doug Hudson was the engineering superintendent. There were also a number of engineers there who were to be involved In the introduction of the aircraft and others who were watching their building and certifying the construction for the Australian Department of Civil Aviation. ^ The Lockheed school at Burbank was one of the best I have ever been In. We stayed there for well over four months and Lockheed later wrote to me stating that the 14 Qantas flight engineers were the best course that had ever gone through the school. We were then sent by TWA DC-3 to Patterson, New Jersey, to do the course on the 3350 cubic Inch Wright Cyclone 18BD1 engine at the Curtiss Wright Corporation. Again, our team of 14 did particularly well and De HavillandD.H.98, Mosquito ofNo.87Squadron, RAAF, at Parkes NSW 1945 the Wright people were very pleased with that course. flight engineers and cabin staff on the Hythe flying boats. We went back to Burbank, where we were grouped to Len Carolan had set up a similar school at Mascot but I the various pilots who then completed a course at had no help from there In establishing the Rose Bay Lockheed. I was teamed up with Captain Bert Ritchie, facility. Captain Alan Furze and First Officer Bill Edwards, and About Christmas time 1946, in conjunction with Flight Engineers George RIek and Bert Hebron. Captains Lew Ambrose and John Lower, I went up to We came home on the fourth Constellation, VH-EAD Rathmines to Inspect three ex-AIr Force Catalinas which Lawrence Hargrave. None of us was licensed as a flight we were buying from the Commonwealth Disposals engineer at that stage. We were doing the job and we had Commission. The three aircraft had already been selected certificates from Lockheed to say that we were flight for us but we examined them at great length before we engineers but they weren't recognised by the Department took them over to make sure they were fit to fly to Sydney. of Civil Aviation. The DCA licences were granted later and I had a Ground Engineer Licence endorsed for Catalinas, mine was numbered No.30. To keep things legal, we did Sandringhams and Hythes and I operated on the ferry have with us a Lockheed flight engineer named Pete flights of the three aircraft from Rathmines to Rose Bay. Demus, whose background was that in his flying career he The Catalinas were used mostly for services to Lord Howe Island but I never operated on those services. had accompanied Admiral Byrd to both the North and the South Poles. Not very long after I had got the school up and At Nadi, Fiji, we had an ignition problem on VH-EAD running, Arthur Baird called me up and said, "How would you like to go to America?" Even though I had heard that which I managed to fix after delaying the aeroplane some time. We had no ground engineers there but, in any event. we were going to re-equip with Lockheed Constellations, ^ ^ , . • ,hi. ca.e as a couple,a sprpnse as , had thouph. ,h.., in ;^o;Tanesi?^ a's"SThet setting up the school, that was going to be my career in Qantas. Baird then appointed me Senior Flight Engineer Qantas had sent uniforms for us to Nadi and we all got (but later on the position was retitled as Chief Flight into blue aircrew uniforms with white caps, even though Engineer). I had been flying on test flights at Rose Bay so there was no flying insignia on the jackets. Most of the it wasn't too difficult to take in the flight engineering job. engineers who had been in Burbank overseeing the After helping select 13 other flight engineers for the came back on VH-EAD as did Captain Constellation project ^ I left with them in July 1947 for the Allan, and we were greeted in Sydney with United States on a bride ship -14 eager young airmen and of a fanfare. 800 war brides. The trip took 21 days and we called in to Then we started to train in Sydney for the opening of Auckland, Suva and Pago Pago in Samoa. We bypassed Constellation services and we made training flights to Honolulu and went straight to San Francisco! where we Parkes. We started to run a weekly service to England said our fond farewells to various brides we had met, and and the first service, which was Service Number 16Q1, then we went by train to Burbank. departed from Sydney on 1st December 1947, under the Lockheed Constellations command of Captain Ken Jackson, with Captains Bert At Burbank we were met by Captain "Scotty" Allan Yates and Jim Pollock, Navigation Officer Alan Hughes, and Doug Hudson. Captain Allan was the Controller, Radio Officer Bruce Beresford, and Flight Engineers Don

4. The first ground engineers to undergo training on the 3. Peter G. Allan; Donald E. Brown; Andrew Dryburgh L.749 Constellation were: Harry Adby; Jan Aldous; (later drowned while on slip at Karachi); Douglas R. "Sandy" Armstrong; Jack Avery; Len Carolan; Ted Fairweather; G. H. (Bert) Hebron; Ernest Manning; George Clougherty; Bill Dorian; Jim Lamb; Arthur Littlejohn; Bob E. Mills; Donald S. Moorhouse; George W. Riek; Gil W. Morton; Brian Merton; Jack Ray; George Roberts; Norm Squires; Keith D. Stark; H. W. (Bill) Strangward; and Keith Roberts; Frank Rowley; Bob Scott; Dave Thompson; John Vickerman. Upex; Cecil White; and Henry Williams.

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Brown and Ernie Manning. This first service went out motor, and I fixed it myself on the ground with the aid of a without passengers, as nobody had thought to tell the soldering iron. Traffic and Sales people to book anyone on it. With Captain Don MacMaster, we were interned at We found we had to run two flight engineers on all the Basrah for making an unscheduled landing there on 2nd services as it was impossible to maintain the flight time July 1948 when the nose gear of VH-EAC stuck down on a limitations with only one. You could fly only eight hours in flight from Cairo to Karachi. The first officer had selected one stretch without being relieved, so by carrying two flight neutral before the gear was fully up, locking the nose gear engineers we could avoid having to have the engineer get partially down. off and be rested at places different from where the rest of We had only four Constellations and when we built up the crew slipped. (The Constellation's crew consisted of to three services a week, we found we needed another three pilots, a navigator, a radio operator, two flight aeroplane. We leased one, G-ALAN, from British engineers, three stewards and, after March 1948, a flight Overseas Airways Corporation and I went to Shannon, hostess. In 1950 I married Patricia Burke, one of the first Eire, with Captain Jim Pollock to take delivery. With the nine hostesses employed by Qantas.) rest of the crew. First Officer Rod MacAlpine, Engineer At that stage we slipped at various places such as Officer Don Brown, Radio Officer Ron Petrich, Navigation Singapore, Karachi, Cairo and London, and all told crews Officer Gordon Goodwin, two Stewards and Flight Hostess would take 35 days to get to England and back as we were Mar] de Tracey, Jim Pollock and I lined up for a ceremony operating only one service a week. This wasn't very to receive the aircraft's log books. The Chief Steward, productive as far as the company was concerned because being from the old flying boat days, was wearing the the round trip took just over 100 flying hours and the insignia of three gold bars from that time and the BOAC maximum number of hours you could fly per year was representative mistook him for the captain and presented 1,000. So you could do ten return trips to England and still the log books to him. Jim Pollock was absolutely furious. be within the 1,000 hour limit but that would mean you On 27th July 1948, while ferrying G-ALAN to Australia were out of Australia 350 days a year, and it bred a lot of from London, we suffered an inadvertent loss of fuel when discontent among the aircrew because they had no home the dump valve opened when we were about two hours out life. However, this situation improved once we started to operate more frequent services. of Cairo. The fuel guages had become inoperative and there was no indication that fuel was being dumped, and There were a few technical teething troubles with the we landed at Cairo with all tanks showing empty, although introduction of the Constellations. On 18th December the engines were still running. 1947 we were in the holding pattern at Karachi on Service With five aeroplanes we managed to maintain three services a week. The slipping points were much the same but the time we spent in those ports was lessened by the increase in frequency. The company had a great reluctance to carry two flight engineers on each flight. However, we were carrying 20 gallons of alcohol in each wing for de-icing purposes and on Investigation I found that it had only ever been necessary to use 5 gallons of that on a round trip to England. I put forward a proposition to limit the amount of alcohol carried to 10 gallons in each wing, which would be ample, and this would reduce the zero fuel weight of the aeroplane and allow us to carry an additional 200 lbs of freight or one extra passenger (a passenger was calculated to weigh 165 lbs). The company accepted my proposal with great alacrity and I was commended for it. However, they still wanted Delivery flight of Lockheed L.749 ConstellationVH-EADy at Nadu (L-R) ValStLeon, to get rid of one flight engineer. Bill Edwards, Harold Affleck, ^'Scotty” Allan, Pete Demus, November 1947. The next plan to come up was that I would 16Q3, en route to London via Cairo, for 8 hours with a fire conduct small courses in the office for the first officers ® so in the forward baggage compartment of VH-EAB. I took it that they could provide in-flight relief for the flight engineer in turns with George Mills, the second flight engineer, to for an hour or two on a long flight and we could thus get don a smoke mask and pour foam on the ADF transformer back to carrying only one flight engineer. This was at regular intervals. Captain Alan Furze had elected not to approved by the Department of Ci vil Aviation and we dump fuel and we were very much overweight for landing so we had to keep flying until we burned off sufficient fuel to reach a safe landing weight. 5. G-ALAN, Beaufort, was leased from July 1948 until April With Captain Bert Ritchie in command, we 1950. It was given the Qantas livery of a spear-like line along experienced a runaway propeller on number 4 engine of the sides of the bare metal fuselage but it operated under its L.749 VH-EAB at Ohakea, New Zealand, on 25th February British registration the whole time. 1948, and it proved impossible to feather. The earth lead 6 The first and second pilots were then both called First common to all circuits had come loose on the propeller Officers; later they were designated as First Officers and Second Officers.

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implemented the scheme. The idea was good but there Manager. You wouldn't get away with that sort of thing was one problem: the captains wouldn't allow the first these days! officers to sit at the flight engineer's station when they needed relief, and I would have complaint after complaint from tired flight engineers, coming back with red eyes and saying they couldn't fly on their next service as they needed some rest. While we were trying to cover that situation, a war broke out in the Middle East and disrupted our routings in that area. The slip points changed and it was then impossible not to carry two flight engineers. In retrospect, it would have been better to have adopted the system which had evolved in the USA where flight engineers were pilot-trained or mechanically-trained. Those who were mechanically-trained eventually retired but those who were pilot- trained could continue through natural progression to command status with a wealth of engineering background. Unfortunately I Hand-over of Lockheed L. 749 Constellation G-ALANfrom BOAC to Qantas at could not get this idea off the ground. Shannon July 1948. Fifth from the left F/E Val St Leon, then F/H Marj De Tracy. F/0 RodMacAlpine Next is the BOAC representative handing the log books to Capt On a training flight at Parkes on 3rd Jim Pollock (far right.) January 1949 in VH-EAD with Captains Don MacMaster The flight engineers were part of the Engineering and Ken Jackson, I had two flight engineers under training. Department, and Engineering always wanted to retain Bill Willcox and A. Cattanach. Bill Willcox was inspecting control of them. However, I answered to both the Chief the nose gear wheels when the captain selected gear Engineer and the Operations Manager, which caused down, in spite of my having informed him that this training ructions because they weren't getting on well together In procedure was in progress. We were at 1500 feet and I any case. I could see no sense in continuing this divided managed to pull Bill back into the forward 260-station control so I agreed with Captain Crowther that all flight baggage compartment and nearly fell out of the aircraft engineers would go into the Operations Department and myself. their appointment and training would be done by On one Sydney-London-Sydney round trip in a L.749A Operations, not Engineering. in mid-1948 we had five engine failures. Our initial aircraft I was a crew member on the initial L.749 Constellation didn't have the NACA airscoop that was fitted to later proving flight to South Africa, which was commanded by models to prevent ice from forming in the engine induction Captain Ken Jackson. There were three other captains In system. Instead they had a little door that was operated the crew: John Shields, John Connolly and Alan Wharton. electrically to draw under-cowl heat to the engines and The navigator was Chief Navigator Jim Cowan, and engine failure because of icing was a common occurrence. Marshall Saxby was the Radio Operator. I was training Over the Swiss Alps on 11th March 1949 in VH-EAD, I was Bruce Lawrance as a flight engineer on that flight. Bruce training another flight engineer when we lost all four was not licensed at that time, but as Chief Flight Engineer I engines due to this problem. The captain had refused to could authorise his training as there were no paying apply heat and the Stromberg Injection unit impact tubes passengers on board. The passengers we did carry iced up, closing off fuel. I managed to get the engines included Captain Crowther (the Operations Manager), and running again by pumping pure alcohol (from the wing and two executives from the Department of Civil Aviation, one propeller anti-icing system) straight into the engine, but we of whom was Wing Commander James H. Harper, who, as had lost 2,000 feet of altitude and then the propellers ran Assistant Director-General, was deputy to Don Anderson away in flat pitch! there. We left Sydney on 25th January 1952 in VH-EAD I was approved by the Department of Civil Aviation as and flew first to Perth. a Senior Check Flight Engineer, which is to say I was The flight was uneventful except for the fact that it was appointed as an Examiner for the Department. As such, I operated with a Speedpak fitted, and consequently It was a would help select, train and check flight engineers on the very slow flight. The Constellation was capacity-limited Constellations and sometimes on the flying boats. because of the streamlined, shark-like shape of the During the Korean War, we operated charter flights fuselage, which restricted the area available to carry cargo. carrying troops bound for Korea. We would go up to Bofu So we had bought four of these Speedpak units, which and Iwakuni In Japan full of troops, and come back empty. were secured under the fuselage of the aeroplane and On 12th September 1950, I was a crew member with increased the volumetric capacity for cargo. Unfortunately Captain John Shields and First Officer Ian Ralfe on L.749A there was a loss of payload of about 2,000 lb as they VH-EAD when it was flown direct from Manila to Sydney increased the Zero Fuel Weight, and they were not a on return from a troop charter to Iwakuni. At 16 hours 12 successful purchase. Only the flight engineer was allowed minutes, this was the longest direct flight ever recorded on to attach the Speedpak to the fuselage and it was a bit of a a Constellation, and on descent all four fuel warning lights tricky manoeuvre. The unit was suspended on four cables, were blinking furiously. As a result, we had to front up in and it had to be winched up electrically on these cables the office of Captain W. H. Crowther, the Operations and fixed to the fuselage. With the Speedpak In position.

99 AHSA Aviation Heritage the aeroplane flew in a tail-down attitude and it knocked that stage and I had been flying, under the lap for about ten or twenty knots off the speed. experience, with South Coast Airlines, which was run by We arrived at Cocos (Keeling) Island from Perth on Lionel Van Praag, a very famous former motor-bike rider. I 26th July, and were entertained overnight by the RAAF's had learned to fly at Kingsford Smith Aerial Services at No.2 Airfield Construction Squadron, which was building Bankstown, and after I gained my Private Pilot Licence I the airstrip. The strip was constructed of crushed coral found a young fellow who owned his own Tiger Moth. I would pay him ten shillings an hour for the use of his and was not finished properly. It was very rough and damaged the tyres considerably. In addition, there was aeroplane and I gradually built up my hours to get a still a lot of equipment on the runways and taxiways. Bruce Lawrance and I fuelled the aeroplane as per the chit which arrived from Flight Planning, but they had made a mistake in their calculations as they had not allowed for the Speedpak, and we were about 2,000 lb overweight for take-off. There was no de-fuelling equipment at Cocos Island: you could put fuel on but you couldn't take it off. As we had the Department of Civil Aviation executives on board, watching the operation very closely, there was a real panic about this. I concluded that the only way we were going to satisfy the take-off requirements was to remove fuel by disconnecting the fuel line between the tank and the fuel filter, which was in the wheel well. I had the ground engineer roll some empty 44-gallon drums underneath the starboard wing and I disconnected the fuel line with a very large crescent spanner. The fuel cascaded through a large funnel Into the drum and as soon as each drum was filled, I would attempt to stop the flow so that another empty drum could be rolled underneath. Eventually, after we had filled seven or eight drums, Wing Commander Harper was satisfied that we had got enough fuel off, and we left Cocos. We then flew to Mauritius, where we stayed for two or three days. We carried out more training there, and flew our circuits and landings at Mauritius itself. Lockheed Flight Engineer Pete Demus, First Officer Bill Edwards and Captain Bert Ritchie at Nadi on delivery flight of Lockheed From Mauritius, we flew on to Johannesburg, where L. 749 Constellation^ VH-EAD, November 1947. we arrived on 29th July. Again we stayed for two or three Commercial Pilot Licence. I didn't think Qantas knew I had days. The night after our arrival, we were given a civic that licence but they did. reception in the Johannesburg Town Hall, which was Lionel Van Praag was a very colourful character who attended by a very large number of people. In those days. allowed me to fly with him in his Lockheed Lodestar VH- South African Airways was run by South African Railways, FAD on runs from Sydney to Cowra, so I had a twin- so in addition to all the airline staff, there were a number of engined endorsement and had obtained an Instrument railway staff too. The guests included the Mayor and the rating per courtesy of Leon Deards and Cappy Blood in the Australian ambassador to South Africa, but we were a little Qantas Link Training Centre during slack periods or at upset when they publicly greeted us from the top table lunchtimes. Lionel Van Praag certainly taught me a lot. because they greeted us in Afrikaans and we couldn't understand a word of what they were saying. So I went on holidays and when I came back I started a conversion on the Douglas DC-3 with Lawrie Penn as my A few of us travelled up to Pretoria and visited the instructor on 18th January 1954. Training with me was G. Kruger National Park and a few other sights while we were W. (Bill) Turner, who was a friend and who had been both there. Then we returned over the same route as we had a Radio Officer and a Navigator. Bill had also gained a gone over: Johannesburg to Mauritius; Mauritius to Cocos Commercial Pilot Licence, and after training together we Island; Cocos Island to Perth; and then Perth to Sydney. then did engine-carrying flights on the DC-3 for about six Remustered as a pilot months to gain experience. We carried engines on the I was about to go on holidays in December 1953 when DC-3 to all parts of the Qantas network as far as Calcutta, I was called into Captain Crowther's office. Captain Phil and to New Zealand. On one trip on 26th June with Howson, the Assistant Operations Manager, was Captain Harry Manley, we were interned at Mergui In alongside him, and Crowther told me that I was no longer Burma for landing illegally. The Australian Consul In Chief Flight Engineer. This came as a bit of a shock as I Rangoon secured our release about 24 hours later. had had no Intimation of problems, and certainly things At the end of this training period, we were posted to were going quite smoothly as far as the flight engineers other aeroplanes as Second Officers, me to the L.749 were concerned. Additionally, I had just started a Diploma Constellation and Bill to the Douglas DC-4. I was flying as of Engineering course with the Idea that I would then a Second Officer with Captain's rank Insignia, I.e., my old convert that Into a degree. So I asked, "Well, what am I supervisory flight engineer's brevet of 2V2 gold bars with going to do if I'm not Chief Flight Engineer any more?" purple in between, until the pilots objected and I was told "We are transferring you as a pilot," I was told. It just to remove same! Purple was the engineers' colour, so happened that I did have a Commercial Pilot Licence at because Arthur Baird always signed in purple ink.

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In May 1955 I was promoted to First Officer and two months later I transferred to the L.1049 Super Constellation. I had a lot of difficulty getting through the engineering training on the L.1049: even though they couldn't fail me, the flight engineers were nit­ picking on various things to give me a hard time because they didn't like the situation of having a pilot with a flight engineer's licence and were guarding their territory. Nevertheless, I passed my training on the L.1049 as a pilot and as a flight engineer During the engine-carrying work, with Bill Turner's help, I had started to study for the Flight Navigator Licence and in July 1956, about two and a half years after transferring as a pilot, I gained that licence (Number 263), which was a rare qualification. I then found myself in a unique position of holding all licences: that Is, a Commercial Pilot Licence, an Airline Transport Pilot Licence, a Flight Lockheed L. 188c Electra VH-ECB, Pacific Explorer. Qantas Photo Navigator Licence, a Flight Engineer Licence, a Ground Engineer C and D Licence, and a Honolulu. I asked what it was about and was told that he Flight Radio Licence with 20 words a minute Morse just wanted me to come down and talk. There were two endorsement. crews on strike in Honolulu and we were all In a state of some tension, so I felt In need of some support and asked Pilots' strike, 1957 could I bring another pilot along with me but they wouldn't Early in April 1957, I came back from a trip to England allow me to do that. Nevertheless, I asked Captain Ash expecting to have ten days off, but two days later I Gay, who was the other captain stuck in Honolulu by the received a phone call from Flight Scheduling to say that I strike, to come along while Captain Barlow interviewed me. was going out the next day on a trip to the United States with Captain Carlyle Richardson. I objected to the short When we reached Barlow's office, along with the turn-around but I couldn't make any headway with my Honolulu manager. Captain Gay was told to leave because complaint. On that particular service, because of the they wanted to talk to only me. I objected to that as I felt length of the sectors, it was necessary to carry a pilot who somewhat Insecure and they had no right to talk that way, had a Flight Navigator Licence to relieve the career but Ash went outside. Barlow then gave me a dressing- navigator. Consequently I joined Lyle Richardson and we down and told me that a Qantas aeroplane, operating a flew off to Honolulu. token service terminating in Honolulu, would arrive the following morning and I was to be on board to provide in­ On the way, he said to me, "Do you know that we are flight relief for both the flight engineer and the navigator on going to be on strike In Honolulu?" I had no idea. In fact, the flight back to Sydney. I refused and said that I was it was only recently that I had joined the Australian Air bound by my Union's directive and I wouldn't be on board. Pilots' Association When we got to Honolulu on 10th He said, "You will." He told me to have my bags packed April, we received a cable saying we were officially on and said a car would call for me at 6 o'clock the following strike. morning. I departed without giving them any indication that About a week later. In my room at the Waikiki Biltmore I would be on that aeroplane. Hotel, I received a telephone call to proceed to the Qantas Walking along the Kapualani Boulevarde on the way office to see Captain Alec Barlow, who was Manager of the back, I discussed the situation with Ash Gay. We both Eastern Division, and Ken Wetherall, the Manager came to the same conclusion, namely, that If I wasn't in the hotel, they couldn't find me. We had all doubled up in our rooms to save money, and from 3 o'clock in the morning 7 The Australian Air Pilots' Association was formed in 1944 until round about 8, the phone rang In the room I had been and the following year applied for registration as an occupying with Cyril Goode. The repeated message was organisation of employees under the Commonwealth that there would be a car waiting for me but they could not Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904. However, it was not find me as I was somewhere else. The aeroplane until 1956 that such registration was granted. That same departed without me. year, the Overseas Branch was formed to cater specifically for Qantas pilots. One of the ramifications of the 1957 strike We stayed on in Honolulu for a total of 30 days before was that in 1959 the members of the AAPA resigned en we started to fly, but the strike lasted only ten days in masse in order to break away from the Arbitration system, Sydney when the pilot leaders were threatened with gaol. and they formed a new association known as the Australian During this time we were called down to the US Federation of Air Pilots, an unincorporated body. In 1986 Department of Immigration and told we were being the AFAP was registered as an organisation pursuant to the deported as aliens since they did not allow people to Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904, as amended, remain there on strike for longer than a certain period. We coincidentally with the registration of the Australian prepared to go home, probably under arrest, when International Pilots' Industrial Organisation, which finished and aeroplanes started to be operated subsequently was styled the Australian International Pilots' ^O^in. I then joined a service back to Sydney via San Association. Francisco.

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When I reached Sydney, I was called in by the General that In Qantas we didn't believe In that sort of Operations Manager, Captain Wharton, and told that I training, when the seat belt sign went on and I hurriedly would never receive payment for my Flight Engineer returned to the cockpit. Licence again because I hadn't flown during the strike. First Officer Rex Cuthbertson was occupying the left The allowance for the licence wasn't very much money but hand seat and the Second Officer the right hand seat but it was a help in those days to supplement the meagre as I considered that a change of pilots was not advisable salaries we were getting. I supposed they might take away at that stage, I monitored the operation from a position from me the payment for the Flight Navigator Licence too. wedged between the seats of the Flight Engineer and the "Oh no," he said, "we need that." I was to find the truth in First Officer. Penetration of the front was made through a that when I returned from a San Francisco basing in 1961 gap which had been Indicated on the radar, and at this for command training. time the aircraft suffered a lightning strike, which resulted Command in only very minor damage. The turbulence encountered In August 1959 I transferred to the Boeing 707 and in going through the front lasted less than two minutes, May the following year I was promoted to be a Senior First confirming our assessment that the front had narrowed at Officer (with rank Insignia of 214 gold bars). I was then that point to about ten miles. I gashed my left knee on the based in the United States for three years before returning recline knob of the Captain's seat, and the flight engineer to Sydney to start command training. fainted. But the Company did not live up to its promise, After we had got through the turbulence, I went back because what they really wanted me home for was to to the cabin to reassure the passengers, who were make use of my Flight Navigator Licence. Instead of naturally terrified. I have never seen such a state In the starting command training, I was used for nearly a year on cabin, with a mess of bits and pieces everywhere. One the Japan services so that I could relieve the navigator on steward had dislocated his shoulder, another steward the sector between Taipei and Kagoshima, otherwise they received bruising and a hostess was injured but there were would have had to carry two navigators. I also flew no injuries to any passengers. On the flight over we had occasionally to South Africa, on which services a Flight not seen a cloud in the sky, and on this return leg there Navigator Licence was in even greater demand. was nothing showing on the radar to indicate a problem Finally I began my command training, from which I when I left the cockpit. I haven't encountered worse graduated in December 1963. In those days, all pilots, turbulence, and the newspaper headlines screamed regardless of their aeronautical experience, had to return "Terror Flight Across the Tasman". to the DC-3 for 250 hours' recent handling practice and I A passenger Invaded the cockpit of VH-ECB at completed that by again operating on engine-carrying Melbourne on 7th September 1966 as we prepared to flights, which I was quite used to by that stage. My old depart for Christchurch, and demanded to see ail crew friend Bill Turner was also undergoing command training licences. The passenger was off-loaded! and when we came off the DC-3 we both requested that On 26th April 1967 I operated a service in the Electra instead of transferring to the Boeing 707 for command VH-ECB from Sydney to Wellington as part of a pattern (which had an horrific rate of pilot training failures at that that would see us then fly to Melbourne, where we would time), we be given a lesser type. I requested the night-stop, prior to returning to Sydney. Wellington is a Lockheed Electra and Bill requested the DC-4. This was troublesome aerodrome at any time and I had a difficult granted and we both became four-engined captains soon landing there with maximum crosswind. The airstrip is after (in my case, I did a Command Check with Merv very short and usually there are extremely high crosswind Shipard on 7th January 1965), without any problems. A gusts, which sometimes make the airstrip unuseable. In year later, I became a Route Training Captain on the addition, when you are approaching from the south, a go- Electra. around is a little fraught with danger as there is a large I experienced a few Incidents while flying Electras. On bank of hills at the end of the runway. On this particular 8th March 1965 I had a birdstrike at Christchurch in VH- landing there was a very strong crosswind and I only ECD when seagulls rose as a flock when I touched down, managed to keep the aeroplane on the runway by opening punching a two metre hole in the starboard wing. The the propellers into reverse pitch on one side while keeping birds had been on the white runway markers and could not them in idle on the other, which stopped the Electra from be seen as we approached. weathercocking. In doing so, the aeroplane aquaplaned, We encountered extreme turbulence on a Wellington- but as I got it back in line with the runway I managed to get Sydney flight in Electra VH-ECB on 31st March 1965. We all the propellers into reverse pitch and we pulled up quite were approaching an active frontal system with a widening, successfully. However, the aquaplaning had burned the continuous line of anvil heads, with tops probably higher rubber off some of the tyres and I requested that two than 35,000 feet, and had diverted 70 miles to the north. I wheels be changed at Wellington. was back in the cabin talking to one of the passengers. We then departed more or less on schedule. I had New Zealand's Director-General of Civil Aviation. Four only a short taxi to the end of the runway, where I held for days earlier, TEAL had lost an Electra at Whenuapal in a quite a while in strong wind and heavy rain waiting for training accident which involved a flight Idle approach from some improvement in conditions prior to taking off. When high altitude and the pilot Just got into a situation from we did get away, we flew through some very intense icing which he couldn't recover.^ I was telling the Dlrector- conditions immediately after we were airborne. As the landing gear was still extended in these conditions, I believe water which had penetrated the brake units froze 8 On 27th March 1965, ZK-TEC landed heavily at the brake drums, which stayed frozen until we reached Whenuapai. One of the main landing gear legs failed and the Melbourne. aircraft caught fire. The crew escaped but the aircraft was destroyed.

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After a very rough trip across the Tasman, we touched Air Force that anything you say will be taken down, twisted down at Melbourne and I was congratulating myself on a and used as evidence, I told them to get lost. very soft, smooth landing. But three wheels had locked up and these wheels caught on fire. As I came to a halt on I immediately called the porter to escort them off the the runway, I opened the storm window to get a better view premises. The next morning I spoke to the hotel's of the flames I could now see underneath the aeroplane. manager and asked him how these men got into my room. I used the large propellers of the Electra to try to On Investigation, It was determined that the porter had blow the flames away from the body of the aircraft while I actually let them in. I complained bitterly and the porter was discharged. weighed my options. Had I elected to disembark the passengers then via the emergency slides, I was mindful There was no blame attached to me or the crew in that they could run into the still-turning propellers and be regard to that Incident. Through the good offices of Bruce killed. Alternatively, I could wait with the propellers Lawrance, by now Assistant Superintendent Flight blowing the flames away until the fire tenders arrived, Engineer Line Operations and Training, who Inquired Into which Is what happened. Fortunately the fire tenders the occurrence for me, I subsequently learned that there arrived quickly and I signalled them to immediately pour was a history of the brakes locking up on other aircraft foam on the wheels, and the fires went out. Then I closed after taxying through water and slush in icing conditions. the engines down. This had happened at least three or four times in other That meant, of course, that we had to be towed to the parts of the world. As a consequence, Qantas adopted a terminal, where we disembarked the passengers. procedure of leaving the gear down for a short period on take-off. Because I had come to a halt at the Intersection of the North/South and East/West runways, I had closed The Electra was a lovely aeroplane to fly but it did Essendon for an hour or two, with no aeroplanes being have some vices, there's no doubt about that. It had a bad able to take off or land. habit of over-temping on take-off, which meant that on After we had disembarked, I went out to inspect where many occasions the take-off had to be aborted. And the wheels had actually hit the surface of the runway. The because they had a very r^id wing, a couple broke up in Electra has four mainwheels and a dual nosewheel, and flight In the United States , necessitating a retrospective the tyre marks, counting from the left-hand side, showed modification program to the wing and engine mounting one tyre fixed, then three- or four hundred feet farther on structure for the whole fleet. another tyre showed itself fixed, and then the third tyre Qantas flew Electras to South Africa, which was a showed itself fixed another four- or five hundred feet marginal operation because of the distance involved and farther on. If the brakes had been applied in the normal the weather conditions which sometimes arose. The only way, they should all have been showing some marks on way the Company could get the necessary range was by the runway at the same time. This was an Impossible taking certain equipment, such as the Integral situation and it indicated that there was something radically hydraulically-operated airstairs, out of the aircraft to reduce wrong with the braking system. the zero fuel weight and allow more fuel to be carried. The Department of Civil Aviation asked me and my This permitted us to fly from Perth to Cocos Island, from crew up to their offices in Melbourne to discuss what had Cocos to Mauritius, and from there to Johannesburg. happened. Beforehand, I asked the crew whether they At certain times of the year, cyclonic conditions were had seen me do anything wrong. None of them had any experienced at Mauritius and then we would be completely criticism and they thought it was a good landing. The DCA out of contact on HF radio with the air traffic controllers Controller of Airmen at that time was Carey Thompson, there. In a cyclone, the controllers would drop their who later became a good friend. He asked me point- antennas, which were on a swivel, to the ground so that blank, "Do you think the first officer put his feet on the they would not be blown away. Consequently, when we brakes when you landed?" could not establish contact, we knew that there were bad "No," I replied, "he didn't put his feet on the brakes weather conditions at Mauritius. It was very interesting because I had my feet positioned to apply the brakes as when we were approaching PNR or ETP3 if we did not necessary and I would have felt it." The first officer, of have contact with Mauritius. course, denied that he had done so and I quite believed In my career, I flew to South Africa on all the aircraft him. The Investigation then determined that everything types Qantas operated there, mostly as a captain. I had had been operated correctly and we retired to the Windsor operated as a flight engineer on the initial L.749 Hotel to have a few beers and recover from our nervous state, because it had been a very dangerous situation with the amount of flames underneath the main fuel tanks and 9 A Braniff aircraft disintegrated in mid-air at Buffalo, we could have exploded. Texas, on 29th September 1959 with the loss of 23 passengers and six crew, and a Northwest Airlines aircraft crashed at Eventually I got to sleep but for some reason I woke at Connelton, Indiana, on 17th March 1960 with the loss of 56 about two o'clock in the morning. I felt there was someone passengers and six crew. Both accidents baffled the aviation In the room, so I switched on the bedside lamp. The light industry for months but it was finally found that both revealed two men, fully dressed, sitting in chairs opposite aircraft suffered structural failure due to a phenomenon my bed. I reached for the bedside table lamp as a known as "whirl mode", in which an outboard propeller is weapon, thinking I was about to have my throat cut. I said displaced from its plane of rotation by some strong external rather hesitantly, "What are you doing here?" force such as atmospheric turbulence, abrupt aircraft It turned out they were reporters from one of the manoeuvres and sudden power surges. Although whirl mode Melbourne newspapers and wanted to ask me about the is normally damped out very quickly, it was determined that incident at Essendon that afternoon. Having learned in the where the powerplant installation was damaged, that weakness would become threatening and produce oscillations that could produce a catastrophic failure.

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Constellation proving flight there, and subsequently I flew is more of a strain than flying in daylight hours, they were as a pilot to South Africa on all types from the L.749 to the given a pay loading for night flying. The contract provided L.749A, the L.1049 Super Constellation, the L.1049G and that pilots would be paid for a minimum of 132 hours' work L.1049H, the L.188 Electra, the Boeing 707-338, and over a 56 day period, with additional work paid as finally the Boeing 747-200 series. I think I am correct in overtime. Pilots were paid on a four-weekly (28 day) stating that I am the only pilot to have done so. basis, which gave 13 pay periods in a calendar year, and work was awarded In order of seniority. Pilots' strike, 1966 Qantas pilots went on strike at midnight on 23rd On the other side of the coin, pilots had to meet the November 1966 and that strike lasted 28 days. It set a company's terms in increasing their professionalism, and milestone for both the pilots and the company. It would Instrument flying standards and flying standards generally never have occurred had Qantas been more receptive to immediately started to improve. Your trips were looked at what the pilots wanted in 1957. The pilots didn't want more closely to see if you were operating efficiently, and much - just to be compared with their international you always had to explain, by way of a Commander's counterparts. But there was a degree of paternalism and a Report, why you took certain decisions such as diverting or demand for loyalty in the company's attitude to its aircrew carrying extra fuel. (Even though it is the captain's which was completely not negotiable, and they fought any prerogative to determine how much fuel to carry, it can be change for nine years. expensive to carry additional fuel beyond the minimum called for in the flight plan because the aeroplane might The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) not be able to get up to its most economical operating ratified airlines' rates and charges, and all around the height.) world pilots were starting to become grouped under the In 1963 the Company had recruited a number of pilots International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations who became known as "Instant Captains". With the rapid (IFALPA). It seemed difficult to understand how one build-up in the Boeing 707 fleet, it was held that there were company, charging the same rates, could pay their pilots not enough first officers capable of being promoted to more and give them the North American bidding-style of command in the time required, so 35 pilots were recruited operation while Qantas could not. from other airlines, both domestically and internationally, I was rostered out In command of an Electra to fly to and proffered jobs as captains. This was resented bitterly Auckland. When I reached Auckland, a signal from the by the first officers and second officers and, generally Australian Federation of Air Pilots waited me there, saying speaking, by the other captains as well. The scheme that the pilots were on strike and I was not to proceed meant that the first officers had no chance of promotion further. The company then ordered me and my pilots out and the Company countered their objections by saying that of the hotel where we were staying. none of them was promotable. As it turned out, only 13 of However, I had an ace up my sleeve. I had those recruited were successful in completing their training discovered that BOAC captains had the authority to write a as Qantas pilots. ticket for any passenger whom they saw was in need of The antipathy of the pilot heirarchy was a little special return travel. (We didn't have that right in Qantas.) unfortunate because the employment program had been I contacted the BOAC captain who was slipping at the agreed to by the Australian Federation of Air Pilots. The White Lodge Hotel in Auckland and he very kindly wrote Chairman of the AFAP at that time was A. J. (Bert) out the authorisation for travel back to Sydney and told us Smithwell, who was one of the signatories to the he would pick us up in the crew transport the next day. agreement, and today he agrees that this should never Consequently my first and second officer and I returned to have been allowed to happen. Some of the pilots who Sydney a couple of days after we had deposited the were employed were highly experienced but others were Electra at Auckland. less experienced, had great difficulty and failed their When the strike finished, everything was settled, in my training. Some of the "Instant Captains" stayed for some opinion, In the pilots' favour. But the company discovered length of time and some reached retiring age within that It was in their favour too, because the settlement Qantas, but the majority departed without much trace. greatly Improved productivity. Whereas previously pilots Some of the first officers who had been regarded as would refuse work by reporting sick, the North American "unpromotable", on the other hand, sailed through their bidding-style contract which was Introduced as part of the command training when they were given the opportunity settlement enabled pilots to pick the trips they wanted to fly under the new seniority provisions. and to bid for time off for holidays or the birth of their When I joined Qantas, the retiring age for pilots children, and to generally bring order to their lives. was 45. As you could not be issued with an Airline Stability in their lives was the main thing the pilots were Transport Pilot Licence until you were 21, that meant pilots after. From 1966 onwards, I would say that the lot of pilots had only 24 productive years of flying before they would was much happier. have to look for another job. Then the retiring age was raised to 50, and subsequently to 55. In mid-1974, Qantas The Company was amazed at the savings It gained was facing the expected retirement of a large number of from the elimination of the feather-bedding of the ad hoc senior pilots who had come from the RAAF after World previous system. Consequently they found that they had a War Two, and in order to delay the impact of their surplus of pilots, and an economic downturn In 1971 departure, the Company offered to extend the retirement provided the catalyst for action. On 22nd April that year, age from 55 to 58 (but only at the Company's discretion). 138 pilots and 17 flight engineers were retrenched. The pilots readily agreed to this proposal. Now the retiring Probably 70% of Qantas' flying Is done at night time. age at Qantas is 60, which has been the case in the United This enables aeroplanes to be serviced in daylight hours In States for a long time. ports such as Sydney and London, and is one of the I was elected to be Vice-Chairman of the Overseas reasons Qantas Increased the productivity of its fleet. As Branch of the Australian Federation of Air Pilots in 1967. Qantas pilots spent most of their time flying at night, which When the Chairman was posted to London on a short-term

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basing, I took over from him for about a year Following Francis duly arrived at my home and as he made that, I was Industrial Chairman for three years, so if my himself comfortable, he carefully shook some evil-smelling loyalties seem to lie more in the direction of the AFAR, it Ranch tobacco into a roll-your-own Zig-Zag paper. I really is only in relation to the job I had to do. I was noticed that his fingers on both hands were stained badly responsible for the appointment of Captain John Shields with nicotine. He lit the cigarette, paused to get the best as Qantas' Pilots' Liaison Captain in July 1967 as a effect, and said, "I went to school with you at the time old consequence of the 1966 strike, and he fulfilled this Henderson was the headmaster." position very successfully. In 1971 I acted on behalf of the This was not true but nevertheless he seemed to 138 pilots who were retrenched. That was a very painful know a lot about me. "Francis, you are a lot older than I experience because most were young fellows who had am, and I don't even know you," I responded weakly. been either Cadets or very junior pilots just appointed, but under the seniority system, if there was any need for "Quite so. I was a few years ahead of you, in Jimmy redundancies, it was always the most junior who would Singleton's class, and I know all about you and McClure depart first. However, the contract guaranteed their re­ breaking the windows in the girls' school and getting the employment in order of seniority when vacancies next job of repairing them from the woodwork teacher. And in occurred, and when the Company returned to profitability, that area, I always considered you both as rather the first 39 were re-employed in June 1973, with the rest advanced. But then I went on to higher education and following over time. learned Latin." The seniority rules did ensure that pilots got their "McClure was killed in the war, up in New Guinea," I chance at promotion when a vacancy occurred. However, replied In my guilt. Francis blew foul-smelling smoke it did not ensure that they would automatically become which hung on my curtains for days. He had won, and I captains. They still had to pass through a training system knew that our relationship would prosper. From this night that was probably more rigorous than that which had until the end of my flying career, a bottle of duty-free applied when the company selected pilots for promotion. cognac each trip helped to educate and frustrate me in my This meant that pilots who failed to pass their flying dealings with this mercurial gadfly of the Establishment. training as a captain had to go back on the line in their previous position as first officer before they could bid for After I explained about the strike, Francis rolled another attempt. If they failed on the second attempt, they another Ranch cigarette and said, "May I use your then became permanent first officers, with no rights to telephone, old boy?" He dialled the interstate number from become captains. memory. Histrionics were now necessary, and to ensure As this provision came into effect, it presented an that I could hear the voice at the other end In Melbourne, immediate stumbling block. We started to accrue a Francis held the receiver away from his ear. "Is that you, number of senior first officers who couldn't be promoted, Bob? Francis James here." The rich, unmistakable voice and that stopped the promotion of second officers to first of a thousand debates came through loud and clear. It officers. Consequently, from time to time the company was Sir Robert Menzies, former Prime Minister of offered a "golden handshake" to pilots who were Australia, and Francis discussed the strike with him at unpromotable. In doing so, they also found that there were some length. a number of captains who no longer wanted to fly and who Francis was editor of The Anglican newspaper and took the view that if unpromotable first officers were wrote a sympathetic article about the strike. He knew offered incentives to retire early, why shouldn't they be everybody, and a short time later spoke to Tom Fitzgerald, given the same opportunity? So in that way, by virtue of the economics writer for the Fairfax press, to get across the seniority system, promotional opportunities were the pilots' side of the dispute. opened up so that the company had an adequate supply of captains for the future. A. F. (Francis) L. James had joined the RAAF as a Cadet in 1937, but before he graduated, he was kicked out Francis James early in 1939 for conversing with non-commissioned During the 1966 strike, the pilots had not been getting personnel In the hangars. He thereupon went to Oxford to very favourable press coverage, so we were all distributing further his studies, and while there joined the RAF leaflets setting out our side of the dispute. One morning Voluntary Reserve, on the basis of having trained in the my phone rang and the caller asked, "Are you the person RAAF. He was badly burned on the face, eyes, legs and who dropped in my letterbox an information leaflet about wrists when, as a Flight Sergeant in the RAF, his Spitfire the Qantas pilots' strike?" was shot down over St Omer, France, in April 1942. He I gave a guarded answer, thinking perhaps we had was captured and hospitalised by the Germans, giving his breached some peculiar postal law. "To whom do I have name as "Air Commodore Turtledove". the pleasure of talking?" I gave it my best pilot public Because of his injuries (and also, no doubt, his address manner, as I recognised that this was no ordinary antics), he was eligible for release from captivity, and he call. This man had an unmistakably educated accent, was repatriated to Cairo In 1943. On his return to England possibly English but not quite. he was Invalided out of the RAF due to the deterioration of I had made a bad mistake in English usage which was his sight, but he then went to work for both MI5 and MI6 as picked up immediately. "It's Francis James, old boy, and an Intelligence Officer. As a result of his burns, he wore be advised that when you talk to someone, you are giving dark glasses and a broad-brimmed black felt hat. them an order. But If you talk with someone, they are Throughout the 1960s, Francis opposed the Vietnam being treated on equal terms and they are not inferior." war at a time when the majority of Australians supported it He continued, "Do you have any brandy, or better still, and its concomitant conscription, and twice visited Hanoi cognac, should I visit you this afternoon?" That's how it (now Ho Chi Minh City). In November 1969 he was started. arrested by the Chinese near the Chinese-Hong Kong border on suspicion of espionage. At the time of his arrest,

105 AHSA Aviation Heritage he was carrying three passports: he had his Australian subsequently traced the fault to a loose wire in the power passport, a Russian passport (he was posing as a KGB source to the captain's artificial horizon. general), and a fake one. He was released after three I always thought Bill Nye got a very raw deal in the years of imprisonment following extensive negotiations ensuing investigation, as I could have done the same thing between Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and Chinese on the flight from London. The problem was never fixed officials. In 1984, he was "rehabilitated" by the Chinese after I had snagged it in the Log Book at New York. Government, which apologised that his detention had been At Rome in August 1969, a female passenger with two unjustified and unlawful. An enigmatic figure, Francis small children attempted to come on board the Boeing James died in 1992 after a short illness. 707-338C with two grenades strapped to each of her legs. Boeing 707 and 747 A body search prior to boarding discovered the plot. After about a year to 18 months on the Electra, I was At the start of a flight to Nadi on one occasion, the posted for Boeing 707 training. I became a 707 Captain steward came up and said, "Did you know you have Harry on 20th March 1968, and subsequently a Promotional Secombe on board?" Secombe was one of the Goons Training Captain (in October 1969), then a Check Captain comedy team and had a beautiful singing voice. In London (August 1970) and later (May 1973) a Senior Check on my previous trip, I had bought a copy of Punch Captain. magazine in which was an article written by him. He wrote On one trip In a Boeing 707, I had a birdstrike leaving that he had just returned from a club tour of Australia and Kennedy Airport, New York. Congealed blood froze on the that, no matter where he went. It would be raining. He windscreen but we flew on instruments to San Francisco, would get in a taxi and comment to the driver on the rain where I made a restricted vision landing with the mess still and dreadful weather he encountered. And the taxi drivers obscuring the windscreen. invariably would say, "You should have been here yesterday. It was a lovely day yesterday." A member of the Budapest String Quartet came on board at New York on 12th November 1968 with a double So when we got off and the wheels were tucked in bass. I managed to un-bass him. and we were on our way, I made an announcement to the passengers. "Good evening ladles and gentlemen," I said. On 15th February 1969, in the Boeing 707-338 VH- "This is your Captain speaking, Val St. Leon. We have just EAB, I took off from London in instrument conditions and picked up a weather report from Nadi and I'm afraid it's not entered fog at about 300 feet. As I made a right-hand turn very good. However, we will have no trouble getting in to the Chertsey Fan Marker, which was part of the noise there. I just want to allay your fears that if It's a bit rough, abatement take-off procedure, I experienced a faulty everything will be quite in order. We are expecting a little indication on the Heading Direction Indicator which bit of snow and hail at Nadi, with gusting winds and a showed I was in a left-hand turn. The Horizon Bar stuck hurricane in the area. But you should have been here on 30 degrees Left. Because of the weather conditions I yesterday - it was a lovely day yesterday!" elected not to dump fuel and return but instead flew on to New York in emergency switching. In New York the As soon as I said that, the cockpit door flew open and problem was fixed with a pencil as "checked and found in burst Harry Secombe. "That's the funniest thing I've OK." heard in years," he said. The aircraft then operated satisfactorily back to "Yes, and I thought your article in Punch was very Sydney via San Francisco and Honolulu, although a funny," I replied. A nice fellow, he stayed there talking to number of entries were made in its Technical Log of us for an hour or more. Of course, I had to apologise to discrepancies between the captain's artificial horizon and the passengers and explain to them what it was all about, that of the first officer. None of the pilots on these but It was a very funny incident. subsequent sectors saw the Technical Log entries, nor On a Boeing 707 flight from Bahrain to Amsterdam at was there any requirement for them to do so. the beginning of November 1970 the weather over Europe En route to London on its next flight under the was poor and we held for an hour at the Spykabor Beacon, command of Captain Bill Nye, the aircraft was at 35,000 close to Schipol, before diverting to London's Heathrow feet over Jiwani, between Karachi and Bahrain on 21st Airport. At Heathrow we had to go around so we then February 1969 when the captain's artificial horizon attempted to land at Gatwick but had to go around there malfunctioned. First Officer David Howells was In the crew too. We then diverted to Prestwick but on the climb I rest when the upset occurred and had a very difficult noticed Manchester just visible and we made an struggle to return to the cockpit. The second officer's view immediate emergency descent at Manchester to refuel. By of the Instrument panel was obscured at the critical time. this time there was a slight Improvement in the weather at The captain looked away from his Instruments to check the Heathrow but crew flight time limitations were becoming warning signal and then disconnected the autopilot. It was marginal. I decided an attempt to land at Heathrow would pitch dark with no moon, so there was no natural horizon be worthwhile but it might become illegal if another visible and the captain rolled the aircraft to the left to diversion were necessary. Consequently, I landed at correct for the erroneously indicated 30 degrees of right Heathrow in full fog, after a tour of duty of 15 hours 55 bank. The aircraft turned almost on its back and entered a minutes since leaving Bahrain. tight spiral dive, losing 19,000 feet in 40 seconds while the Subsequently I received a letter of appreciation for this indicated airspeed built up to 465 knots (an estimated flight from the Chief Pilot Line Operations, Ron ("Torchy") Mach number of .93). The aircraft recorded a maximum Uren, which reads in part: "I wish to commend a fine loading of 4.57 G before it was pulled out of the dive and performance In airmanship." From "Torchy", this was control was recovered. One passenger and three cabin praise indeed! The event was also written up later In the crew sustained minor Injuries, and the aircraft was flown to Flight Safety Foundation Bulletin. Bahrain where it made a normal landing. Engineers

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During 1971, on takeoff at Vancouver in another trip in a Boeing 707, I experienced a false airspeed reading, with the captain's Air Speed Indicator reading 40 knots lower than the first officer's. The First Officer refused to do the landing at San Francisco from the right-hand seat, so I landed with the speeds being called by the Second Officer. The Flight Engineer, John Skidmore, subsequently traced the trouble to a damaged pitot tube line in the forward baggage compartment, where a heavy piece of machinery had been loaded on the tube. On return to Sydney I wrote to the Flight Captain Boeing 707, Alan Terrell, commending John Skidmore for finding the trouble. It had been a very dicey operation as I did not believe the First Officer's calls on take-off for Captain Val StLeon on his first trip in command of a Boeing 747, March 1974 Vi, VRand V2. After take-off, I had to close the aircraft's bar to my In Mauritius on 29th June 1972, operating from South passengers due to their drunk and disorderly behaviour. Africa in the Boeing 707 VH-EBR, I was flight-planning for Judy Patching and Jim Hardy were also on board and I the trip back to Sydney. Normally we would have gone had to enlist their help in calming down the athletes. into Perth for fuel (there were^o passengers disembarking or joining us there), but I saw from the weather charts that After some time as a Senior Check Captain, I had there was a very large Jetstream activity showing up which applied for Boeing 747 training, and on 21st March 1974 I seemed to indicate that we could make a direct flight from then became a 747 Captain, which I enjoyed very much. Mauritius to Sydney by riding it down south of Australia. I had an interesting experience on a 747 flight taking The Company agreed that I should attempt to make the off from Bahrain on 30th July 1974 when the turbine of direct flight, and if I couldn't make it, I could then go into Number 4 engine exploded at rotate. It was a very hot day Adelaide for fuel. (41 degrees Celsius) and the aircraft would not climb on From my navigation experience, I knew how to utilise three engines. I immediately Jettisoned fuel as we tried for the Jetstream. By watching the outside air temperature height wandering around the Persian Gulf amongst oil gauge, we could find the core of the Jetstream by its derricks spewing butane flames. It took an hour to reach temperature differential with the rest of the air mass. I 2,500 feet and I then landed back at Bahrain. Mike delayed our departure from Mauritius for two hours, as I Hanrahan was the First Officer and we had been shuttling did not wish to beat the 6.30 am curfew time for landing at between Rome and Bahrain due to a war in Cyprus. The Sydney. We set off and I went way south of Australia unfortunate passengers had to spend sleepless hours in riding the Jetstream. At one stage we were doing over 900 the Bahrain terminal while the engine was changed, but miles an hour ground speed. We then came up over the they appreciated being safely back on the ground after top of Adelaide and rejoined the airways system to their frightening ordeal. Sydney, only to discover that, in spite of delaying our start, I was one of the first in Qantas to be Category lla I was still beating the curfew for landing. I had the Qualified (on 29th September 1976), which is a completely aeroplane hanging back almost at the stalling speed and blind autopilot-coupled approach, and I was the first to use still we were due to arrive too early, so for another half an it operationally in flying VH-EBB into Amsterdam from hour we flew on towards New Zealand before we turned London on 21st January 1977. around and came back. I put the wheels on the ground at Sydney exactly at 6.30 am on 28th June, giving a flight In Perth on 8th September 1976 I had the pleasure of time of 9 hours 10 minutes for the 5,750 miles' distance, offloading Alan Bond, who was drunk and disorderly on but in fact we could have done it in almost an hour less, boarding. On another occasion, on takeoff at Vancouver, had it not been for the curfew. Nevertheless it was a a passenger invaded the cockpit with a double-barrelled record time and it was the first direct flight. shotgun. We managed to disarm him. When bringing Australian athletes back from the 1972 My most pleasant task, however, was to take an Munich Olympic Games in July, my crew and I had empty Boeing 747, VH-EBG, to RAAF Butterworth in travelled to Munich as passengers and were in civilian Malaya and on 9th December 1976 bring the whole of the clothes. We changed into uniform prior to departure but I RAAF's No.3 Squadron home at the end of their tour of was marched to flight planning at Munich Airport with a duty there. Imagine the uproar when I announced to my sub-machine gun in my back by Bavarian Police. This passengers, "How do you fellows like being flown home by followed the massacre of Israeli athletes by terrorists. an original 3 Squadron Flight Sergeant Fitter 2E?" Such things dreams are made of. (With apologies to The Maltese Falconl) 4-

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FATE DEALS A DOUBLE TRAGEDY John M. Smith Built to RAAF order as AI7-146, this 2-seat fabric, metal and wood trainer aircraft was based at various elementary flying schools during the 1939-45 war before being offered for public sale in December 1945. The Tiger Moth was bought by the Royal Aero Club of South Australia for £348, and on 18 September 1946 was registered VH-AXI It was re-registered VH-AML in May 1951 and sold to Shipp Bros of Mile End, Adelaide - a car repair company who's well remembered slogan was "Don't go dippy,just ring Shippy". In August 1954, VH-AML with Syd Shipp as pilot took part In the Redex Round Australia Aircraft Reliability Trial commencing at Bankstown, NSW. November 1955 saw the Tiger Moth sold to H. G. Sheridan of Myponga, South Australia and it was noted by your writer at The Battle of Britain Open Day at RAAF Mallala on 16 September 1956. Flying overhead at the end of the air show was the bat-like RAF Avro Vulcan XA 897. At that moment the fate of these two aircraft became intertwined as within the year both Tiger Moth and Vulcan were destroyed by fire at opposite ends of the earth. This four engine long range jet bomber belonging to 230 OCU was on the first overseas tour of Its type and was due to land shortly at nearby RAAF Edinburgh for found alive and living on the Gold Coast in Queensland. It servicing after flying to Avalon, Victoria via Singapore. It was revealed that after a domestic dispute he had left later went on to New Zealand and then back to the UK some clothes and a fishing rod on the rocks in an attempt through Danvin. to convince Police he had been swept off the rocks and On 1 October 1956 whilst coming in to land at drowned. He was brought back to Adelaide and put on trial Heathrow in thick , fog, the aircraft hit the ground on for manslaughter but was released because according to approach ripping off its undercarriage. The Vulcan tried to South Australian law there was nothing the police could climb away but veered to starboard and crashed in flames, charge him with. Within 6 months a new law was on the Both the pilot, S/Ldr D. R. Howard, and Co-pilot, Sir Harry statute book - 'causing a mischief by creating a falsehood' Broadhurst, Commander-in-Chief of Bomber Command, etc. ejected upwards safely but the rest of the crew, whose It is interesting to note that despite their superior normal method of ejection was downwards, all perished. technology the Vulcans were retired In the early 1980's The altimeter was found to be at fault still reading 300 ft and some were bought by aircraft preservation groups in when the aircraft struck the ground. the UK for $AI5,000 whereas an airworthy Tiger Moth, a On 13 July 1957 whilst searching for a man reported design of the 30's, will sell for $A40,000 in Australia, washed off rocks at Newland Head near Cape Jervis, These relics of a by-gone era celebrated their 70th South Australia, the Tiger Moth VH-AML was caught by a Anniversary on 26 October 2001 and a commemorative wind up-draft, crashing Into the cliff face and burnt. Both mail flight was made in South Australia in Tiger Moth VH- brothers, H. G. & D. Sheridan were killed. After a fruitless AUZ. search for the lost fisherman by Rescue Authorities, Postscript Detectives later located and arrested the man who was On 13 July 2002 the 45th Anniversary of the Sheridan brothers' demise, a plaque was unveiled at Victor Harbour, South Australia commemorating the crash of the Tiger Moth some 10 km west of The Bluff. It acknowledged the courage of the families left behind and the generous support given to them by the local residents. In September 2002 a two page detailed report of the retrieval of the 2 bodies from the bottom of 120 metre cliff face to the top by police In gusty conditions using a hand winch was published in a local news letter by a member of the police team. ^ Avro Vulcan, XA897, seen at RAAF Edinburgh undergoing servicing.

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THOSE "ROTTNEST" CATALINAS by Arthur Jones Over the years we've all heard the stories of what happened to the Qantas "Cats" which covered themselves with glory, flying the Double Sunrise route between Perth & Ceylon, keeping the Empire Route open to the "Mother Country" in the dark days of the Japanese onslaught on SE Asia and Australia, and the magical dedication to the job by the crews who made it happen. We've also heard all the theories about where their sea graves actually are and how to go about retrieving at least one, to put on display to commemorate the operation. Well, here finally are the facts, faithfully recorded by a Western Australian who was there, who actually did the job and describes in detail why you won't ever see one again. Arthur Jones lives in Harvey, W A and has kindly allowed us to "be there" as he recalls the duties the group were ordered to carry out. At the February 2004 CAMS meeting I was handed (by Frank Greenslade, President of the Maylands Historical Society), a photocopy of an account about the above, written by Arthur Jones. He will be 80 on the 23rd of July and is as bright as a button. However it was a poor copy transcribed from his original recording and illegible in places, so I rang Arthur (at the end of February), and had a long talk to him and mentioned about wanting to put it in the CAHS newsletter and also send it to the AHSA magazine. He was quite agreeable. Arthur then sent me a better copy, with photos of the Catalinas and one of himself They were poor photo copies also, so he has agreed to send me the originals for copy and return. Reading the new copy, some of the sinking dates didn't make sense (some dates were repeated), so I rang him again on the second of April 04. He got out his Logbook and read out all the relevant dates which I have now cleared up in the text. The final text is below Reg Adkins

“I was serving in No. 43 Squadron which was based at Rathmines NSW, on Lake Macquarie, as a Fitter Air Gunner and member of a Catalina crew. On about the Third of January 1946, I was up in the Sergeant's Mess at Rathmines and the Orderly Officer came in and asked if there were any West Australians in the mess. My first thought was don't volunteer for anything. We all thought it was unusual for them to ask if there were W.A. personnel there. So, I thought what the heck and said: Yes, I am a West Aussie and a Fitter Air Gunner. My mate Jonnie Evans who was a Flight Engineer was with me and as there were no other Western Australian people there he said he was available for whatever was going. The Orderly Officer said "OK, report to Orderly Room tomorrow morning." So, we duly fronted up and they said you two can have the job. So, Flight Lieutenants Hodson and Withell, both pilots, and us two were told we could hulls and everything visibly to see if we thought they were have the job in Western Australia and as none of us had OK. So a decision wasmade. OK, Antares is ready to take been home for a long time, we were delighted and said off. We all got down to Crawley on the Sixteenth of "What is the job?" We were told it was a top secret job and they could not tell us at the stage, but would be told when January 1946 at 1030 hours and took off and did a 2 hour test flight. Ted Withell was the skipper and Ted Hodson we got to Perth. And we asked if we would be coming was the second pilot. And we were told that an RAAF back to Rathmines after the job was done and told we would be. Anyway, on the Sixth of January 1946 we flew crash boat had gone out to Rottnest Island the previous on a Catalina to Rose Bay in Sydney and then by evening and we were to liaise with them as to the transport plane (VH-CIQ), Sydney to Melbourne, and on condition of the water, winds, etc. and if they thought we the 7th, Melbourne to Parafield, Parafield to Ceduna, could land. So the next morning, on the Seventeeth, back Ceduna to Forrest, Forrest to Kalgoorlie, Kalgoorlie to to Crawley. Also there was a RAF Flight Officer came with Perth and arrived in Perth the evening of the Seventh of us and he was there to see that nothing was taken from January 1946. the aircraft as that would break the Lend Lease Agreement and being RAF he would not waive one little Next day we had to report to Air Force House in St. bit. The key man for the whole exercise was a Navy George's Terrace which was headquarters for demolition expert by the name of Peter Plowman. He Administration of RAAF personnel. We were then duly came with us and we set off for Rottnest. After getting the advised that the job was to dispose of 4 Catalina aircraft weather conditions for the area from the RAAF, and that had been flown by Qantas staff from Perth to Ceylon checking ourselves, we decided it was OK to land during the war and were based at Crawley and under the Antares. This was about 13 miles west of Rottnest. We terms of the U.S. Lend Lease if the Australian landed and the dinghy from the crashboat came alongside Government wanted them they would have to pay £80,000 the Catalina and we were all transferred to the crashboat. each for them. Anyway that was our secret mission. But the day before we arrived there was a report in the "l/Vesf The night before, the explosives had been put aboard Australian" newspaper telling all and sundry what our the crash-boat. This consisted of 2 charges, each about secret mission was. So the first thing that had to be done 75lbs of explosive. One was to be placed in the bow and was that these planes had to be checked to see if they one in the blister. Then they were connected together. were airworthy and that all were in good condition. They Peter Plowman then loaded the explosives on board the had been locked up for a time and it seemed unsure as to dinghy and rowed to the Catalina. He said there was no how long since they were flown. As far as I can remember danger until these charges were connected. So, he duly they were up on the shore. Facilities had been built into unloaded them from the dinghy tied up at the blister. He

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were very experienced pilots. On the thirtieth we did another test flight of 2 hours. Sometimes we would fly north along the coast and sometimes south. So all in all, we had a good tourist view of our Western Australia Coast. I may Ticnicpoint mention that each day the RAAF crash- CAT H.Q boat would go out to Rottnest and stay t i overnight. We would go down to Crawley each morning, get in radio contact with the boat and they give us an indication whether they thought we could land or not. Then there was a break of 4 days until the fourth of February when, we took off in Rigel and headed out to Rottnest. The weather looked OK so we set Rigel down and Peter Plowman ______: and all the crew went through the same procedure again. This was 18 miles Looking from the RAAF Air Sea Rescue, at St George College boatshed, over Crawley Bay. The two Catalinas, moored, are waiting to be scuttled Photo by 83105 CplMulligan. west of Rottnest. The rear charge went then disappeared Into the Catalina which was riding the off as scheduled but the front charge swell and drifting with the wind. The exercise was to have did not go off. We all thought "what are we going to do the first one up in the blister go off, break it in halves and now?" None of us could understand why a Navy boat was then at a pre-determlned time the one In the bow go off not used to blow It up but that apparently was our and blow the front section into small pieces so none would bureaucratic procedures in those days. Anyway, the be left floating. The dinghy Peter Plowman used was Sergeant on the crash-boat said "No worry fellows, we will secured by a long rope to help him once the charges had fix". So out came 3 x 303 rifles with about 500 rounds of been set. This was duly done and he got into the dinghy, ammunition and we stood off at a safe distance and grabbed the oars and rowed like hell, with us also towing started firing. It seemed almost impossible that we could with the rope back to the crashboat. He jumped on board, put about 200 rounds into Rigel and nothing happened. we tied the dinghy to the crash-boat, went like blazes and Anyway, one shot eventually set the front part on fire. It stood off about mile from the Catalina. Peter was shaking blazed and blazed and finally all sunk. So, that was a bit, and he admitted it was a scary sort of a job. "Never exercise No. 2 completed. mind, Peter" we said, "One down and three to go". "You It was not until the 13.2.1946 that we took the next blokes are a bloody lot of help", was his reply. Anyway the Catalina out on a test flight of 2 hours. I may add that as rear charge went off first, broke the Catalina in halves and these Catalinas had not been flown for a while so the then the front charges went off. He said, "Good, it state of the hulls was an unknown quantity. But as we had worked". We stayed around to make sure it all sank so landed on the Swan River after test flights and then that there would be no shipping hazards. The crash-boat another inspection, we were fairly certain that they would with all aboard set off back to Fremantle, up to the Swan stand up to a rough water landing in the open sea. On the River to Crawley and the first Catalina was sunk. Fourteenth of February 1946, we took off at 1200 hours Johnnie Evans the engineer, stayed at my place, and flew Vega out 13 miles off Rottnest, where the crash- No.1 Arlington Street, South Perth which was my parents boat was waiting. We duly landed, went through the same house. After a time he moved to the YMCA in Murray procedure, and the exercise was completed. When that Street, so he was in the city and was able to see more of was done, we said to Peter Plowman, the Navy man, it. While we were in Perth, apart from our normal Air Force "What's all those grey hairs doing there Peter?" His pay, we were receiving a capital city allowance of 16 shillings per day, so we were right up in the "tourist" class. As the three West Aussies hadn't been home for sometime, we did our best to stretch the job out as long as possible. After the sinking of the Antares, It was 12 days before we flew in Rigel. The inspection of these Catalinas was a long job and Johnnie Evans and myself were the only two people who could say "Yes, we can fly In these". So this was probably stretched out a bit, as I mentioned previously. So, on the twenty-ninth, we took off and did a 2 hours test flight. Our take-off was over Canning Bridge and sometimes we used to wonder whether we were going to clear it or not. But I am sure Ted Withell and Ted Hodson did not think so as they Catalina Base, HQ Maintenance Building - Pelican Point 1945. Photo K. Mulligan.

110 AHSA Aviation Heritage answer was not fit for recording for future generation to listen to. Anyway, there was another 10 days before we test flew Altair on the twenty- fourth of January I do recall that we had a fair spell of bad weather about that time. Also, the extra spending money was nice. So on that date we did another test flight. But sadly, Ted Withell developed malaria and could not fly, so another skipper by the name of Bill Swan, who was a Flight Lieutenant, took over from Ted . We did our 2 hours test flight and then back to Crawley. Then it was not until the twenty-seventh that we took off in Altair again. We flew out 13 miles west of Rottnest and met the crash-boat out there, decided the water was OK and landed. Peter Plowman '*Riger taken at Crawley Bay 1945. went through the same procedure once duly let the axe go and down the float and axe went. A again and set the 2 charges. The back one went off, then small loss after 4 times £80,000 was sunk off Rottnest. the front one But this time the charge blew off the end of So a watery grave for those proud Catalinas. the wing with the wing float attached. All the rest went down but this piece floated and of course, would have I may add a few points of interest. The crash boat been a hazard to shipping, so had to be sunk. After a big used to be overnight at Rottnest, and local cray fishermen conference with all members It was duly decided that used to lay cray pots around the island and somehow or Arthur Jones and Johnnie Evans would go out in the other on the first couple of trips we were all treated to a dinghy and sink it. Now this of course was a very technical very nice meal of fresh crayfish cooked in the galley of the matter. The dinghy had the rope attached and secured to crash-boat. The fishermen had a good idea why their cray pots were empty! The Sergeant got a blast from Headquarters and of course it could not be proved. He said "No way, we wouldn't do anything like that!" But that was the end of our nice crayfish meals. Anyway, we finished the job on the twenty-seventh and then we think that the powers that be forgot all about us until suddenly we got frantic messages to report to the Air Force House in St. George's Terrace on the sixth of March 1946 and there was a flight arranged for us back to Sydney. We took off from Perth at 1800 hours on board an RAAF Transport Command Liberator to Sydney and It was a 9 hours direct flight. The skipper's name was Flying Officer Horn, and then on the eighth, we got a flight “Altair** at Crawley Bay^ last one sunk. from Rose Bay in Sydney back to Rathmines, piloted by Squadron Leader the crash-boat. And we clambered and half fell into the Gray on Catalina A24-10. dinghy, me armed with the secret weapon, and Johnnie In closing, as a matter of interest, the flights from on the oars. I may add there was a fairly long swell of Crawley to Ceylon which these Qantas Catalinas did were about 4 feet and it was sometime before all hands on the known as the Double Sunrise Flights. They took off on say boat and dinghy got us to the floating piece. You can Tuesday morning, flew all that day and night and landed In imagine all the advice that was being thrown around as to Ceylon the next morning at sunrise. The flying time was what we should and should not do. It was a hairy sort of a about 31 to 32 hours. Hence the name Double Sunrise job as the floating piece was coming up as we were going flight. These Catalinas were under strict security for any down - like the old saying, "up and down, like a fiddlers radar or radio contact, and all the navigation was done by elbow". Anyway, out comes the secret weapon, the dead reckoning. So that was a mighty achievement on Its tomahawk from the crash-boat equipment. Anyway Arthur own. Also, if medals were handed out then as they are to had the tomahawk and I said to Johnnie, "You hang on to day, Lt. Peter Plowman, Navy Demolition expert should me and I will chop holes in the float and wing, let the water have been awarded the highest valour medal available In in and that's that". After a number of chops I made one the Services, because It was a bloody hairy job. hell of a swipe and the axe got jammed in the float. Johnnie yelled out "Let it go" and a voice belonging to the OK that is all. This is ex-Sergeant Arthur Jones, Fitter Sergeant of the crash-boat yelled "Don't let it go, I have to Air Gunner, originally member of 11 and 43 Squadrons, account for that". Anyway the float was starting to sink so 1 and a member of Ron Black's crew for quite a long time, signing off. ^

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ADDENDUM TO YEOMAN/CROPMASTER HISTORY From “Cropmaster” by Allyn Eckford A-H June 2004. This chart by Allyn Eckford and Clive Lynch

Kingsford Smith & Yeoman Cropmaster Series (compiled in Design/Registration order) Reg Maker Design Name A.1.N0. P.l.(8) On Off Why Date Notes VH-AJH CAC CA-6 Wackett Trainer 283 A3-49 030446 201168 WFS 201168 Owners request VH-FBD KSAS KS-3 Cropmaster 299 A3-65, VH-> 241257 170158 DBF170158 Bankstown NSW VH-FBD KSAS KS-3 Cropmaster 410 A3-176, VH 270658 271161 CR 271161 Borden WA VH-FBE KSAS KS-3 Cropmaster 365 A3-131,VH 241257 230561 DAM 260461 Geraidton WA VH-FBF KSAS KS-3 Cropmaster 375 A3-141, VH 100358 230561 CR 160461 Northampton WA VH-ABH Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 114 VH-ABY nti 280864 020271 CR 210370 Mumindindi, near Yea VIC VH-ABY Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 114 NTU To VH-ABH VH-AGL Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 113 VH-CYY 111169 080279 DAM 290176 Emerald OLD VH-BAK Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 115 161264 150368 CR 150368 Coombadjha, near Grafton NSW VH-BAQ Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 107 160862 241064 CR 241064 Near Boorowa NSW VH-BJF Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 101 040460 070661 RC To VH-CXS VH-COE Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 105 VH-TSD 000464 280366 CR 280366 Near Orange NSW VH-CXH Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 103 170261 050162 CR 211261 NearBlackheath NSW VH-CXQ Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 104 060661 200665 CR 200665 Highbury, near Narrogin WA VH-CXS Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 101 VH-BJF 070661 110180 WFS 001179 VH^YW Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 106 240562 090878 CR 060878 Near Ballidu WA VH-CYY Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 113 070464 111169 RC To VH-AGL VH-DCB Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 108 021062 031062 CANX ToZK-CCP VH-DCC Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 111 110463 151268 DAM-RC 151268 Holbrook NSW. to VH-ENM VH-DEQ Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 110 280164 290765 CANX ToZK-CDI VH-ENM Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 111 VH-DCC 290174 220279 CR 210278 Wee Waa NSW VH-FPB Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 112 030763 000464 RC To VH-SWC VH-MSS Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 102 241160 280761 CR 280761 Deniliquin NSW VH-RPB Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 116 231064011064 CR 291065 Kempton TAS VH-SWC Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 112 VH-FPB 000464 130375 WFS 130375 VH-TPH Yeoman Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 117 NTU ToZK-CLW VH-TPK Cropmaster Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 118 150665 090765 CANX ToZK-COE VH-TPM Cropmaster Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 119 190765 100166 CANX ToZK-CPW m Cropmaster Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 120 ToZK-CTX VH-TPN Cropmaster Aircraft YA-1 Cropmaster 250R 121 240166 090971 CR 020671 Ewenmar, near Tabulam NSW VH-TSD Yeoman Aviation YA-1 Cropmaster 250 105 181061 000464 RC-CT 000464 To VH-COE as Cropmaster 250R

DC 3 Memories from August 1965

From Dr.Malcolm Fredman

In the heated confines of the all-purpose terminal at opposite was occupied by rolls of barbed wire. Essendon Airport, I was idly waiting for a late Electra, as .The plane refuelled at Kalgoorlle, Forrest, Cook, the schedules were still at the mercy of rain and low cloud. Ceduna and Adelaide. It was fearfully hot in the desert, but I pondered over the DC3s or Dakotas visible outside and became quite chilly once altitude was gained again. The still in use on short intrastate runs, and now called Air hostess brushed the flies from the passengers' backs as Coaches. They are still a practical proposition, after over they boarded each time. There was a cabin crew of one, 25 years of service. and she had to cook meals from raw materials. To fill in time, I prodded my mother into recalling her With the hot day and frequent changes of altitude, air first flight, which was in a DC3 from Perth to Melbourne In pockets were frequent, and quite disturbing. the early years of the Second World War. Final arrival was at 9.30pm at the Flinders Street city She had to be at Guildford aerodrome ready for a 6 am terminal, where she was picked up under blackout departure. Passengers and all luggage' and handbags conditions. ^ were weighed. The passenger space in the two seats

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Don't call me “Killer”: Clive Robertson Caldwell in the Western Desert May-December 1941. By Kristen Alexander (This article is based on Kristen’s presentation to the Military Historical Society of Australia Biennial Conference October 2002, and is an edited version of her article which was published in Sabretache: The Journal and Proceedings of The Military Historical Society of Australia VoiXUV, No 1, March 2003. Kristen is continuing her research into Clive Caldwell’s military career and is working on his biography. Kristen would welcome comments on her article, and other information relating to Caldwell’s career. Contact details: GPO Box 3170, Canberra ACT 2601; 02 6259 0540; [email protected]) Clive Robertson Caldwell flew with both the RAF and His wife told me that he loved to watch birds fly. He would RAAF during World War II. With a total score of 27 and 3 just sit and watch them. Whilst flying, he had the feeling of shared destroyed, 6 probables and 15 damaged, he was a bird In the air. He loved to fly, and this love of flying the highest Australian scorer in World War II. (1) Quite stayed with him after the war when be bought his own little early in the piece, he was given the sobriquet “Killer”, plane and flew it often, and for many years. As war which appeared to aptly sum up his activities. According to approached, he realised that he did not want to go into the Bobby Gibbes, he was dubbed “Killer” because “of his military and especially did not want to be a footslogger. So, habit of shooting up any enemy vehicle which he saw with his love of flying, it had to be the RAAF, and nothing below when returning from a sortie. Invariably he landed else. He particularly wanted to be a fighter pilot, but he back at his base with almost no ammunition left”. (2) The was 29 at the time, too old for fighter training. So he name stuck from an early stage and made Its way into the decided to fudge his age on official records and a chemist popular imagination through numerous articles during the friend obliterated the real date on Caldwell’s birth war years. (3). The name may have been in common use, certificate. (18) but Caldwell did not like it, and, funnily enough, did not At one stage, Caldwell wrote of his reasons for appreciate the 1982 signal from RAAF staff In Washington volunteering. He said that they to the Department of Defence, Canberra enquiring whether “Killer” Caldwell was still alive! (4). But in the public arena “were multiple, and I was never sure how to at least - his family and friends did not use it - the appropriately weight the components. It was of nickname stuck until his death. Even the Sydney Morning course the thing to do. There was duty involved Herald’s obituary used the nickname in its headline (whilst which I wanted to accept. Hitler and his Nazi mentioning in the text how Caldwell deplored the name supporters were a provocation. There was the and could never shake it off!) (5) invitation to adventure. There was a great game to be played and I wanted to play a part of it". (19) In May 1941, Caldwell was posted to No 250 Squadron RAF, and I will focus on some of his key experiences with After discovering that the men of his intake were this Squadron. To illustrate these, I will draw mainly on destined to become instructors, he sought a discharge and Caldwell’s own writings, in particular some letters written rejoined as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme on 25 by Caldwell to his friend, Ernest Richardson Slade-Slade. May 1940. (20) Caldwell’s initial training postings were to 2 (6) Recruit Depot Richmond, 2 Initial Training School Bradfield Park, 4 Elementary Flying Training School Mascot, 2 Caldwell was 6 ft 2 inches tall, with dark complexion, Service Flying Training School Wagga Wagga and 2 ED dark hair and brown eyes. (7) He has been described (Embarkation Depot) Bradfield Park, and he was variously as a little like General de Gaulle: “tall as a young commissioned as a pilot officer In January 1941. On 3 tree, and as lean and springy, hair black as a raven, broad February 1941 he embarked for the Middle East and on square shoulders, clean-cut features, and a certain dignity, arrival was allocated to the Middle East Pool. (21) On 8 a certain assurance”(8); as “tall and lean of stature and May 1941, Pilot Officer Clive Caldwell joined No 250 strong llmbed”(9); as a “tall, lanky, close-mustached, easy Squadron RAF. (22) smiling typical Australian” (10); as being gigantic, and one of the strongest men in the RAAF (11); and as “...tough 250 Squadron had originally formed In August 1918 and dark, with sharp aquiline features, flashing eyes and a and had been occupied with coastal reconnaissance duties stern but loquacious mouth.” (12). It appears to me that over the Bristol Channel and its approaches. It disbanded Caldwell looked particularly Errol Flynnish; the archetypal on 15 May 1919. (23) It reformed on 1 April 1941 and was tall dark and handsome! And perhaps I am not the only composed essentially of “K” Flight on its move from the one who thought this. At one stage, for an ANZAC House Sudan. It was Initially based at Aqir, but moved to Lake Appeal, the Combined Services Women’s Auxiliary Maryat on 25 May and then to SIdl Haneish on 11 June. nominated Caldwell for a pin-up man contest! (13) (24) It became operational on 11 May when 10 pilots and aircraft were ordered to participate in the defence of Caldwell was athletically orientated: he was a state Alexandria. (25) The Squadron was equipped mainly with junior javelin champion, and he represented NSW in the Tomahawks, and it was the first Tomahawk squadron in national track and field championships in 1930 and 1932, the Middle East. Compared with the German’s and in 1931, he held the state 440 yards hurdles record. Messerchmidtt Bf109, the Tomahawk was of Inferior speed He played golf and boxed (14) and eventually became a and rate of climb, but It was reliable and was perhaps the crack shot. (15) In 1938, Caldwell joined the Royal Aero best fighter available at the time. (26). 250 Squadron Club. He had solo-ed after three and a half hours, and had Initially devoted its time to defence duties, but when It 11 flying hours to his credit when he enlisted with the moved to the Western Desert in June 1941, it carried out RAAF at war’s outbreak (16). It has been reported that fighter patrols until February 1942, when It returned to Caldwell did not really like flying. (17) This is not true. After Egypt (27). joining the Aero Club, he quickly found that he loved flying.

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Caldwell’s first mission was on 12 May when he straffer,; but Caldwell recognised the dangers associated escorted some bombers to Palmyra. (28) Before moving with it. on from Alexandria, he claimed a “small success”. He told Slade that he considered it to be “a little overdue. I felt as if “You can’t make too many mistakes in this I had been chasing its tail all over Transjordan, Syria, business for at the bottom of your dive, you are Cyprus and Turkey down as far as the Dodecanese”. (29) traveling like a comet with plenty to do. Its chancy Nothing terribly much happened for a while after the work, too, for the most ill-directed shot from some Squadron transferred to the Western Desert. Caldwell gunner on the ground may sink you. Everyone is noted that he had done “several patrols, once or twice firing at you, and although most of them are wide without seeing a darn thing and on a couple of occasions of the mark, it is easy to run into a stray bullet”. (39) we had a short chase and an indecisive action with some Jerries but no blood on either side”. (30) On 11 June, 250 On 18 June, Caldwell had another go at the ground Squadron moved forward to Sidi Haneish to take part in straffe racket. Operation Battleaxe, the army campaign designed to “We took off at dawn and I had to land again relieve Tobruk, which opened on 14 June. (31) Then, says with electrical trouble. The other seven pushed on Caldwell, and when I got off again 15 minutes later, they “all of a sudden it came with a rush, as you were some 60 miles on their way. Anyhow, I knew might say. We had orders for eight machines to where we were to go and what needed doing, so I ground straffe the enemy transport roads up near pushed along on my pat malone to give a bit of a Capuzzo. This went off extra well and we had a personal performance. Being a bit scared of the fine time killing quite a number of fellers and Jerries getting me, I kept pretty low down in the mucking up their push carts...” (32) seat skirting the Gulf of Solium and cutting across Caldwell told Slade that the wire (40) Just below Bardia and hitting the road, Bardia to Tobruk, about 5 miles west of B[ardia]. “The next day the push up for Tobruk’s relief Flying at about 15 feet at 250 mph, I suddenly started and the air became pretty busy. We lost a came on two lorries. As I closed toward 'em, the plane that day on a patrol, and had a bit of crews jumped out and dived into the ditch at the skirmishing but though we damaged a couple roadside. I opened fire on the first truck at about couldn’t get a confirmation of one even. This 500 yards and then suddenly another chap popped confirmation is petty tough - you have to give out of the second truck. I gave the rudder a touch your word that you saw it actually hit the ground and knocked him off like a ninepin. He fairly leapt and two other independent reports saying the into the air and came down flat on his back in the same are required before its OK, so that, if you road! Well I turned and gave the lorries another are over enemy country, as we mostly are, it’s not splash just to fix ’em for sure, then put a burst easy to get the two independents even if you do across the 3 Jerries lying in plain view in the ditch see it all yourself, unless the army blokes see it and so did them in. About 10 miles further along, I and report duly ....” (33) found five lorries all dispersed in a circle and had a Confirmation of downed planes was particularly go at them, putting 3 out of action. In the difficult. Wing Commander Bobby Gibbes wrote that “it was meantime, they opened up with machine guns and not possible for a desert pilot to have a victory confirmed a bit of tracer was flying about. I had a stab at one without a witness. Our aircraft were not equipped with gun post and silenced that, fixing the two gunners camera-guns so we had no photographic records of and pushed off toward Tobruk. On the way I found combats fought.” (34) The RAF and RAAF may have been an odd one about and gave ’em a short 1 sec’ tough as far as confirmations were concerned, but not so burst with few results. When I covered the 90 odd the Luftwaffe. After the war, Gibbes became a friend of miles of coast I turned round and came back down Erhard Braune, an ex-commanding officer of lll/JG 27. In a it for luck, getting in another attack at the still discussion with him regarding tactics, Gibbes asked parked 5 trucks and catching one chap mucking Braune why the claims of some Luftwaffe pilots appeared about with an engine, so of course he went unrealistic as they did not add up with known Allied losses. unserviceable too. As I passed the original two Braune told Gibbes that these high claims helped the lorries the four blokes were still there and hadn’t morale of the German population! (35) wriggled so no doubt they were good and cold. Well as I got near Bardia the road goes to the right But back to Ca!dwe!rs account: towards Solium and I thought it might be a bit of a “On the second day we had some fun over shock to the Jerries if I buzzed thru the middle of Halfaya Pass (He!!fire) and again no definite their big do at Bardia, so keeping right down on the results, but some close work just the same and deck, I ducked over the rise and was right in the the Hurricanes got a couple down. The third day middle of them before I hardly knew it myself. Well our chaps were retreating and we were out on the they fired all sorts of things at me but beyond a few ground straffe racket again” (36) in the tail, I came to no grief: their shooting was lousy.” (41) Caldwell’s flying log is full of references to his straffing activities: each time he carefully noted when he had Caldwell’s account of this day’s efforts sounds rather accounted for dead personnel. One account indicates that heroic and “boys own”, but the reality was anything but. In Caldwell may have killed as many as 600 enemy soldiers, ^ interview with John Hetherington for the Melbourne (37) and Caldwell considered that it was worth it, if it meant Herald, Caldwell recalled that during that first dogfight on disrupting enemy forces for a week or even a few days. *he way home, his “mouth and throat were dry”. (38) . He may have been a diligent and successful ground “I had to keep working my tongue to make the saliva run. It was the first time I had been

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attacked by enemy fighters and I just didn’t know flopping about all over the sky trying to get fixed enough to cope”. (42) and having a shot now and then as one flashed Caldwell once stated that; by. I got on one chap’s tall and was just going along well when I heard a couple of sharp taps “...this single-seater fighting is queer stuff. It is and saw some holes appear in my wing and like a drink or drugs; it grows on you. Sometimes tracer slipping by just beside the cockpit so I when you are in a tight spot you think ‘I’ll never deduced that one must be on my tail and took get out of this’. You know fear, and your tongue plenty of violent action to spook him off. When I sticks to the roof of your mouth. But you do get recovered from the shock I was at about 9000 out of it and back on the ground. Then the itch feet and more or less unattached. Then just begins again and you can hardly wait to get up below me, out of the general ruck ... an ME 109 into the air again and have another go.” (43) quickly flew straight and level, so I winged over Caldwell once confessed that he was not an instant and dived on it. He saw me and dived too, but I success as a pilot, and that it “took about 30 missions to managed to close to about 150 feet and let him bag my first kill.” He had done plenty of shooting, but he have the lot. We raced on down, me firing like hell wasn’t downing any planes. (44) This concerned him, so and as we got truly low, I began to pull out and he he put in a lot of time and energy developing his gunnery just kept right on, hit the ground and exploded sense by practicing low-level firing at his own aircraft’s with a hell of a flash. I bobbed back up to about shadow. (45) The idea for this came about when one day, 6000 feet and got in a go at a G-50 who got whilst flying low over the desert, he paid close attention to away, firing off a bit of white stuff, either smoke or his formation’s shadows over the sand: glycol. I don’t know which as I was again In bother from behind and had to leave. Well I got back to “When we flew low over the desert the early our advance landing ground, found a couple of morning sun cast racing shadows on the sand. my mates there and reviewed the damage. In all, When I tried to hit a colleague’s shadow I missed; I saw about 6 planes hit and explode and one or I fired over the shadow and well behind, but with two others a bit off true. I had 16 holes in the old more practice and self-correcting I soon mastered crate and the wireless shot away just over my the art of deflection shooting with fixed guns”. (46) head, so I was a bit lucky.” (53) Archie Wilson, a fellow 250 squadron pilot, and The plane that Caldwell shot down was his first and the Calwells tent matewrote that he and Caldwell avidly other pilots recall that he screamed into his radio­ discussed the “merits of this initiative at length and how telephone whilst he fought and that he was crazy with the best to have this introduced Into [their] training programme excitement of It all. (54) The account of the Incident in the on an official basis” (47). They did get it Into the training 250 Squadron diary records Caldwell’s excitement during programme, and the method proved so successful, that Air the action and states that “P/0 Caldwell shot down an ME Marshal Tedder sent a directive to all fighter squadrons of 109, having shouted over the R/T for five minutes 109, the Desert Air Force which referred to the method 109, 109.... he has at last seen an E/A in the air and also introduced by Pilot Officer Caldwell of 250 Squadron! (48). shot it down.” (55) Caldwell considered that shadow shooting was “the best contribution I was able to make to the cause”. (49) Other than a gun test on the 27th, things were pretty quiet for Caldwell until 30 June. But back to June 1941. Nothing of much significance happened in the next few days after the 18^^ Caldwell “Then we got orders to do a fighter patrol over noted that there was some of HM ships going to Tobruk. The ships were expected to be attacked during the day and “a bit more of this straffing stuff and an odd the fighters were to be over them all the time from high patrol but without anything of note turning dawn to dark. It was expected also that the real up, just a few touch and dive away stuff and no attack would come in the evening as they neared decisive action either way.” (50) Tobruk and this squadron was to have the honour Things became a bit more exciting on 25 June when of that last hour’s patrol...... We arrived over the his diligent shadow shooting practice finally paid off. He ships at 5 pm as requested at 20,000 feet and and 9 other aircraft “had the job of escorting bombers to began our patrol. Almost immediately three 109s Gazala to do up the drome there. First day a surprise, and were seen ... about a mile away, waggling about we got away scot free and did a little ground straffing on almost as if to attract us. Then we saw ... 9 more the way home for good measure” and the next day “the old 109s about 5000 feet above them waiting for us Jerry was waiting for us In force.” (51) to take the bait. We began to circle over the ships, keeping a good eye on the boys of the Caldwell told Slade that there crooked cross ... and then darn me if the air “had been some intelligence before we left below didn’t seem to come alive with planes. A that a lot of German kites had been on patrol all bunch of about 25 JU 87 dive bombers with an day and a lot more on advance dromes at escort of some 30 109s and G-50 were hurling readiness so we sort of expected it. Well, we got along ... with a flight of some 68 MEIIOs out to there OK and the bombers did a fine job and set the left of them. There was no time to piddle off home. Then all of a sudden as we sort of about now, so we half rolled and dived on em. stooged around, down they came on us like The 87s kept on and started In on the ships while bombs. In the first rush no one was hurt and they the fighters both from above and below set on us. carried on away down In their dive. As we got I picked on a 110 on the outside and after a bit of near Tobruk the NK opened up and we shifted a chase about, drew smoke from his starboard away a bit, then they arrived In force and about engine, then after one more burst he suddenly 40 machines (52) got going on us. I was sort of dived straight into the sea. There was such a

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hurry and scurry on that it was hard to tell what Australian pilots four days ago, we now have but was what.” (56) one of the two left, the other bloke got bumped off Obviously so: although this account to Slade does not yesterday”. (59) mention it, nor even his own log book, the downing of that This was not the only time that Caldwell contemplated 110 was actualiy shared with Sgt Bob Whittle. (57) But the toll on those involved in battle: “I’ve seen a lot of my back to Caldwell’s version of events. friends go. in fact so many of em have died that I’m not “Anyway, after an odd dash here and there quite sure who’s alive and who isn’t”. (60). And on facing and a bit of [a] look at the bombing which was death himself, he mused “Was this to be the iast trip. And going great guns, I managed to pick a coupie of wouid I ever see the sun rise again to flood the earth with G-50s who were touching about down iower. As I its splendour. I paled [at] the very thought of death at that iooked at em, one of our four Tomahawks moment...” (61) whistied past on its way down with no tail and hit War, and in particular battle, may have had its scary the sea in a heil of a spiash. After an moments, but Caidweil had no doubts that he shouid be unsuccessfui dive on the G-50s i got right up fighting. His prompt enlistment at war’s outbreak, along underneath a 109 and saw my bullets go into it. with the fudged documents, and his reasons for joining He wheeled over and dived, but I don’t think was indicate his commitment. He wrote that “ [w]e are fighting a properly fixed. Then I saw two more kites go war we cannot afford to lose” (62) and that “[i]t’s better for hurtling down, had a iook at the bombing on the a few men to die in battle than for millions to live in ships and decided to pop down and have a dig at slavery.” (63). He considered that “[t]o kill a man is no the JU87s who were having such a lovely time worry. At first you think about it a littie, but you soon get with the unfortunate ships and destroyers. By now over that, it’s your life or theirs. This is war. You do what some of the ships had been hit and relays of 87s you have to do and then forget it. All rules of civilian life are with fresh loads were coming on the scene. Weli i suspended and [you] find yourself doing and thinking ail sort of got into the circie as they dived, bombed, manner of things that you never thought you could do”, climbed and circled for a new attack. I picked a (64) In the 1943 interview with Hetherington, Caidweli bioke and waited while he dived then got him explained that “one has a detached feeiing when he sits in flush as he ciimbed up the other side. He turned an aircraft firing at a man on the ground”. “The man below and began to go down with a streak of white has no reality as a human being. He is just a target, and it smoke coming out. i fastened onto him and is your sole purpose to knock him over.” (65) And of how shoved in another burst for good measure. Saw war and killing affected him, he wrote that him burst into flames and go down over the sea “[t]he human mind faced with a situation that about 14 mile from the largest ship. I ducked back is too much for it, protects itself with a dull coating into the circle again and right away caught a of indifference - to everything except the fellow as he was turning in on his approach to immediate probiem of ...survival. He becomes dive. After the first burst he straightened up, then drained of emotion, emptied of ali feeiing for began aiso to go down in a shallow dive, so I others. Men jest among themselves that death hung on his taii and gave him a bit more and saw had passed them over so often that they cannot the teil taie white stream back from him. I had a die, yet know that they wili at anytime, perhaps bit much speed on and had to puil out to the side within a few hours. (66) to avoid bumping into him just after my last burst. I was quite close, about a wing span out to the But enough of introspection and back to action. After side and above him and could see the pilot sitting the excitement of his first dogfights and successes, July in an absoiute furnace in the cockpit, just being was a relatively quite month with 250 Squadron almost roasted. He went into the sea and no doubt it entirely engaged in convoy escort. But for Caldwell, there cooled him off, but would be a little late I think. I were some highiights, and the first occurred on 7 July, felt so good about this, that I was just going back Here, Caidweil and 5 others from 250 Squadron, co- for another when a couple of nasty looking 109s operated with other squadrons in an offensive sweep over came after me. I had a quick look round to see the Bardia area, (67) but Caldwell was the only one who where the remainder of our bunch were, couldn’t encountered enemy aircraft. He had experienced engine see any, so put the nose over and dived fuil bore trouble and had become separated from the formation. He round behind one of the destroyers and headed continued on his own, and ended up shooting down one of for the German shore about 20 miies away. I two G-50s which had been returning to their base. On the managed to shake em off, iooked at my clock, way home, he straffed some car parks near Solium, and saw it was 8 minutes to six and near tea time so killed a number of enemy soldiers. He was credited with kept right on going. Just as I got near Bardia, the G-50 (68). Caidweil notes in his flying log that he also right down over the water so that I couidn’t be killed 14 personnel as well as damaging some enemy dived on, i saw some figures in a little beasty so I vehicles, just turned aside for a moment and though they Apparently the rest of the Squadron suspected that spread out, managed to bowl one bloke over.” Caldwell had deliberately given them the slip. As they had (58) spotted him, they weren’t too convinced when he insisted Towards the end of his letter, Caldwell became a bit that the engine troubie had cieared itself after he had more contemplative, ruminating on the toli that the air turned back, and that he then couidn’t find the formation. batties had taken on his comrades. When he finaiiy returned after the compieted mission, his “Of the original 26 pilots in this outfit we now mates decided they would teach him a bit of a lesson. So have 11 ieft. Of course we have had some new when he arrived, calling for a drink and wanting to taik of ones come in .... [but] some of the new ones his experiences, no one paid terribiy much attention. He have also gone in the meantime. We got two new repeated his story, but his comrades just raised their

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left shoulder and hip, small pieces of glass embedding in my face, my helmet and goggles being pulled askew across my nose and eyes - no doubt a near miss.” A near miss, perhaps, but it didn’t end there. The plane spun out of control and he blacked out whilst pulling out of the dive. He recovered to see flames in the cockpit. He was just about to bail out when the fire died out. So he decided to remain in the plane and attempt a landing. He limped his way back to base, but even with a seriously damaged plane, he still managed to shoot down an ME 109F that happened to get in his way! (72) When he finally got back to base, he had blood running down his leg and filling his boots, and his left arm was covered with blood. (73) He had to be pulled out of his cockpit and was taken to hospital. In the 250 Squadron diary, the recorder noted that Caldwell’s only comment about the incident was “I didn’t think it could ever happen to me” (74), and Caldwell admitted later that he thought he’d “bought It this time definitely” (75). This day’s efforts resulted In his being awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross. The citation, which appeared in the London Gazette on 26 December 1941, stated “This officer has performed splendid work In the Middle East operations. He has at all % times shown dogged determination and high devotion to duty which have proved an inspiration to his fellow pilots.....” (76) Caldwell may have been injured and hospitalised Caldwell in his plane after he was wounded on 29 August 1941. Hisftying after hiS encounter on the 29'^, but yOU can’t keep a lo£ndicates that hewasftyingAK493 that day. Hewrote on the rever^^ keen man down and, after noting himself as The canopy is in the same position as it was during the do . On the far side just behind my head you can see where a few bullets came through and unserviceable in his log on 30 August, he was back in scored a near miss. Another similar burst of about twice the number came the seat again on the 1 of September when he was through the top, but ... was a failure owing to sun glare. They took the jumped by ME 109s on a patrol. Of this encounter he earpiece off my helmet A number of shrapnel holes from the 20mm shells wrote “self nearly bought it. Very bad.” (77) that hit the wings can be seen in the side of the cockpit, and a bullet hole in this side.... ” September and October were relatively quiet eyebrows and hummed disbelievingly. Someone, In a months for 250 Squadron, with a series of standing bored tone, said that he should phone the Air Officer patrols and more escort duty of convoys. There may have Commanding and tell him about It all. And he did. The been limited opportunities for increasing his tally, but tables were turned against the mess when Caldwell and Caldwell made the most of them. He carried out some the CO were promptly ordered to HQ, and as a straffing activities and noted some downed ground consequence of Caldwell’s adventures, the Command personnel in his log. On 12 September, Caldwell took over planned a heavy attack. The Squadron diarist got in the command of the Squadron’s “K” Flight. (78) Two days last word though, with a bit of a backhanded compliment later, on his first bomber escort duty after he took over which hinted at their feelings about lone-wolf tactics: “Good command, he was attacked by an ME109 and he damaged show, but don’t run about by yourself again”. (69) two. He damaged two others on 26 and 30 September and shot down two more ME109s on 27 and 28 September. Early August 1941 saw lots of gun and air tests, some Both of these were confirmed. patrolling and some minor skirmishes. On 18 August, 12 Tomahawks were sent off to patrol over HM Ships. 20 ME On 18 October he damaged an ME109. He noted in his 109s and 6 ME 110s attempted to attack the ships and log book that it was almost a probable, but blamed the split up the Tomahawk formation. Several enemy aircraft, ships for not confirming it! On 23 October he participated in including one by Caldwell, were hit and damaged. On 23 a dawn patrol over HM Ships. Later that day, in a solo August, Caldwell’s plane was damaged in enemy action ground straffe operation, he damaged 2 motor transport in and he was forced to land at Tobruk. Damage was serious the Bardia - Capuzzo area, setting one alight and killing enough to warrant a two night stay, and he returned to crew. As well as knocking out crew and motor transport, base at first light on the 25'^ (70) this operation proved important from an intelligence perspective. Caldwell’s log and the Squadron Operations Whilst patrolling HM ships on 28 August, he claimed record indicate that Caldwell saw 4 dummy tanks (79) another probable from an encounter with 16 ME 109Es, (71) but the most significant action of August occurred on ....in the Sollum-Buq Buq area. Machine-gun the 29*'^. On this occasion, 10 Tomahawks were sent to bullets would not penetrate their steel hides, but patrol HM ships north of Sidi Barrani and encountered he thought the rattle of bullets on the plates would I/JG27. Whilst acting as weaver, Caldwell was attacked by make the crews inside feel a little upset. He 2 MEs. He was shot and his plane caught fire. In his singled out one tank and opened fire with all of combat report, he wrote that he had been attacked his guns. And then he noticed an odd thing. The apparently simultaneously, and as well as damage to his tank was smoldering where his bullets had struck. plane, he ended up with “ a number of bullets entering my Smoldering steel! It didn’t make sense. Half- circling back, he saw that these tanks were not

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damaged ME 109F on 26 November, a shot down ME 109 on 28 November which he noted as a probable, and a probable on 30 November. November may have been a busy month, but December saw perhaps the most brilliant air action of the Western Desert campaign. This occurred on 5 December and involved Caldwell shooting down five JU87 Stukas in 18 seconds. (85) In this action, he led 12 planes from 250 Squadron and some from 112 Squadron, a total of 21 aircraft airborne. They engaged 70 plus planes, approximately 40 JU 87s and 30 ME 109s. Including the 5 he shot down, 24 enemy aircraft fell. (86) In his combat report he wrote “At 300 yards I opened fire with all my guns at the leader of one of the rear sections of three, allowing too little deflection, and hit No 2 and No 3, one of which burst into flames immediately, the other going down smoking and went into flames after losing about 1000 feet. I then attacked the leader of the rear section .... from below and behind, opening fire with guns at very close range. Enemy aircraft turned over and dived steeply with the root of the starboard wing in flames. ... another stuka opened fire again at close range. The enemy aircraft caught fire and crashed in flames near some dispersed MT. (The fifth stuka) .... was able to pull up under the belly of the one at the rear holding the burst until very close range. The enemy aircraft diced gently straight ahead streaming smoke, caught fire and then dived into the ground....” (87). This photo was seen in a number of newspapers around the world. Caldwell For this action, Caldwell was awarded the bar to also sent a copy to his friend Slade. One blurb read: “This daring Australian DFC. This was gazetted on the same day as the pilot recently created a fine record of shooting down five JU. 87s in one The Extract from Citations in his record of exciting day in the Libyan Desert. ” service states that “F/Lt Caldwell continues to take his toll of enemy made of steel but of hessian, that the ‘guns’ aircraft... He flies on every possible sortie against protruding from their turrets were wooden poles! the enemy, often leading our formations, and He headed off back to base as fast as he could and displays at all times an aggressiveness of spirit made his report to Army Intelligence. (80) and a determination and devotion to duty of the highest order...” (88) On a patrol over HM ships on 29 October, Caldwell’s aircraft was damaged in an enemy action. He force-landed December saw some more engagements, some whilst on fire near Sidi Barrani and jumped out after the damaged ME109s and a probable. aircraft touched down on its belly. The aircraft then exploded. On the 30'^, whilst participating in a fighter “Twice I was unlucky in that I definitely shot sweep, he was engaged by some ME109Fs, got separated the enemy down and saw them hit the ground but from his formation and was chased by 3 MEs for was unable to get corroboration, the other chaps approximately 20 minutes. He noted in his log that all this being too busy to see it and the crashes being far was “very strenuous”. (81) into enemy territory so they figure in the possible and unconfirmed list.” (90) November 1941 opened with general preparation for Operation Crusader, with the air plan to begin on 14 He had 2 more confirmed planes down on 22 November. (82) Crusader was the third British offensive December, and participated in 2 missions on Christmas against the Afrika Korps and was intended to defeat the Eve. In the first one, he damaged an ME109F. I will return Axis in Cyrenaica and to relieve Tobruk. (83) Caldwell told to that incident later. Slade that he had He wrote of the second mission, where they were “been as busy as hell ever since that push escorting Blenheims to Agedabia, in an article for “Wings”. started.... The show generally right from the start (91) Caldwell was not scheduled to lead this formation, has been fairly tough with plenty of flying and but, shortly after take off, the leader told him to take over plenty of air fighting for us”. (84) as he had to return with engine trouble. Caldwell took over, but his own plane was also experiencing some engine Once the campaign opened, Caldwell participated in a trouble and he hoped it would clear as he progressed. It number of sweep and troop patrols, and engaged with didn’t, and he expressed the hope that it would not decide ME109S on 4 occasions, with a success on 22 November. to quit whilst over enemy territory as it “would be a pity to Whilst on bomber escort, he shot down in flames one ME miss out that way and become a ROW for Christmas”. 109F and damaged an ME 109E. He was responsible for a

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As they continued towards Agedabia, he was surprised by their CO to accept an invitation from the CO of the AA that the German fighters had not put in an appearance, as defences. There they shared some very good Scotch and they usually got to them well before they came near the returned at dusk, to the news that they had orders for a target. However, the AA was providing a good barrage and show at first light on the next morning. So, that was he commented that the Germans “are really good with their Christmas, and the next day, business as usual. AA defence”. One of the bombers was hit and caught fire, He saw some enemy fighters on Boxing Day, but “they losing height. Caldwell’s engine got worse and he found would not play with us” (93). In 3 separate sorties on the himself lagging, and shortly afterwards the Messerschmitts 2/^, he had some contact with the enemy, and in his last arrived. Caldwell revved and boosted as high as he dared, recce flight escaped from 6 ME 109s by low flying. He had but the aircraft vibrated from the roughness of the engine some good results In the last days of the month from and he still lagged. He recalled that straffing the Agedabla aerodrome, as well as some “the Huns attack but appear to disregard me ammunition and petrol trucks and the “odd personnel”. (94) at the rear and struggling which is strange- a By the end of December 1941, Caldwell had logged a straggler is always considered pretty easy meat. total flying time of 585hrs and 15mlns (95). All up in the Whitish blue ropes of smoke - tracer - whip up Middle East, he covered 67,000 miles in operational flying. past my nose and I bank round in a steep turn Caldwell apparently told a story that highlights the extent of before the Hun beneath my tail corrects his aim. this operational experience. One day he was speaking with Another occasion to be thankful the enemy Is so an American fighter pilot. “‘You a pursoot pilot?’ asked the addicted to the use of tracer.” American. ‘Yes’ [said Caldwell]. ‘You seen any action?’. There appear to be only 7 or 8 ME 109s attacking the ‘Oh, yes. A bit’. ‘You’ll see plenty before you’ve finished’, main formation, and the Tomahawks turn to meet the nodded the American. ‘I’ve been on seven missions.’ ‘You attacks. By now, Caldwell had lagged even further behind have?’ replied Caldwell. ‘I sure have. How many have you and black smoke kept coming from his exhaust. Two MEs been on?’. ‘Oh,....about two hundred and eighty’.” (96) then decided to give him their exclusive attention and were Caldwell wrote that he had enjoyed his time with 250 above and behind on either side of him. He engaged with Squadron, flying “more operations with it than any other one, both firing and missing, and then dived. They both unit and [where he] had more good fortune”, but he chased after and gained on him. He was still about half a actually considered 112 Squadron, as his first command, mile from the “main show”. to be his favourite squadron. (97) He developed into a “...one of the Huns opens fire and I have to leader and administrator who received the highest forms of turn. The second ME cuts the corner and comes praise. In December 1941, Squadron Leader Morris wrote in on my flank. Suddenly there is a Tomahawk on in Caldwell’s log book “An exceptional fighter pilot whose his tail and firing. Bits fly from the rudder and tall leadership and skill in combat have been of the highest of the ME but he pulls up in a steep climb as I order”. These leadership and combat skills were turn to cover the Tommy’s tall. The other ME has recognised further when, on promotion to Squadron also gone back up and flying abreast of each Leader of 112 Squadron, Caldwell became the first Empire other the other Tomahawk and myself tail after Training Scheme pilot to be appointed to the command of the rest...The MEs are still above us and then an RAF fighter squadron. (98) In May 1942, Air Chief attack together. We turn to the left and open fire Marshal Sir Arthur Tedder wrote in Caldwell’s flying log “An but see no results, and the MEs flash past and excellent leader and a first class shot”, and as well as the are gone. ...The Huns have left the others too...” DFC and Bar, Caldwell was awarded the Polish Cross of Throughout this, the engine had still been creating Valour In 1942 and the Distinguished Service Order in problems. As he came into land, the engine stopped for 1943. Caldwell transferred to his new command early in good. He bounced a bit, but no damage and a safe January 1942. The majority of Caldwell’s kills occurred landing. during his time with 250 Squadron, but he continued to rack up successes with 112 Squadron and throughout his In that same article, Caldwell told of his Christmas in flying career. (99) the desert. There was no rest from operations on Christmas Day, and, in the company of a South African Caldwell made his mark with 250 Squadron. Despite fighter squadron, he took off in a sweep of the Hasseat their practical jokes, Caldwell was respected and well- Agedabla sector. The weather was not the best: cold wind, regarded by members of his Squadron. Archie Wilson got rising dust and overcast sky. The weather got worse as on well with him from the outset, and summing up 'they progressed and there was no sign of enemy aircraft. Caldwell’s abilities as a pilot, he commented that Someone begun singing Christmas Carols over the R/T, “as a pilot, no doubt owing to his gangly thinking that this might bring out the enemy, but none were physique, he tended to be rough on the controls sighted in the air. (92) of his aircraft and so not entirely suited to tight Caldwell also describes the Christmas festivities. They formation exercises, but was always in complete had been hoping for a special delivery of pork, but it had control of his machine and gifted with an been waylaid and by the time they found it, it had turned outstanding ability as a marksman, both in air to green. John Waddy and some others buried the pork with air and air to ground firing”. due ceremony, and erected a cross on the spot to the Archie considered that Caldwell “was a courageous effect “Here lies 250 RAF Squadron’s Christmas Dinner and highly competent fighter pilot who served his country 1941”. So Christmas lunch, on a cold and windy day, was with dedication and distinction”. (100) Bob Bennett, cold bully and biscuits, well salted with sand. There was no Caldwell’s batman from the time Caldwell joined 250 liquor because they had drunk it all the night before. Squadron until he left to join 112, said of his time with Caldwell and the others in the squadron had settled down Caldwell that “there’s nothing I’ve been prouder of.” (101) for an afternoon of doing nothing, but after awhile he and Even after Caldwell left the Squadron, his comrades still the other flight commander were lucky enough to be taken

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looked on him with pride, and to the newer and younger by the war, and that afterwards, he could not even kill a pilots he became a legendary figure (102). rabbit. She said that he did not talk of his experiences This article is entitled Don’t Call Me “Killer”. I mentioned readily and frequently rebuffed potential biographers. He earlier how Caldwell acquired his sobriquet, but was he wanted to “draw down the blind”. (Ill) really a killer? Some of Caldwell’s comments in his letters I will now close with two stories that highlight a different to Slade show that in battle, he was a tough, focussed and side to Caldwell: a side to him that belies the image of a committed fighter pilot. Archie Wilson “found him to be very killer. In late 1949, Caldwell wrote to a 10 year old boy. He much his own man with a positive, if somewhat slightly wrote that he and the boy’s father had spent some time aggressive demeanor and with a hint of a ruthless streak in together talking about the boy and his keenness on flying. his manner.” (103) Caldwell may have been aggressive Caldwell remembered those conversations, and the and somewhat ruthless during his wartime career, but he purpose of his letter was to add some photos of Spitfires to believed that he had good reason. He once wrote that the boy’s collection. He had especially obtained them for “[w]e are fighting a war we cannot afford to lose” (104) and the boy from the Department of Air. He also said what that “[i]t’s better for a few men to die in battle than for when next he was in Melbourne he would arrange for the millions to live in slavery.” (105) He wrote that two of them to meet and “have a bit of a yarn about flying”. “To kill a man is no worry. At first you think These were not empty words. They did meet. And such an about it a little, but you soon get over that. It’s impression was made, that the grown man still has the your life or theirs. This is war. You do what you letter and photos in his possession. (112) have to do and then forget it. All rules of civilian I mentioned earlier the ME 109F that Caldwell life are suspended and [you] find yourself doing damaged on Christmas Eve. This turned out to be his last and thinking all manner of things that you never claim with 250 Squadron. But as well as being his last thought you could do". (106) claim, it became an opportunity for Caldwell to come in Caldwell once explained that “One has a detached contact with the human side of the enemy. Caldwell’s feeling when he sits in an aircraft firing at a man on the victories were impersonal, the result of a finger on the ground”. “The man below has no reality as a human being. firing button, and there could be no knowledge of the He is just a target, and it is your sole purpose to knock him person behind the target. But in 1985, he received a letter, over.” (107) which provided a human perspective to that brief encounter in 1941. (113) He wrote to Slade that The letter was written by August Graf von Kageneck, “The Hun is very stubborn and though we now the younger brother of Oberit Erbo Graf von Kageneck have, it seems, the definite mastery of the air in who was the Geschwader’s leading pilot and had claimed these parts, the German fighters still put up a 65 victories before he arrived in Africa. He ended up with a tough resistance and with his reinforcements total score of 69 victories. (114) Erbo was shot down on coming in, still a lot more of us will have jumped the afternoon of 24 December 1941 near Derne in Libya, into the silence before we reach Tripoli.” (108) and his brother wrote that “I have some reasonable And of how he was affected by war and killing, reasons to believe you are the man who forced down the Caldwell wrote another time that ME 109 of my brother”. Von Kageneck goes on to say that his brother died 18 days later. He wrote that “The human mind faced with a situation that is too much for it, protects itself with a dull coating of “of course I’ve not the slightest hostile feeling indifference - to everything except the immediate for you, on the contrary, we are all glad that this problem of ...survival. He becomes drained of awful slaughter has come to an end... But to find emotion, emptied of all feeling for others.” (109) almost four and a half decades later the person who was - in all honour - responsible for the But perhaps Caldwell did have some feeling for his death of my brother, is a strange hazard only enemy. Carel Birkby, who wrote the 250 Squadron story possible by the very special character of the “Close to the Sun”, considered that Caldwell’s actions in individual fighting in the air”. (115) combat demonstrated a mercy approaching pity, a compassion. He wrote; Caldwell wrote back to von Kageneck that “When he had got a German full across the “Mankind will never live in peace until we reflector sights and let him have everything overcome the natural savagery that exists in all of including the tracer from his machine guns, and us, propels us in wars, perhaps soon to our own the enemy plane caught fire and the pilot was destruction...Thus it was that your distinguished sorely wounded and struggled in vain to free brother and I, absolute strangers in a strange himself from his seat and get his hood back in land, but operational in that now distant tragedy order to escape, then “Killer” showed called World War II, were there doing what we compassion; he closed in on the trapped and were on that particular Christmas Eve. It is an odd helpless pilot writhing there in the flames and feeling to be now given this insight into what was, gave him a coup de grace with his guns”. (110) until your letter, a purely impersonal and inconclusive brief encounter so long ago” (116) Whether a ruthless or a compassionate killer, Mrs Caldwell told me that her husband was certainly affected These photos were included in the portfolio of letters and photos purchased by Alexander/Fax in April 2002. They were taken by Bob Whittle shortly after Caldwell’s sortie on 29 August 1941. My thanks to Mrs Frankie Whittle for permission to use them. Caldwell sent these photos to his friend Ernest Richardson Slade-Slade, annotating the reverse For general operational chronology, unless otherwise specifically referenced, I have relied on Caldwell’s Flyinq Loq Book (AWM PR00514 Item 8)

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Notes 1. Shores, Christopher and Williams, Clive: Aces High. A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII, Grub Street London 1994, p163 2. Website: WWII Ace Stories: www.eiknet.pl/acestorv/caldw/caldw.htm for Gibbes story 3. Including John Hetherington: “Killer”, Melbourne Herald 27 Nov 1943 (from AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6) and Barry Young: “Killer Opens Score Against Japanese”, Daily Mirror c March-October 1943 (clipping in Caldwell portfolio Alexander/Fax) aquired April 2002): These Eagles: the Story of the IRAAF at War AWM Canberra 1942 pi 30. 4. From AWM PR83/97 David McNicoll: "The Ace Our Airmen Forgot About", The Bulletin, 30 November 1982, p.60. 5. Private conversation, Mrs Jean Caldwell/Kristen Alexander 4 September 2002 and SMH Obituary 9 August 1994 in Caldwell portfolio Alexander/Fax. 6. Extracts used in this article come mainly from 2 letters written by Caldwell to his friend Ernest Richardson Slade-Slade (referred to by Caldwell in the letters as Slade) on 4 July 1941 and 28 December 1941. (These letters are In the possession of Kristen Alexander and David Fax). The majority of extracts are from the letter of 4 July 1941. Other extracts are taken from his notebook, in which he jotted down impressions, thoughts and the odd quotation; combat report; flying logbook; and letter to August von Kagenek. Some extracts are taken from interviews and articles with Caldwell. See individual citations below. 7. NAA Series No A9300, Barcode 3177248: Caldwell personal record. Citizen Air Force application. 8. NAA Series SP300/3 Barcode 3253046: John Elliott 2BL Radio Talk 31 August 1944, p2. 9. Email Buz Busby/Archie Wilson/ Kristen Alexander 14 and 15 July 2002. (Air Marshal A O G (Archie) Wilson (Rtd) was a foundation member of 250 Squadron when it was reformed. After 250 Squadron, Archie was was posted to 237 (Rhodesian) Squadron, taking over the command of “B” Flight as Fit Lieutenant. Following the all Hurricane Squadrons attack on Crete on 23 July 1943, he was promoted to Squadron Leader and given command of 238 Fighter Squadron. He rejoined the nucleus of the new SRAF in Nov 1948 a Sgt Pilot retiring In April, 1973 as Commander of the Rhodesian Air Force.) 10. Clement Semmler (ed): The War Diaries of Kenneth Slessor, Official Australian Correspondent 1940-1944 University of Queensland Press St Lucia 1985 p385. 11. Stanley Brogden: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [c1944] plOI 12. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p21 13. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 2 of 7, item 6 14. Sporting references from Peter Firkins. The Golden Eagles. Air Heroes of Two World Wars, St George Books, 1980 p175. 15. Crack Shot reference: Stanley Brogden: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF, Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [c1944] plOI 16. Shores, Christopher and Williams, Clive: Aces High. A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces In WWII, Grub Street London 1994, p162 17. Geoff McCamey: “Killer Caldwell. Greatest Flying Ace Receives Fresh Honours. Daily Telegraph 28 May 1983 pi 7 18. The chemist was Eddie Samuels. Private conversation Mrs Jean Caldwell/Alexander 4 September 2002 19. AWM PR00514 folder 1 “General” 20. Peter Dennis, Jeffrey Grey, Ewan Morris, Robin Prior with John Connor: The Oxford Companion to Australian Military History, Oxford University Press Melbourne 1999 reprint pi 34 21. NAA Series No A9300, Barcode 3177248 personal file/service record for brief details of training establishments. Units of the Royal Australian Air Force. A Concise History. Volume 8. Training Units. AGPS Canberra 1995 various pages for correct names of establishments. 22. AWM 54: Australian A&SD Officers Serving with the Royal Air Force Overseas. Extracts from files and Notes Thereon (Part 2 of 2 Parts) and Records of RAAF Personnel Serving with other than RAAF Squadrons. 250 squadron record. 23. J J Hailey: Royal Air Force Unit Histories Volume 2 Nos 201 to 1435 Squadrons 1^ April 1918 to 1^'April 1968. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd Essex 1973 p36 24. AWM 54: 250 Squadron notes 25. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p20 26. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p6 27. J J Halley: Royal Air Force Unit Histories Volume 2 Nos 201 to 1435 Squadrons 1"^ April 1918 to 1^ April 1968. Air-Britain (Historians) Ltd Essex 1973 p36 28. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 29. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 30. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 31. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p20. 32. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax). Note in this reference and subsequently, Caldwell uses the term “straffe” rather than “strafe”. 33. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 34. Bobby Gibbes’ fon/vard in Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War In the Middle East and North Africa 1941- 1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, px 35. Bobby Gibbes’ forward in Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941- 1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, px 36. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941. (Alexander/Fax) 37. Alan Stephens and Jeff Isaacs, High Fliers. Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force, AGPS, Canberra 1996 p63 38. Pauline Moffatt: “Shooting Down Shadows!”, Australasian Post 10 February 1983 plO 39. Stanley Brogden: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF, Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [c1944] p.102. 40. The Wire’ was the barbed wire fence dividing Egypt from Libya. See Bobby Gibbes: You Live But Once. Autobiography, the author, 1994 p57 41. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 42. AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6 John Hetherington: “Killer”, Melbourne Herald 27 Nov 1943 43. Stanley Brogden: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF, Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [cl 944] p.101. 44. Geoff McCamey: “Killer Caldwell. Greatest Flying Ace Receives Fresh Honours”: Daily Telegraph 28 May 1983 pi 7 45. A D Garrisson: Australian Air Aces 1914-1953, Air Power Studies Centre, Fairbairn ACT 1999, p74 citing John Herington: Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra 1954 46. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell at AWM. Folder 1 of 7 47. Email Buz Busby/Archie Wilson/ Kristen Alexander 14 and 15 July 2002

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48. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell at AWM. Folder 1 of 7 49. Pauline Moffatt: “Shooting Down Shadows!”, Australasian Post 10 February 1983 plO 50. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 51. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 52. The squadron records note that there were actually 30 planes: AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes 53. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 54. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p22 55. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p22 56. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 57. AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes 58. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 59. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 (Alexander/Fax). AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes indicates that the new arrivals were Sgts Nitschke and Mortimer. Sgt Mortimer was accidentally killed in a practice dogfight on 3 July 1941. 60. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 8. In this letter to Slade of 4 July 1941, Caldwell refers specifically to 3 Australian who were killed In combat: Donald Munro (18 June 1941: the pilot who was shot down whilst baling out, see Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War In the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p21:), Jim Kent (30 June 1941, the pilot of the Tomahawk that hit the sea with no tail see AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes), and David Gale (26 June 1941). All three entered training with Caldwell at No 2RD and continued training with him through No 2ITS, 4 EFT and 2 SFT before finally embarking with him to the Middle East. (For training reference, see Peter llbery: Hatching an Air Force 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga Banner Books 2002 pi 67 and RAAF Historical, Personnel Occurence Reports.) 61. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 4 62. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 10 63. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 12/13 64. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 14 65. AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6 John Hetherington: “Killer”, Melbourne Herald 27 Nov 1943 66. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 17 67. John Herington: Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra 1954, pi 05 68. AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes 69. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p24-25 70. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 71. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 72. Combat report, attachment to AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes 73. (No author credit) Australasian Post 8 March 1962 p4 74. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p27. 75. “The Desert is a Funny Place” in Over to You. New Broadcasts by the RAF, HMSO London, 1943, pi 02. Note: this story is not credited in this book. However, cross reference with Brown, Robin: Shark Squadron. The History of 112 Squadron R.F.C., R.A.F 1917-1975 Crecy Books 1994 p63. The broadcast was made on the BBC’s Sunday Night Postscript shortly after leaving 112 Squadron. 76. Michael Maton: The Distinguished Flying Cross to Australians, the author St Ives, 2000 p 70 77. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 78. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 79. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book and PRO AIR27/1501. Operations Record Book RAF Form 540. 80. John Hetherington: “Killer”, Melbourne Herald 27 Nov 1943 (from AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6) 81. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 82. AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes and John Herington: Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra 1954 pi 06 83. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p39 84. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 28 December 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 85. Alan Stephens: The Royal Australian Air Force, Oxford University Press, Melbourne, 2001, p82. 86. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 87. Combat report, attachment to AWM 54: Squadron 250 notes 88. AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6: Record of service extract from citation, and NAA Series No A9300, Barcode 3177248: Record of Service P File, Citation 89. 90. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 28 December 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 91. Wings Vol 2 No 7, December 21 1943, Directorate of Public Relations RAAF Victoria, pp14-15. All references to this mission and the following story about Christmas - and pork! - in the desert, come from this article. 92. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p34 indicates that the CO, Teddy Morris, was probably “the conductor of this show” which, as well as carols, included bawdy songs and some facetious remarks. 93. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 94. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 95. AWM PR00514 Item 8 Caldwell’s Pilot’s Flying Log Book 96. Stanley Brogden: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF, Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [cl 944] pi05 97. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7 98. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War In the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p78 99. With 112 Squadron: 2.5 destroyed, 4 damaged and 1 probable; with No 1 Fighter Wing, 8 destroyed: Shores, Christopher and Williams, Clive: Aces High. A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces In WWII, Grub Street London 1994, pp163 100. This comment and above comments from Archie Wilson: Email Buz Busby/Archie Wilson/ Kristen Alexander 14 and 15 July 2002

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101. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p37 102. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p65 103. Email Buz Busby/Archie Wilson/ Kristen Alexander 14 and 15 July 2002 104. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 10 105. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 12/13 106. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 14 107. AWM PR00514 [2 of 7] Item 6 John Hetherington; “Killer”, Melbourne Herald 27 Nov 1943 108. Letter Caldwell/Slade-Slade 28 December 1941 (Alexander/Fax) 109. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 1 of 7. Notebook p 17 110. Carel Birkby: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD-Rom) p21 111. Private conversation Mrs Jean Caldwell/Alexander 4 September 2002 112. Private letter: Clive R Caldwell to John Forestier, 6 December 1949 113. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell at AWM. Folder 2 of 7 Item 6 letter from Von Kagenek 114. Russell Brown: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War In the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000, p65 115. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 2 of 7 7 Item 6 letter from Von Kagenek 116. AWM PR00514 Personal papers of Clive Caldwell. Folder 2 of 7. International Herald Tribune, 23 May 1990, p9 Bibliography

Primary Sources Australian War Memorial: AWM PR00514: AWM 54, AWM PR83/97 National Archives of Australia: NAA Series No A9300, Barcode 3177248; NAA Series SP300/3 Barcode 3253046; NAA Series A471 Barcode 99760 4 Caldwell portfolio acquired April 2002 by Alexander/Fax. Includes letters to Ernest Richardson Slade-Slade 4 July 1941 and 28 December 1941, photos and newsclippings. Letter Caldwell/ John Forestier 6 December 1949 Email Buz Busby/Archie Wilson/ Kristen Alexander 14 and 15 July 2002 Private conversation Mrs Jean Caldwell/ Kristen Alexander 4 September 2002 Public Records Office AIR27/1501 250 Squadron Operations Record Book RAF Forms 540 and 541 RAAF Historical: Personnel Occurence Reports

Secondary Sources Birkby, Carel: Close to the Sun. The Story of The Sudan Squadron Royal Air Force, 250 Squadron Association UK 2000 edition (CD- Rom) Brogden, Stanley: Sky Diggers. A Tribute to the RAAF, Whitcombe & Tombs Melbourne nd [cl 944] Brown, Robin: Shark Squadron. The History of 112 Squadron R.F.C., R.A.F 1917-1975 Crecy Books 1994 Brown, Russell: Desert Warriors. Australian P-40 Pilots at War in the Middle East and North Africa 1941-1943, Banner Books Maryborough 2000 Firkins, Peter: The Golden Eagles. Air Heroes of Two World Wars, St George Books, 1980

Garrisson, A D: Australian Air Aces 1914-1953, Air Power Studies Centre, Fairbairn ACT 1999 Herington, John: Australia in the Air War of 1939-1945. Air War Against Germany and Italy 1939-1943, Australian War Memorial, Canberra 1954 llbery, Peter: Hatching an Airforce 2SFTS, 5SFTS, 1 BFTS Uranquinty and Wagga Wagga Banner Books 2002 Semmler, Clement (ed): The War Diaries of Kenneth Slessor, Official Australian Correspondent 1940-1944 University of Queensland Press St Lucia 1985 Shores, Christopher and Williams, Clive: Aces High. A Tribute to the Most Notable Fighter Pilots of the British and Commonwealth Forces in WWII, Grub Street London 1994 Stephens, Alan and Isaacs, Jeff: High Fliers. Leaders of the Royal Australian Air Force, AGPS, Canberra 1996 “The Desert is a Funny Place” in Over to You. New Broadcasts by the RAF, HMSO London, 1943. These Eagles: the Story of the RAAF at War AWM Canberra 1942 Website: WWII Ace Stories: www.elknet.pl/acestorv/caldw/caldw.htm Wings Vol 2 No 7 December 21 1943, Directorate of Public Relations RAAF Victoria Articles additional to those from AWM personal papers: Geoff McCamey: “Killer Caldwell. Greatest Flying Ace Receives Fresh Honours”: Daily Telegraph 28 May 1983 Pauline Moffatt: “Shooting Down Shadows!”, Australasian Post 10 February 1983 (No author credit) Australasian Post 8 March 1962

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OPERATION COMAX SOLE -1956 BY M.J.FLANAGAN

Vampire A 79-160, S/Ldr. Vic Cannon's aircraft during Operation Comax Sole. This shot was taken at Laverton, date unknown. (Source: the late Bob Wills via MJF).

Headquarters RAAF Home Command issued S/Ldr. V.B. Cannon, DFC. Vic Cannon served with the Operation Order No.9/56 on 15"^ July 1956. It called for RAAF detachment during the Berlin Air Lift and flew with No.21 (Citizen Air Force) Squadron to carry out operational No.77 Sqdn in Korea where he won the DFC. Prior to training at Darwin between 2f^ August and 5^^ September taking over No.21 Sqdn he had commanded No.24 (City of of that year. Essentially a mobility exercise, the squadron Adelaide) Sqdn. F/Lt. G.H. (Geoff) Kilby was Officer was to fly as many of its Vampire aircraft as possible to the Commanding Flying No.21 Sqdn and the unit’s 2i/c. H e Topend and then, on completion, return to Laverton not later than September 1956. Whilst at RAAF Darwin training would, in the main, take the form of an armament camp. Although at one stage it looked as though only six Vampires would make the trip, eventually eight were dispatched. These comprised six Mk.31 single-seaters and a pair of Mk.33 two-seat trainers. The half dozen Mk.31 s are thought to have been those received by the squadron In July fitted with Lear radio compasses. Of the eight pilots involved only six were No.21 Sqdn personnel; four officers of the Permanent Air Force and two CAF cadets. The other two were Home Command staff officers whose task it was to each ferry a jet to Darwin but not actually take part in the exercise. The officer commanding No.21 Sqdn at that time was

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to be carried out at Darwin. The other two regulars were and on subsequent stages the Mk.33s took off in the No.1 F/Lt. R.E. (Roy) Webster, RAF, on exchange duty and F/0. position and led the climb to cruising height where they W.S. (Bill) Michelson, DFC, another Korean veteran. then returned to the No.3 slot. It was necessary for a Mk.31 to assume the lead because the trainers weren’t Because of recent transfers to the Reserve List the fitted with radio compass equipment. squadron had only two CAF pilots and 15 CAF tradesmen The squadron had not been provided with a on strength at the time, with unit strength maintained by navigational escort, navigation on all legs with the PAF personnel. The two CAF pilots, John Hopkins and exception of the very last (Richmond to Laverton) was W.M. (Warren) Kennedy, were both cadet pilots still under done by map reading and dead-reckoning in association with the radio compass. This new equipment worked well and was well received. Also new to most of the pilots were the World Aeronautical Series charts used for map reading. They were found to be relatively accurate but somewhat difficult to read primarily because of the drab colours used in printing. It was soon discovered that the Mk.31 Graphic Charts used for pre-flight planning were Vampire A79-704, the problem-child of Operation Comax Sole, seen here at Williamtown, also date unknown. Inaccurate, (Source: the late Bob Wills via MJF). particularly in relation to rates of climb and supervision. They had not yet flown any armament sorties power settings for economical cruise, This in turn although there had been theoretical coverage of the compromised the fuel consumption charts. The Mk.33 subject. At Darwin they would be introduced to air to Graphic Charts proved to be more reliable other than in ground gunnery, rocketry, dive bombing and air to air their Time to Height in Hot Climates calculations. exercises using cine-guns, initially in a Mk.33 and then solo. Nevertheless, the flight leaders had no difficulty in adjusting and both flights arrived at and departed from For the flight to Darwin S/Ldr. Cannon, F/Lt. Webster, the Richmond on time. Charleville was to be the next staging two cadets and the two HQHC staff officers were allocated post and they were to remain there overnight. Not long Vampire single-seaters and F/Lt. Kilby (with F/0. B.B. after crossing the Queensland border Red Leader became Lane, the engineering officer) and F/0. Michelson (and aware that the flight had drifted off track to starboard by LAC K.J. Drinkwater, an engine fitter) In the trainers. about 20 miles In 60 miles (32/96 kms) travelled. An No.86 (Transport) Wing was Instructed to provide up unexpected change in wind direction and strength was the to five Dakotas to uplift personnel and equipment to cause and if the deviation had not been picked up so Darwin and return. At first they advised that only three promptly would probably have resulted in an embarrassing aircraft were available and a fourth machine had to be fuel condition. As it was, the flight arrived at Charleville borrowed from ARDU. However, use of that aircraft was pretty much on time. They found the second Dakota there later withdrawn and in the end No.86 Wing was able to to meet them. supply another Dakota. Strenuous efforts to obtain a fifth transport failed. Blue Flight was also experiencing difficulties. One of the Vampires suffered undercarriage retraction problems Two of the transports flew direct to DanA/in via Broken and was obliged to return to Richmond. His wingman went Hill and Alice Springs. The other pair provided direct with him. Blue 1 and Blue 2 continued on to Charleville support to the jets along the long route northwards. The and arrived on schedule. Blue 3 and Blue 4 were turned- crews of all four aircraft navigated independently. In all, the around without too much difficulty and were able to four Dakotas lifted 57 passengers with luggage and 5,236 proceed a couple of hours later. lbs (2,380 kgs) of equipment to the Territory for the Charleville to Darwin. operation. One of the support Dakotas was in fact the first Facilities at Charleville aerodrome were good with an aircraft of the exercise to depart Laverton, being flown to airstrip of adequate length and in good condition. All RAAF Richmond where, next morning, they awaited the arrival of the Vampires. arrangements were satisfactory including the overnight accommodation. The exception was the non-availability of The jets set off on Saturday 25^^ August, Red Flight some oils but that was soon rectified by the Shell agent. leading Blue Flight by 30 minutes. Each flight comprised However, there was a set-back next morning when the four aircraft, three Mk.31 s and a Mk.33 flying in the No.3 local Met people predicted strong headwinds for the leg to position, all carrying drop tanks. This formation proved Cloncurry. Calculations quickly confirmed that if the impracticable because of the trainer’s slower rate of climb forecast proved accurate the Vampires would have

125 AHSA Aviation Heritage

difficulty in reaching their next staging post. Consequently hours CST and the last of the Dakotas flew in from it was decided, with the recent close-call very much in Charleville at 2030 hours, mind, to delay the flight for 24 hours. The Topend. Whilst in the Topend the squadron was under the With this decision came the need to defuel those control of HQ North Western Area. They spent Tuesday aircraft that had had their drop tanks filled in readiness for the 28^*^ settling in, finalizing arrangements for the leg to Cloncurry. Unfortunately the refuelling system commencement of the training programme and flying a available could not be used for defuelling and the problem sector recce to familiarize themselves with the area. There was solved by the simple expedient of taking off and were now only four pilots involved so changes had to be practising close formation flying until the drop tanks were made to the syllabus but the training of the two CAF empty. During the day A79-704, one of the Mk.31s, was cadets was not seriously affected. It will be remembered found to be unserviceable. Its port drop tank wouldn’t that the exercise was now a day behind schedule. The pressurize due to a faulty valve and spare parts had to be training element of Comax Sole got underway on the ordered In from Laverton. Wednesday with eight air to ground gunnery and rocket Next morning, Monday 27^^ August, the winds had firing sorties In the morning, two air to air cine-gun sorties moderated and the exercise resumed - with six aircraft: In the afternoon and three VDF controlled circuits and A79-811 (F/0. Michelson) was to remain with the u/s landings in the evening, a total of 11 hours 20 minutes single-seater and accompany It to Darwin when once flight time, again airworthy. The sector to Cloncurry was flown without All armaments were supplied by Base Squadron incident and things went well on the ground except that the Darwin but otherwise were the responsibility of No.21 tractor was fitted with an unsuitable towing attachment that Sqdn’s armament section which comprised an officer, an was considered Inefficient to the point of being dangerous. NCO and five airmen. For ground gunnery on the first day They found the runway to be serviceable but not in good all four cannon of each aircraft were armed with sixty rpg condition and although a rolling start technique was (rounds per gun) but subsequently only two guns were employed there was some damage caused to the tarmac armed. The RPs (rocket projectiles) were fitted with 601b during the takeoff process. cement warheads carried on twin tier mounts with No.8 The stage between Cloncurry and Daly Waters was Mk.4 saddles. The lower tier was fired on the first sortie, the upper tier on the subsequent sortie. On that first day both of the CAF cadets flew an air to air cine-gun sortie in the trainer under Instruction and another next day - after that they were sent off solo. Thursday and I Friday were very I similar to the first ill day but with a greater emphasis on VDF flying after ^ ^ dark on the second ^ day and none at all flown on the third Dakota A65-114 is believed to have been one of the transport aircraft involved in Operation Comax Sole. evening. Saturday (Source: the late Bob Wills via MJF). the 1®^ was a rest day. September in probably the most difficult of the trip. The position of the the Topend Is a dry month with a steady increase in sun was such that map reading was difficult and again the temperatures and humidity as the dreaded “build-up” formation found Itself straying a little to starboard. Also, for towards the Wet Season starts to exert itself. Darwin In a brief period about half way between the two towns, they September Is a hot, dusty place. In 1956 this weekend were out of range of VHF communications. It was along was an Interesting one. Police were out looking for an this stretch that some prominent features, including three escaped prisoner and had roadblocks set up on the gravel airstrips and a couple of lakes, were found to be highway, including one outside the RAAF gates. Two missing from the World Aeronautical Series maps. American mine-sweepers were In port and the combined At Daly Waters the refuelling point was located on the local constabulary/USN shore patrols were kept busy. main runway and It was found that the spillage of Avtur There was also a mild outbreak of gastro Interltis In town adversely affected the bitumen surface. Similar incidents and several squadron members came down with the had occurred at Charleville and Cloncurry and scourge for a short period. recommendations were made that refuelling areas should Flying resumed on Sunday with the introduction of be placed on concrete hard-stands away from the runway. dive bombing Into the programme. Eight sorties were The final stage of the outward leg, Daly Waters to Danvin, flown with practice bombs that had to be filled from a tap went as planned. Their arrival time was logged as 1850 as the filling equipment wasn’t working. Another four cine-

126 AHSA Aviation Heritage

gun sorties were flown in the afternoon but there was no Nevertheless, the experience was considered to be night flying. Next day, Monday the there was more beneficial to all who participated, particularly the ground dive bombing before lunch, air to air cine-gun sorties after support personnel. the break and VDF exercises after sunset to conclude the As far as the armament camp was concerned, it was series. During this last evening a Vampire Mk.31 crashed thought to have gone reasonably well. Thirty one air to and the pilot was killed. ground gunnery sorties were flown marred by nine Air Cadet Warren Morris Kennedy in A79-564 (callsign stoppages; thirty rocket firing sorties with five hang ups JEN) had been briefed to climb to 23,000’ clear of the let­ and nineteen dive bombing sorties with no hang ups but on down area and then to carry out a VDF homing and let one run over the target area three bombs dropped away down, followed by circuits and landings. Everything instead of the intended one. Average scores were not high seemed to be normal until reaching the check altitude of with undershooting being common-place, particularly in 600’ when, after reporting his position, the pilot suddenly rocketry. A contributing factor was thought to have been called to report that he was in difficulties. The VDF the setting of the gun sights, carried out prior to leaving operator asked JEN to repeat his transmission but there Laverton. was no answer. A flash lit the night sky followed by the Each of the four pilots flew an average of four sorties sound of an explosion. per day whilst at Darwin. These included four dual and The jet crashed and exploded about 13kms to the eight solo cine-gun sorties carried out by the two CAF southeast of RAAF Darwin at 1931 hours CST. However, cadets. because of the nature of the area (mangrove swamps and In general the exercise went well. Morale had been creeks) rescue teams didn’t reach the crash site until about good throughout despite the fatal crash, health overall was midnight. They found the aircraft almost completely good, any injuries (with the one notable exception) were demolished with portions widely scattered and some of minor and the workload on the men had not been them still burning. The body of the pilot was still In his excessive. Heat and humidity were the main problems ejector seat but to the rear of the wreckage of the cockpit and suitable shade cover for the pilots and working parties capsule. He was wrapped in blankets and brought back to was considered a necessity in future exercises to the the Station Sick Quarters, arriving there at approximately 0530 hours. Topend. A minor complaint was the non-availability of fresh milk but that was an on-going sore-point with the Warren Kennedy’s squadron mates were shocked but population of Darwin as a whole. responded well. A Court of Enquiry was quickly set up to The Saga of A79-704 sit on Wednesday the 5^^. The president, W/Cdr. A.E. Cross, AFC, (and possibly the two other members of the When Roy Webster and Bill Michelson were left Court) flew In that morning in a Canberra. The nose-wheel behind at Charleville it was expected that the delay would of the aircraft collapsed on landing at Darwin. Thirteen be a minor one. The parts for A79-704 arrived from witnesses were called and preliminary evidence Indicated Laverton on the afternoon of Wednesday the 29*^ and the that the accident was probably caused by the pilot losing repairs were carried out immediately, followed by a test control and/or engine failure. Later It was concluded that flight of 40 minutes. The tank pressurized perfectly but the cause was an obscure technical engine defect that then the inboard fuel tanks refused to feed properly and it produced circumstances beyond the experience of the was decided to fly the aircraft to Amberley where skilled cadet pilot. staff and good facilities were available. Accompanied by A79-811 the transfer was accomplished next day, arriving The Return. there at 1700 hours. The problem was quickly sorted out Records Indicate that No.21 Sqdn departed RAAF and a successful one hour test flight flown on Friday the Darwin on the 5^^, the day of the Enquiry, presumably after 31 members had testified. Two new staff pilots from Home Command had arrived to ferry back the odd Vampires. The two Vampires returned to Charleville next day. Flying as a flight of five via Daly Waters, they overnighted Enroute the pilot of A79-704 reported the loss of brake at Cloncurry. Here there was a hiccough with the pressure and on landing it was found that the air accommodation, most of the airmen spending the night on compressor had failed. With frustration starting to mount, an open verandah with virtually no privacy. Next day they spare parts were ordered from Amberley. These were went on to Richmond where their turn-around time was flown in within 24 hours, repairs effected and test flown disappointing as it took two hours to refuel four Vampires and once again the fighter was declared airworthy. By this because of the non-availability of refuelling tankers. Mk.31 time there was little point in proceeding to Darwin and both A79-915 had to be left at Richmond as its staff officer pilot pilots were ordered to fly their aircraft back to Laverton. had been recalled to HQHC. Postscript. The final leg of the exercise, from Richmond to Amongst the demands of Operation Order No.9/56 was Laverton, was flown under IFR conditions with VDF being a request for a report on Operation Ccmax Sole to be used for homing and let down. In all 173 sorties totalling written by the squadron’s Intelligence Officer in “journalistic 192 hours 10 minutes were flown during Comax Sole of style with touches of humour” for publication In a couple of which 68 sorties in 109 hours 10 minutes involved travel to RAAF in-house publications. The unit’s 1.0. did not take and from Darwin. part In the exercise and. In S/Ldr. Cannon’s opinion, there was no one else qualified to take on the task. After Taking into account the loss of Cadet Kennedy, the discussing the matter with a HQHC officer no further action non-arrival of F/Lt. Webster and F/0. Michelson at Darwin was taken. HQ was a little sarcastic. “It would be nice if necessitating a revised training programme and the fact CO 21 Sqn would keep us informed of the changes he that the time-table of the exercise slipped by 24 hours, the makes in instructions received from HQHC”. operation could only be claimed as partially successful. Primary Source: NAA File A12207 item 26/2/Air Part 1.

-127 AHSA Aviation Heritage

EARLY AEROPLANE CRASHES

ARGUS SATURDAY JANUARY 2, 1920. PAGE 14.

AEROPLANE CRASH. DISASTER AT MORNINGTON. PILOT AND PASSENGER INJURED.

In the midst of a flight between Bay resorts Portsea Views Estate", turned a somersault and landed on it’s and Mornington, a Sopwith Aeroplane met with a serious back. The occupants were pinned underneath and disaster yesterday. It’s occupants were both badly injured extricated with great difficulty'. Vigers received a fractured and are in a serious condition in Mornington Hospital. right leg and severe internal Injuries caused in part Captain A.W. VIGERS M.C., D.F.C. & A.F.C.. Pilot and possibly by the fracture of a rib. Nunn had a fractured Phillip Nunn of Elizabeth Street, Elsternwick, aged 19 skull; possible laceration of the brain and paralysis of the were the occupants. left side. Vigers had come around the bay from Portsea and on Vigers record with the A.F.C. is excellent and in a nearing Mornington had swooped down so low over a five recent race between Epsom and Melbouxne and back on acre paddock near the railway station that the planes of Boxing Day he provided astonishing exhibitions of ground his machine became entangled in two isolated telegraph strafing; looping the loop; spinning nose dives; half rolls, wires. The aeroplane crashed Into the adjoining "Bay rolls, stalls and vertical nose-dives.

ARGUS MONDAY JANUARY 5 TH. 1920. PAGE 60

Flight Disaster.

DEATH OF PHILLIP NUNN.

PILOT IN SERIOUS CONDITION.

Phillip R. Nunn the more seriously injured of the souvenir hunters off the machine. The aeroplane crashed victims of the aeroplane crash at Mornington on Friday in a field half a mile from the railway station between it and died at Miss Fox's Private Hospital, Mornington early Point Nepean Road and between half past five o'clock and yesterday morning. He had not regained consciousness. mid-night there were constantly between 700 and 800 Mr. Nunn was scarcely 19 years of age and had taken the people coming and going. In spite of the service of the flight without his parents’ knowledge. His father is Mr. police and civilian guard which were placed over the P.W. Nunn of :Buckley and Nunn Limited. (Leading injured machine until late on Saturday, many splinters and Melbourne retailer) fragments of the fabric were siezed. The condition of Captain Vigers is still regarded as On Saturday evening the Larkin-Sopwith Company serious. Injuries to the lungs caused by the fracture of two sent a gang of men and a motor lorry and the machine ribs have caused severe hemorrhage and his right leg is was brought to Melbourne. fractured in two places. Captain Viggers said failure of the engine caused him to swoop low etc. Mornington had been crowded with holiday makers when the Sopwith Gnu met with disaster on Friday evening, and police had a hard time keeping hungry

Editors Note: There were only two Sopwith Gnu’s imported to Australia W02976/5 G-EAHQ and WO 2976/6 G-EAIL later G-AUBY, VH-UBY, both by the Larkin-Sopwith Company, both were at the Glenhuntly Aerodrome. I have found history of W02976/6. I think the aircraft involved in the above was in fact G-EAHQ. I would welcome any advice. Photo at right shows one of the Gnu’s at the Glenhuntly aerodrome.

The Following comes from Bert Cooksen: As Phillip Nunn subsequently died from injuries Nunn's father, and two expert witnesses who agreed that received In the accident. The proceedings of the Coroner's Captain Vigers was not to blame for the accident. The inquest contain statements from the doctor who attended following Is a transcription on Captain Vigors' deposition the injured men, a police constable who investigated the as contained in the file with some punctuation added, accident , the pilot, an eyewitness to the crash, Phillip which will give some of the flavour of the inquest

128 AHSA Aviation Heritage documents: there was "anything wrong with the machine before “This Deponent Arthur Whitehair Vigers on his oath starting I would have noticed it. The machine had not been saith, I am a pilot-aviato_ residing at, "Askot", Dickens thoroughly overhauled as it was just out from England. Street St Kilda. I am employed by the Larkin Sopwith When they are flying continuously for 24 hours they are Aviation Company Melbourne I am aged 30 years. I examined. There are 9 pistons in this make of machine remember the 2nd January. I was employed by the and if one of these pistons were blown out that would company to deliver newspapers at various towns and cause a back-fire and would account for the machine starting from Glenhuntly and going to Queenscliff and stopping. returning to Glenhuntly. I started from Glenhuntly about 5 .Pilots in England have to get certificates to fly p.m. I had not done any flying that day. I had been at the aeroplanes with passengers and they have experts to aerodrome. I had dinner at about 1 p .m. I had no liquor examine pilots and quite a short flight would show whether and none that day. I am not a teetotaler. I did not ring up a pilot was capable of flying with passengers. This was the Mr Nunn Jnr, and didn't know for certain whether he was first crash that I ever had. That machine had done about going with me, but he had been up in the air with me_a 20 hours flying. To my knowledge that machine had not few days before. He showed no nervousness and took been overhauled. If the engine runs right on the ground photographs on the way. there is no reason to overhaul the machine when they are I do not know who rang up. When he approached me first brought out. There was a fracture of the piston in this before the flight I tried to persuade him not to go as the case and that was the cause of the trouble. It was not others knew where to drop the papers and he did not possible for me to know that the fracture had taken place. know. The aeroplane would only carry two with the weight That is made of aluminium alloy and it probably would be of the papers. I did not give any instructions as to the powdered up and would blowout of the exhaust and there weight I could carry. I could have carried more. I do not would be nothing left of it. I have never known of a similar know the weight I had on that day. I have experience flying accident and this was recognised as a good engine and with rotary engines for two years. The main difference In a was one of the latest engines used in the War. When the rotary Is that the whole engine revolves and in a stationary engine back fired I would close the throttle and that would the crankshaft only revolves. Before I got into the machine stop the flow of gas. I tried that and still the engine back I examined it and found nothing defective. The other fired. occupant got In the machine he was not strapped in. I did It was quite impossible for me to avoid the accident. I not see any field glasses with him. I cannot if he used any knew that the field was satisfactory to land in and I thought as he was behind me. that the people would get out of the way when I landed. I left the drome and headed straight for Mornington. There are no certificates or licences issued and the There was a wind and I made fair time and the machine conditions are that anyone can go and buy an aeroplane was flying perfectly. I had been flying for about 10 minutes and take anyone up. In my opinion certificates are very when I noticed something wrong with the machine. I necessary. That is speaking for aeroplanes used for noticed that the engine was not running as fast as it commercial purposes. There is an Aero Club here and the should and I closed the throttle to try and close it down as machines should be examined by responsible persons it might have been overheated and by that time we were before they are allowed to go up. It would be better in the immediately over Mornington and then the engine back­ interests of the public that the landing places were fired and that showed there was something wrong and protected by a fence. There is nothing done here to then the engine "cut out" and stopped completely. I looked regulate aeroplanes but the Aero Club is trying to get to see a suitable landing ground and I saw where one had some recognition. I did not know the weight of paper I had been marked for that purpose and I noticed the way the and was not flying against time and I arrived at Mornington wind was blowing and prepared to land on this field on time. I consider that I exercised judgment in landing against the wind. I side-slipped down to lose height. I had and if the piston had not been defective I could have been 150 to 200 feet from the ground. I had to land there escaped the wires as it was not my intention to land there as the engine had "cut out". When about 10 feet from the at all. I had to land on account of the break In the piston. ground I flattened out preparatory to landing, but the (Signed) A. Vigers people crowded on to the ground about the locality where I was going to land and that made It impossible to land Taken and sworn before me the 26th day of March without injuring someone. I noticed the trees on the left 1920 at Melbourne (signed) A. Philips, Deputy Coroner.’’ and telegraph wires on the right. I then turned to the right and the machine had been going at about 50 miles an The following is the finding of the inquest: hour. I had control of the machine. It is necessary to go at “An INQUISTION for our Sovereign Lord King that speed. The machine would run along the ground for George V., taken at the Morgue, Melbourne, in the State of about 100 yards and then stop. When I saw that I could Victoria, the 26th day of March A.D.1920 in the tenth year not land I turned to the right and ran toward the telegraph of the reign of our said Lord King, by me, Alexander lines as I intended to go over the line and land at another Phillips, gentleman, a Deputy Coroner of our Lord the King place. That was the only thing I could do. I could not go up for the said State, upon the view of the body of Phillip as the engine was stopped. The machine caught the Roffe Nunn then and there lying dead. telegraph wires and turned a somersault. Having enquired upon the part of our Lord the King, Mr. Nunn did not say anything at all. I told him that the when, where, how, and by what means the said Phillip engine had cut out, I did not hear him answer. I do not Roffe Nunn came by his death, I say that on the 4th day of think that he was overcome at a!!. It is possible that he January Nunn died from injuries caused by the accidental was enjoying the ride. I was not doing any flash riding at overturning of an aeroplane at Mornington Phillip Roffe all. I am certain that the machine cut out about a quarter of Nunn an aeroplane in which he was riding on the 2nd an hour after the machine left Glenhuntly. It was not January 1920.” possible for me to examine the piston before starting and if

129 AHSA Aviation Heritage

FORTY THREE YEARS AGO - Reports from the Journal of 196t

Ed. Note: Four years ago I ran this series under the title of Forty Years Ago", however I ran out of steam, now Bill Roepcke has taken up the challenge and this will be a regular feature! Vol. II No. 8 On 6.8.61, the first of Qantas' turbo-fan BOEING 707-138B's reached Sydney at the end of the first non-stop direct Honolulu-Sydney flight by a jet aircraft. The aircraft, VH-EBH City of Darwin, made the non-stop 5185-mile flight in 9 hours 46 minutes. It had previously flown the leg from San Francisco to Honolulu in 4 hours 50 minutes and spent less than one hour in refueling there. Total flying time for the journey from San Francisco to Sydney was 14 hours 36 minutes which clipped 44 minutes from the normal time. The aircraft "dawdled" on the first leg because it had to arrive in Hawaii at a fixed time otherwise the time could have been reduced further, The aircraft flew to Avalon, Victoria, on 15.8.61 for commencement of the crew-training programme. Vol. II No. 8 On 6.8.61, six new CESSNA ISO's for the Army Light Aircraft Squadron were noted at Bankstown with serial numbers A98-041 to 046. Constructor's numbers were 51041 to 51046 respectively.

Vol. II No. 8 On 6.8.61, there was a dual christening ceremony for two TAA aircraft at Lae, New Guinea. BRISTOL FREIGHTER MK. 31M VH-TBA was named "Leahy Brothers" by E. A. Mustar, a pioneer aviator in New Guinea who is now resident in Melbourne. The three Leahy brothers were pioneer explorers and settlers in the highlands of New Guinea. On behalf of the Leahy family, Mrs. M. Leahy named DOUGLAS DC-3C VH-SBE "Mustar" in honour of the aviator who made the first flight in the New Guinea area in 1927. The flight was made from Rabaul, New Britain, after the aircraft, D.H. 37 VH- UAA, had been shipped from Australia. Mustar later made the first flight from Australia to New Guinea. TAA flew him to New Guinea for the ceremony on a scheduled DC-6B service. Vol. II No. 9 On 19.9.61, the Minister for supply (Mr. Hulme) announced that the first of a series of four rockets had been launched at Woomera for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. The series will be used to investigate the intensity and distribution of ultra- violet radiation above the Southern Hemisphere, and will supplement data already obtained in the Northern Hemisphere. NASA personnel stationed at Weapons Research Establishment, Salisbury, South Australia, were analysing the results of the first firing before proceeding with the second firing scheduled for October. The vehicle for the tests is the British-built SKYLARK and it reaches an altitude of 100 miles. Vol. II No. 9 It has been noted that Papuan Air Transport's new DOUGLAS DC-3C VH-PNA is fitted with doors on the undercarriage wheel wells and racks for JATO equipment have been mounted beneath the fuselage. Vol. II No. 9 On 30.9.61, DE HAVILLAND DOVE 5 VH-DHK (ex ZK-BZP) arrived at Alice Springs, N.T. for use by the Commonwealth Aerial Medical Service. The aircraft will be based there and operated by crews provided by TAA. It had returned from New Zealand in late August and was noted at the De Havilland factory at Bankstown, NSW, on 2.9.61 where it was being modified to meet the special requirements of the Medical Service. After modification, it was accepted by the Minister for Health, the Hon. Dr. D. A. Cameron, on behalf of the Commonwealth Department of Health at a ceremony at Bankstown.

Vol. II No. 10 On 3rd. October, Qantas inaugurated its services to New Zealand when LOCKHEED ELECTRA VH-ECC Pacific Endeavour" departed from Sydney for Wellington. Passengers on the flight included the Chairman of TEAL, Sir Leonard Isitt, and the Chairman of Qantas, Sir Hudson Fysh The Mayor of Wellington welcomed the aircraft and Sir Hudson Fysh made a presentation to the Deputy Prime Minister of New Zealand, Mr. Marshall, to commemorate the occasion. On 4th. October, the first Qantas service from Sydney to Christchurch was flown by LOCKHEED ELECTRA VH-ECB "Pacific Explorer" and on 8th. October, the same aircraft was used for the first Qantas service from Melbourne to AucK-Lsncl •

Vol. II No. 10 The Airlines Agreement Act, 1961, and amendments to the Australian National Airlines Act, 1945-61, were passed by Federal Parliament during October. The legislation ensures the continuity of the rationalised domestic airline structure for the/ next fifteen years and permits the two major airlines to plan for introduction of jet airliners in 1964-65. Vol. II No. 10 On 19th. October, CESSNA 150 VH-RHZ was forced to land on the southern part of Lake Eyre due to a severe dust- storm. The Aircraft was on a delivery flight from Sydney to Darwin and departed from Leigh Creek, SA, at 3.5 pm for Oodnadatta where the ETA was 6.25 pm. When the aircraft ailed to report by 9 am on the 20th, the Department of Civil Aviation instituted air search procedures. However, the aircraft and it's two occupants, G. Truscott (pilot) and P. Denholm (engineer) were not found until 11.30 am on 24th. The CESSNA had overturned when it touched down on a soft patch but the crew had not been injured. However, they had suffered from lack of food and water during the period until discovery because the aircraft had carried inadequate rations. They were found by Mr. B. Killeen of Nyngan, NSW, who was flying his own BEECH BONANZA VH-WKT. By this time, aircraft of DCA, RAAF, and several private owners were engaged on the search - the largest of Its kind to have been made in South Australia, The CESSNA is only damaged slightly and it is likely that efforts will be made to recover it. vol. II No. n Three RAAF crews of No. 11 (MR) Sqdn., Richmond, NSW, commanded by Fig. Officers H. Morris, G. Richardson and B. Wellington won the Fincastle Trophy in a competition which was recently contested for the first time by maritime elements of the Air Forces of Canada, New Zealand, United ingdom and Australia. The crews made attacks on simulated submarines and the results were compared by judges of RAF Coastal Command and representatives of the Commonwealth Air Forces. The RAAF crews flew in LOCKHEED NEPTUNE patrol bombers.

130 AHSA Aviation Heritage

FORTY THREE YEARS AGO - Reports from the Journal of 1961

Vol.II No.8 East West Airlines will seek to expand the company's paid-up capital from £165,000 to £1 million. The additional capital will be used to buy new aircraft from France or Britain. EWA is very interested in the MAX HOLSTE SUPER BROUSSARD and it has booked places on the production line for four of these aircraft. East West at present operates one FOKKER FRIENDSHIP VH-EWA and four DOUGLAS DC-3CS VH-EWB, EWD, EWE and EWF.

Vol.II No. 8 On 19.8.61, DOUGLAS DC-3C VH-PNA was to be test flown at Bankstown, Sydney. The aircraft, which was formerly a RAAF DAKOTA that had been damaged in an accident, had been rebuilt by Bristol Aviation Services and was scheduled for delivery to Papuan Air Transport in late August.

Vol.II No.8 On 18.8.61, the veteran GENERAL AIRCRAFT MONOSPAR ST.12 VH-UTH left Bankstown Airport, Sydney, on a flight to Ireland. The owner of the aircraft. Dr. J. Morris, who is president of Sydney's North Shore Aero Club, has to attend a post-graduate medical course in Ireland and he decided to fly the MONOSPAR there with the intention of arriving by 1st. October. At the end of the course he hopes to fly back to Australia via South Africa. Accompanying Dr. Morris on the flight to Ireland is Mr. B. Harrison, an engineer. The aircraft has been fitted with additional fuel tanks in the cabin. The MONOSPAR departed from Bankstown early in the morning of 18th. but, flying VFR, Dr Morris was forced to return when he could find no break in heavy clouds over the Blue Mountains about 60 miles west of Sydney. The second departure was delayed when, on taxying out, an oil leak was detected in one engine. The third attempt was successful and the aircraft reached Brisbane that evening and the crew stayed overnight. They reached Cloncurry on the 19th. but were delayed at Katherine, Northern Territory, on the 20th. when one engine failed to start when preparations for take-off were being made. A replacement magneto was flown from Darwin. The MONOSPAR landed in Darwin late on the morning of Monday, 21st. The flight was continued next day with the 400 mile over-water hop to Bacau on Timor, and thence on successive days to Djarkata, Palembang and Singapore. They left Singapore early on the 28th. and flew via Penang to Puket Airport in Thailand. The flight is continuing.

Vol.II No.9 Continuing its flight to England, GENERAL AIRCRAFT MONOSPAR VH-UTH flew via Burma, East Pakistan, India, Pakistan, Bahrein, Kuwait, Bagdad, Damascus, and Beirut to Nicosia, Cyprus, where it arrived on 20.9.61 and departed for Rhodes after a re-fuelling stop of one hour. The aircraft made a forced landing in the desert of West Iraq when fuel became low due to headwinds. Landing near an unattended pipeline pumping station, the crew found two cans of fuel which they poured into the MONOSPAR's tanks and continued the flight.

Vol.II No.9 On 2.9.61, Helicopter Utilities' Bell 47G-2 VH-UTA was noted at Perth Airport after completing a survey job for the Department of the Army in Western Australia, and is currently engaged on further survey work for the W.A. Lands Department. As a result of a contract awarded by the State Government, the helicopter will be stationed in the near future at the site of the new Ord River dam project in the Kimberly district of W.A. It will be used to maintain communications with outside areas during the wet season. The contract covers the period October 1961 to March 1962 and the charter rate is approximately £50 per flying hour.

Vol.II No. 9 The Royal Australian Navy's aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne arrived in Melbourne for a short visit in mid- September. On the 17th., the ship was open for public inspection and serial numbers of aircraft that could be seen were: - FAIREY GANNET XA331 (code M/824), XA434 (M/830), XD898 (M/826), XG785 (M/833), XG787 (M/828) (816 Sqdn. RAN) D.H. SEA VENOM WZ490 (M/809), WZ902 (M/807), WZ908 (M/804), WZ911 (M/810), WZ937(M/802) (805 Sqdn. RAN) BRISTOL SYCAMORE XA220 (M/810), XN448 (M/852) (721 Sqdn. RAN) All of the SEA VENOMS were fitted with auxiliary tanks at the wing tips and the tanks were painted with a red and white check colour scheme.

Vol.II No.10 Ansett-ANA have been utilising their BRISTOL FREIGHTER Mk.3lM VH-BFA to carry air freight to Tasmania. The aircraft made its first visit to Hobart Airport on 21st. October carrying several elephants from Sydney for a circus.

Vol.II No.10 In early October, PIPER AZTEC VH-FWH arrived in Brisbane on a delivery flight from San Francisco. Pilot of the aircraft was Max Conrad, the famous Piper ferry pilot, who had shortly before made a record round-the-world flight in a similar type of aircraft. The ferry flight of AZTEC VH-FWH was his first visit to Australia.

Vol.II No.11 On 30th. November, VICKERS VISCOUNT 720C VH-TVC, carrying a crew of four and 11 passengers, crashed soon after take-off from Sydney Airport at 7.10pm in an intense storm. The airliner, under the command of Capt. S. Lindsay, departed to the north-east, climbed to 3000 feet, turned on course to Canberra and reported at 5000 feet. The pilot was given an amended route clearance because of storm activity. Acknowledgement of this clearance was the last report received from the aircraft. Poor weather conditions prevented adequate search during the night and wreckage of the aircraft was found early next morning on the foreshore of Botany Bay within a couple of miles of the airport. This VISCOUNT, the third to be imported into Australia, was one of the three which were on cross-charter to Ansett-ANA from TAA.

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