Halifax in Australia

So nothing of Waltzing Mathilda survives? Not even a not or bolt?

Cees

G-ORDY came up with a photo of the Wizard last September:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=48764&highlight=Wicko+Wizard

Roger Smith.

And I have photos of all his other designs too – we corresponded for a while in the 1980s and Geoffrey kindly sent me lots of prints … including the Miles Pusher project that he designed and which was built at Woodley.

His son published a book on “Waltzing Matilda” some years ago.

G-ORDY came up with a photo of the Wizard last September:

http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=48764&highlight=Wicko+Wizard

Roger Smith.

Setter,

Just came across this website, and your website whilst researching the story of the Halifax flight to Aus.

Do you know if Geoffrey Wickner is still alive?

Ndege.

Sorry guys, it seems from that link to the boom it must be spelled Wikner. On checking the original article it is spelled both ways. I looked at the wrong one when righting the above last night, sorry. That is the only thing that lets down the magazine is the occasional typo.

Funnily enough Graham Orphan (the editor) mentions Wikner had a Wicko “Wizard”, which he describes as “a racy low wing monoplane that would make a nice subject for a replica even now.”

Hi all

I met Mr Wickner and heard him speak about the flight several times when I lived at Nelson Bay NSW. He was a very nice person and was a very community minded individual.

There is still a Halifax Caravan Park near Nelson Bay which is a memorial to the flight and the aircraft.

Regards
John Parker

More information here if anyone is interested:
http://home.st.net.au/~dunn/books/foth.htm

Wickner is an unusual surname, and it rang bells…
If Googling or similar there sems to be some uncertainty whether it was Wickner or Wikner.
The Foster-Wickner Wicko is what I was thinking of.
In 3-seat guise it even appears in the 1943 Aircraft of the Fighting Powers as the Warferry.
See here
http://www.wicko.com/

‘GXA was in fact the first civil Halifax, with 15 seats.It was flown to aus mainly to get the crew home after the war. After its sale it only flew one charter to Singapore with a load of dogs! Another Halifax made it to Aus though. The largest Halifax user was LAMS who cheifly imported fruit and veg from europe but they tried ‘tramping’ and G-AIWT actually flew round the world on adhoc charters! They set up LAMS(Australia) with G-AIWK but in 1948 the company went bankrupt and it was stranded and parked next to ‘Waltzing Maltida’ until they were both broken up.
Just imagine flying a Halifax San Francisco-Honolulu in 12 hours!!!

Yes, this is “Waltzing Mathilda” a true veteran with the RAAF and hastily modified for the journey home. This (as far as I know) was the only Halifax to make it to Australia. Pity they didn’t preserve it like they did with Lancaster G- for George.

Cheers

Cees

Doesn’t mention the nose art but was registered G-AGXA for the flight to Oz. Flown by Captain Geoffrey Wickner to Aussie with 18 passengers. Previously it had been flown by Australians in No 466 Sqn, RAF. It left Hurn 24 May 1946 and was in Darwin 16 days later.

It says they then planned exhibition flights to raise money for Benevolent Funds, but this didn’t eventuate. Imagine, it could have been Aussie’s own BBMF.

It was sold to a consortium of ex RAAF personnel who used it for a freight service. It didn’t suceed and they scrapped the Halifax at Sydney, the fuselage being used for fire drill at the airport. 😡

It still had turrets and some of its camo whilst wearing the civilian codes in the photo.

Sounds like quite an adventure, pooling together to buy a bomber and take it to the other side of the world.

Was this the one with ‘Walzing Matilda’ nose art, the story rings a bell….