RAF Canberra's at Allice Springs

Hello All,

Some of the RAF/RAAF a/c involved in the atomic tests were “very hot indeed” when they landed back after a sortie. They were washed down by blokes in just shorts/socks/boots – nothing else!! Some, after being washed down, were still “very hot”. IIRC a couple of RAAF Lincolns were so “hot” they were dumped in the ‘oggin!! I’ve got a thick file on the meteorology of the various atomic tests in that part of the world (un-digitised, I’m afraid!) which contains quite a lot about the various a/c fall-out monitoring missions. The lack of RADHAZ safety precautions would make your hair curl!! These flights were the forerunner of the various Ops AROMA in later years!

HTH

Resmoroh

A far better site is the adf-serials.com.au site, (already mentioned above) where all the military aircraft in Australia have been recorded by type and serial number, and their history card entries.

Mark, me old cobber. If I was any less a thick-skinned Aussie, I’d almost think you were have a go at me! :stupid:

The ADF-serials website is excellent; but whether it is “better” would probably depend on what the OP is looking for. Earlier posts had already mentioned the ADF-serials website. So I had hoped to expand the available data to the OP by pointing him towards the NAA website as well.

So what sort of things are available on the NAA website – if they’ve been digitized:
– Squadron Operational histories, usually of RAAF squadrons, but occasionally RAF squadron extracts where there is Australian content;
– documents on the Blue Jay/Firestreak missile trials (using Canberras as well as CAC Sabre);
– odds and sods photos.
The sort of interesting, eccentric and ecclectic bits and pieces of info that makes this kind of research so much fun.
(The search engine is itself a little eccentric and very dependant on the entered search words.)

https://www.flickr.com/photos/piedmont_fossil/23863332903
On another website (referring to Gillen(?) Aerodrome in Alice Springs:
“….- The only jet aircraft to land here was an R.A.F. Canberra bomber in April 1958, which mistakenly took the old townsite strip for the modern and larger aerodrome. ….”

Regards, …geoff

PS Didn’t really think you were havin’ a lend of me….just winding you up on Star Wars Day (May 4th).

Double post deleted.
…geoff

Try the National Archives Australia website:

You could try different combinations in the search engine and see what other documents/photos surface.

Happy Hunting,
…geoff

A far better site is the adf-serials.com.au site, (already mentioned above) where all the military aircraft in Australia have been recorded by type and serial number, and their history card entries.

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/

Go to the “RAAF series two” section and to the “A84- / Canberra” list, after the list of Australian GAF made airframes you will find all the RAF airframes listed that were operated at WRE at Woomera, there are even pics in the associated gallery.

Many of these aircraft ended their days as pilotless drones and targets for missile development.

I doubt these aircraft operated at Alice Springs too often?

Three of these aircraft are preserved in South Australia with two at the South Australian Aviation Museum and another at Lincoln Nitskes private collection.

Apart from the Canberras with RAAF serials there were many Canberras that flew in Australia retaining their RAF serials.
Trials Aircraft
The Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) was a joint U.K./Australia project based at Salisbury and Woomera and operated from Woomera, Mallalla, Evetts Field (40 km north of Woomera Airfield) and later RAAF Edinburgh.
Some 2 dozen RAF Canberras were flown by both the RAF and pilots from 2 Squadron RAAF operating as the Air Trials Unit.
RAAF crews flew RAF Canberras in support of various weapons programs including the British atomic bomb tests, Operation Totem (October 1953) at Emu Field, Operation Mosaic (May/June 1956) on the Montebello Islands 130kms off the WA coast, Operations Buffalo (September/October 1956) and Antler (September/October 1957) at Maralinga.
They were also used in trials of the Blue Steel missile and the Jindivik target drone.
Others were used by De Havilland Propellers on their Blue Jay (later Firestreak) missile program.
These trials Canberras all retained their RAF serials however most were issued RAAF Aircraft Status Cards and some wore (unofficial) Kangaroo roundels.
Target Aircraft
At the height of the Cold War it is an indication of how serious the threat to the UK of Soviet nuclear armed bombers was taken that they used relatively new, expensive and front-line aircraft such as the Canberra as target aircraft. These were used in the development of new weapons such as the Bloodhound, Thunderbird and Seaslug surface to air missiles to counter this threat. Small drones such as the Meteor U.15/U.21 and Jindivik may not of provided a large enough radar target and certainly didn’t have the endurance and range of the full size Canberra targets. Eighteen Canberra B.2s were converted by Short Brothers and Harland in Belfast, Northern Ireland to U.10 target drones for use on the ranges at Woomera. The first aircraft (WJ624) was flown in this form on 11th June 1957. Seventeen were shot down or crashed at Woomera and one (WJ624) remained in the UK to be later upgraded to U.14 status. They could be flown with a pilot aboard who flew it via a supervisory panel installed in the cockpit that, by the use of 13 push buttons, simulated the inputs transmitted to the aircraft when flown unmanned. When flown without a pilot aboard the U.10 was controlled via a VHF link from a control van. The aircraft had an explosive abort device on board in case of emergencies such as loss of contact.
The first target flight was in June 1959 and WD961 was destroyed by a Bloodhound missile while at 50,000 feet.

Regards

Mark Pilkington

Try the National Archives Australia website:
http://www.naa.gov.au/collection/search/

I tried the search for: Royal Air Force Canberra Bomber. using the time period 1957 to 1970.
There were three digitized photos; one of a RAAF Canberra under trial; and two of flash-white coloured (probably) RAF Canberras using the Woomera rocket range airfield.

You could try different combinations in the search engine and see what other documents/photos surface.

Happy Hunting,
…geoff

Would Canberras have used Mallalla? It was always an “all over” field without runways.

Another “forgotten field” was Talgarno, south of Broome, where the recovery camp for missiles fired up from Woomera was located. Now known as Anna Plains, it had a thinly sealed 6000 ft runway. I visited the then recently abandoned but complete camp site in the 1960’s. It looked as though they’d simply turned the lights out and walked out.

Apparently there were RAF Canberra’s based at Alice Springs South Australia/ Northern Territories based there as part of the Trials under way at Christmas island in the mid 1950’s?

Any info would be appreciated as having red a couple of books on this subject nothing had come to light.

Many thanks

The Weapons Research Establishment (WRE) was a joint U.K./Australia project based at Salisbury and Woomera and operated from Woomera, Mallalla, Evetts Field (40 km north of Woomera Airfield) and later RAAF Edinburgh.
Some 2 dozen RAF Canberras were flown by both the RAF and pilots from 2 Squadron RAAF operating as the Air Trials Unit.
RAAF crews flew RAF Canberras in support of various weapons programs including the British atomic bomb tests, Operation Totem (October 1953) at Emu Field, Operation Mosaic (May/June 1956) on the Montebello Islands 130kms off the WA coast, Operations Buffalo (September/October 1956) and Antler (September/October 1957) at Maralinga.
They were also used in trials of the Blue Steel missile and the Jindivik target drone.
Others were used by De Havilland Propellers on their Blue Jay (later Firestreak) missile program.
These trials Canberras all retained their RAF serials however most were issued RAAF Aircraft Status Cards and some wore (unofficial) Kangaroo roundels.

http://www.adf-gallery.com.au/