Hi Willip,

I’ll do a little more searching around about paint schemes and see what I can dig up. I have a fair idea, but I don’t want to ‘jump the gun’.

A17-503 served with the EFTS at Narromine, NSW. It may well be worth contacting the Curator at the Museum there to verify its WWII markings. [email]curator@narromineaviationmuseum.org.au[/email]

Also, I thought for information you might like some background on A17-503 from Julian Forsyth’s excellent book. (If you’d like the same for A17-48 I can forward that information as well).

Construction Number 926

Built to RAAF order as A17-503. 2 AD Richmond 18.5.42. 1 AOS Cootamundra storage 25.5.42. EFTS Narromine 22.6.42. DHA Mascot 19.6.44 for overhaul (sequence number T.256). 2AP Bankstown 30.6.44.
5 AD Storage Cootamundra 6.7.44. CMU Cootamundra 12.3.46. Offered for sale by CDC 1.2.47. Sold for £90 to Association of Australian Aero Clubs, Broadmeadow, N.S.W. 14.2.47 Issued to purchaser 7.5.47.

Registered VH-BMY to Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, N.S.W., 4.3.49 (C of R Number 1628)
Struck power lines and crashed near Canowindra, N.S.W., 2.9.50, on a flight from Forbes to Cowra (pilot Francis Rooney killed). Withdrawn from service 16.5.51. Registration cancelled 6.8.51 in general cancellation of registrations of unairworthy aircraft. Registered VH-RNM to Royal Newcastle Aero Club, Broadmeadow, N.S.W., 56. Registered VH-BTU to Basil Taylor & Co Pty Ltd, Perth W.A. 19.11.59.
(Cof R number 2932). Registration cancelled 26.6.61. Registered to Blaxwell & Grummels, South Guildford WA, 28.6.61; and F. W. Lawrence, Benjaberring, WA, 25.9.63. Registration cancelled 8.7.66 Exported to the United States. Became N3862.

Source: The DH82A Tiger Moth in Australia by Julian Forsyth 1995.

Cheers,

Owen

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It’s now only 3 hours until the eleventh hour of the eleventh day here in Australia.

I’ll spend the time with my Mum, a WWII WAAAF radar operator, as my father, a veteran of World War Two and Korea, is now gone. Mum also lost her fiance in World War Two in a Beaufort in New Guinea 6 weeks before her wedding.

As such, today and ANZAC Day have always been significant in our home. Particularly for Mum.

Lest we Forget.

OZ

Hi All,

Though I don’t remember any specific episode where the ‘Bush Tucker Man’ came across a wreck, there are a number of contenders in the outback Kimberley region. I used to fly around there in my early days as a pilot back in the late 80’s and there were still wrecks to crawl over to pass the time while waiting for passengers to return from their business.

(i) B-24 Liberator A72-160 crashed at on take off at Truscott in 1945 killing 11 on board. Much of this wreck is still in place today.

(ii) As for a DC3, there is some rusting wreckage of a Dutch Dakota north of Broome at Beagle Bay that was shot down by the Japanese in 1942. It is the centrepiece in the ‘Dutch Diamond Mystery’, which is now a book.

(iii) At Kalumburu there were a number of bomber wrecks in the scrub that are still visited by tour groups from time to time. I believe that some of these have been recovered in recent years.

All in all, there were quite a few wrecks to see in the remote areas of Australia and I know some are still there today. Many are rightly marked as tributes to the many crews who served and others serve as memorials to those who perished.

Cheers

OZ

Dear Alex,

Many thanks for the clarification.

Regards,

Owen

Dear Pete,

I have just finished a book on a very unassuming RAF veteran who migrated down under here to Australia some years back. (In fact it’s being ‘launched’ at Duxford Legends next week.) In researching this book, and with all veterans, I have always set my primary goal as recording the story for their family. If no-one else reads it and the story is preserved for them; mission accomplished. However, some tales definitely stand out and beckon to be more widely published. The decision to do so is solely theirs. At 85, if he is happy with the status quo, then let it be.

If he is interested in publication, I would suggest that his 100 pages would equate to a few more when examined more closely by a biographer/writer. Such brevity and understatement is commonplace amongst this marvellous, dignified and modest generation.

As Garry relates, publication is very competitive, so the story and the style in which it is written must be just right. As a suggestion, you may wish to put a proposal together to submit to Publishers, based on the 100 page manuscript. (Again this will have to conform to Publisher guidelines) The proposal permits an opportunity for publishers to show interest without the project prematurely become all-consuming. Pondskater has also raised some good options in private publishing and the like.

Overall, if the veteran is happy with the way things are, I would suggest leaving it be. There is quite a lot involved in turning a story into a published book and all parties must have their heart in it. Perhaps a copy can be donated to the IWM for their records. At the very least, it is great that he has recorded the story in its present form.

Best of luck,

Owen