Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia | Aerospace company

Clyde North Aeronautical Preservation Group

Locality: Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia

Phone: +61 421 668 172

Add/Update information

Reviews

Tags

• Arts and entertainment
• History Museum
• Museum
• Aerospace company

25.01.2022 10 December 1945 - Beaufighter crash at Labuan killed six:

21.01.2022 #Onthisday in 1953, to the amazement of the Americans and Australians stationed at Kimpo airfield in South Korea, a Russian built MiG-15bis jet fighter landed ...on their runway. Coming from the north the opposite direction of the F-86 Sabre jets landing that day the MiG wagged its wings and fired off coloured flares, demonstrating a distress signal to the gun batteries defending the airfield. As the Korean Armistice Agreement had recently been signed, defence at Kimpo was lax. Luck was on the pilot’s side; no one noticed the MiG until it almost collided with a Sabre landing from the other end of the runway. As the MiG pilot taxied between two parked Sabres, awaiting pilots jumped into their cockpits and had their guns aimed, fingers on their triggers. Continue reading: http://ow.ly/Wkhc50Bt6uZ Image: No Kum Sok posing for American photographers in his North Korean flying suit and equipment. P04624.001.

21.01.2022 In most countries you will find national treasures housed in environmentally controlled national collecting institutions usually occupying the most prestigious and visited real estate, and continually monitored by heritage professionals.

20.01.2022 Today is the 11th November, and here in Australia is NAIDOC Week (National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee). For this Memorial Day, I can't th...ink of a better commemoration than the remarkable work being undertaken by a small team refinding the stories of Australia's mostly forgotten Aboriginal airmen and women - here those from World War Two. Credit to the Australian War Memorial for supporting Garth O'Connell and colleagues, and note this work is ongoing - there's more to be told, a very important example of making 'lest we forget' real. The battles these men had to fight to be allowed to be able to defend Australia (that would not defend them) are a telling example of great selflessness and citizenship - something else where the 1940s Australian state failed the continent's oldest inhabitants. In the order Garth presents them, here's Roy Hill; Leonard Victor Waters; James Terence Sinclair; James Stanley Gooch AFC MID; Aubrey Maurer, RFVR; David Valentine Paul DFC; and Arnold Lockyer. The video is a powerful hour. Well worth a watch.

20.01.2022 Phour F-4EJ Phantoms phrom 301 Hikotai retired this year, but have been saved phor the phuture! Destination: gateguard or museum.

19.01.2022 Junkers Ju 88R-1 360043 on display at the The Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford. The JU-88 was extremely versatile and was one of the Luftwaffe's leading multi-ro...le aircraft of the war. Variants included bomber, dive bomber, night fighter, torpedo bomber, reconnaissance, heavy fighter and many others. This was never the intention at the design stage, it was initially envisioned as an unarmed high-speed bomber, but evolved into a conventional medium bomber. - The aircraft here is a JU 88R, which is essentially a JU 88C powered by a different variant of BMW engine, the two types were produced in parallel. The C series was the fighter-bomber / heavy fighter variant. These had a solid nose containing forward-firing guns, however they retained some bomb carrying ability in a reduced bomb-bay, an additional fuel tank taking up the remaining space. With RAF night raids increasing there was a need for night-fighters and many C variants would become night-fighters. These aircraft carried the FuG 202 Lichtenstein BC intercept radar and the distinctive Matratze antennas in the nose. - Ju 88R-1 360043 is significant in that on 9th May 1943 two of the three crew defected to the UK (the third crew member was forced to comply), and they effectively handed over the aircraft and radar unit to the British. They took off from Aalborg Denmark on a routine mission, over the sea they reported an engine fire, descended to sea level below German radar and dropped their life rafts. They then flew to the RAF Dyce in Aberdeen, Scotland. - 360043 spent the rest of the war being evaluated by the British until selected for preservation by the Air Historical Branch and entering storage in 1946. For the next three decades she would move between sites and was reassembled for display when necessary. In 1974 the decision was made to completely restore her and in 1978 she was transferred to the RAF Museum, Hendon for inclusion in the Battle of Britain hall. She remained there until 2017 when the hall was redeveloped and she moved to Cosford. - She is one of only two completely restored and assembled JU 88s in the world, although there are currently multiple restoration projects and a complete fuselage on display in Berlin. See more

19.01.2022 I am so grateful to have the great privilege and trust of filming for the Norwegian Spitfire Foundation, operating P-51D Mustang G-SHWN owned by Shaun Patrick a...nd formerly known as The Shark. For three years this has been on my mind every day. Imagining what new sights, sounds and friendship the next year will bring. Those few days together are worth the wait of the whole year. Enjoy this collection of air to air and air show footage from 2017-2019. Written and produced by Knut Åshammer Composers Tom Day & Jake Lowe Southerly, Fractals ______________________ http://donate.norwegianspitfire.com The Norwegian Spitfire Foundation endeavours to honour the tremendous efforts and sacrifices of the Norwegian squadrons during World War 2. We need help in funding the restoration/rebuild of Spitfire PL258 to flying condition. Please support Norway's only Spitfire with wartime history. Any donation, small or large is most welcome. We are not asking for monuments - we are only asking for the preservation of our history. - WWII Spitfire pilot, General Wilhelm Mohr More info: http://donate.norwegianspitfire.com Norsk kontonummer: 1503.88.18845 VIPPS: 97071

18.01.2022 Mustang Monday, how about the Guatemala FAG having a P-51 Mustang aerobatic team back in the day. Wonder if any videos existing out there to see if there routine is similar to the Horsemen Routine? Just curious. (Photo by FAG via Gabriel Contreras)

15.01.2022 A fantastic message from Nick Grey of The Fighter Collection, organisers of Flying Legends, was posted yesterday stating that whilst the team is working hard to... secure a new venue, they intend to hold the show on the 10th and 11th July 2021. Save the date! This is the traditional second weekend of July slot for Legends. It is important to note this is a provisional date as a new venue needs to be confirmed, and of course the current Covid 19 situation needs to subside. But fingers crossed and we will see the impressive sight of the Legends Balbo over a new airfield in 2021. Here is 2018's Balbo from day two, 26 warbirds together, 28 were in day one! Check out the Flying Legends page for the message. For those who didn't know, last month it was announced that after 26 years at Duxford, Flying Legends airshow will no longer take place there. However, The Fighter Collection fleet and engineering team will remain based at Duxford, and the show organisers wish to carry on at an alternative UK venue.

14.01.2022 The first two British Army Apache AH-64E attack helicopters have been delivered. The new AH-64Es are the most advanced variant of Apache and will replace the Apache AH Mark 1, which reaches it's out of service date in 2024. The UK has 50 AH-64Es on order.

12.01.2022 A fantastic announcement today, Flying Legends 2021 will take place at Sywell Aerodrome, Northampton, over 10th and 11th July. Same amazing airshow, at an aweso...me new venue! Looking forward to seeing formations like these at Sywell, the new home of the world's greatest airshow! #flyinglegends #sywell #sywellaerodrome #flyinglegends2021 #flyinglegends21 #flyinglegendssywell #airshows #warbirdlovers

12.01.2022 USAF McDonnell Douglas F-4E Phantom II (S/N 66-0368) - Big Spring Vietnam Memorial (November 2020). This aircraft is on loan to the City of Big Spring, Texas from the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

12.01.2022 9 Oct 1999 38SQN and 35SQN deploy to East Timor On this day in 1999, members of 38SQN and 35SQN deployed to Dili, East Timor as part of INTERFET. A dozen tech...nicians and an Army Ground Liaison Officer travelled from Darwin to Dili on a RAAF C130. Two Caribous were flown from Darwin to Dili the next day (10 Oct) and flying ops in the country commenced on 12 Oct. In the month leading up to the deployment, Caribou flights from Darwin to East Timor had occurred. These supported SF operations and repatriated some East Timorese who had previously fled the country. None of these earlier Caribou flights remained overnight or refuelled in East Timor and crews were faced with the prospect of insufficient fuel to make land in the event of an engine failure for a period of the return journey. Once deployed to East Timor, Caribou operations occurred as 86 Wing, Detachment C and were initially based in Dili, living and working from tents next to the busy runway. The Detachment later moved to Bacau and increased in size to four aircraft. At Bacau most aircrew lived in a converted bathroom, while the technicians lived in a building that should have been condemned. The Detachment finally moved backed to Dili and living conditions improved when air conditioned ATCO huts were provided. All 35SQN personnel were transferred to 38SQN in 2000 and the last 38SQN Caribou left East Timor on 25 Feb 2001. The Caribou proved ideal at operating in the mountainous tropical island nation, to rudimentary airfields, and achieved a high rate of mission success. At times the Caribou was the only link between Dili and the south of the island when rain cut roads, washed out beach landings and prevented helicopters from flying due to cloud cover across the high terrain. Tactical, fixed-wing transport again proved its worth, carrying out the unglamorous but vital tasks. The Caribou proved ideal at operating in the mountainous tropical island nation, to rudimentary airfields, and achieved a high rate of mission success. At times the Caribou was the only link between Dili and the south of the island when rain cut roads, washed-out beach landings, and prevented helicopters from flying due to cloud cover across the high terrain. Tactical, fixed-wing transport again proved its worth, carrying out the unglamorous but vital tasks.

09.01.2022 An Outstanding Pilot - Dudley Marrows DSO DFC Sunderland III W6077/U left Pembroke Dock in Wales in the early morning of July 30th 1943 on a routine anti-subm...arine patrol. At the controls sat Flight Officer Dudley Marrows. The sortie was uneventful; a few suspicious looking Spanish fishing boats the only sights to report. Flying home and low on fuel, the crew picked up exchanges between three German U-boats and some RAF and USAAF aircraft. The Royal Navy had a support group of five sloops on the way. The fighting intensified, and before long, Marrows was ordered to divert W6077/U to the Bay of Biscay and join the battle. What happened next has been described as the greatest air and sea U-boat battle of the Second World War. Read more here: https://vwma.org.au//an-outstanding-pilot---dudley-marrows

09.01.2022 Headed to the museum and hit a pot hole.

08.01.2022 They have served us very well.....

07.01.2022 A tale of two fighter aces of the Battle of Britain:One RAF and one a German ace.Sgt. Ernest Scott was born in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire on 30th December 1917.... He was educated at St Peter's School, Mansfield and St John's College, York. After leaving College he worked as a fitter in an engineering works. Ernest Scott then joined the RAF in 1935. He later trained as a pilot and received his wings at 15 FTS, Lossiemouth in 1938. On 24th February 1940 Scott arrived at 12 Group Pool, Aston Down. After converting to Spitfires, he was posted to 222 Squadron at Duxford on 23rd March. He was still with the squadron at the start of the Battle of Britain. On 3rd September 1940 Scott claimed a Do17 and a Me109 destroyed, on the 5th a probable Me110 and Me109, on the 7th he destroyed a Me109, on the 9th probably destroyed another and on the 11th shot down a He111. After this engagement, Scott returned to Hornchurch with his hood shattered after an attack by a Me109. On 27th September Scott claimed a Me109 destroyed but he himself failed to return from an operational sortie in the afternoon and was reported 'Missing'. His Spitfire, P9364, crashed at Greenway Court Road, Hollingbourne, near Maidstone shot down by Major Molders of JG51 (Werner Molders was at the time one of the leading aces of the Battle of Britain and was, including his Spanish Civil War victories and Battle of France victories, the leading German fighter ace of WW2 at the time). Scott's name was put on the Runnymede Memorial, Panel 19, as having no known grave. In 1975 a group of aviation archaeologists applied for permission from the Ministry of Defence to excavate the aircraft but it was refused on the grounds that the dead pilot's parents wished his body to remain with the aircraft. Further requests for permission over the years were refused. In 1990 Scott's sister and other relatives were traced. A request by them to the Ministry of Defence for a formal burial for Scott was turned down. His sister wrote to Prince Charles, asking him to intervene. A few days later the excavation was authorised and a Ministry team recovered the aircraft and Scott's remains, still in the cockpit, were positively identified. He was buried with full military honours in Margate Cemetery, Kent on 1st February 1991. . Ernest Scott had scored 5 victories and 3 probable destroyed victories to become a recognised RAF fighter ace of the Battle of Britain. He was shot down and killed in action by another Ace :Major Werner Molders of JG51, he was his 55th WW2 Victory. Werner "Vati" Mölders was born on 18 March 1913, at Gelsenkirchen in the Ruhrgebiet. He joined the army in 1931 and served as an officer cadet in the Infantry. In 1934, with the rebirth of the Luftwaffe as a result of Hitler coming to power, Mölders requested a transfer to become a pilot. At his first attempt to join the Luftwaffe, he was declared unfit for flying. He tried again and was accepted for flying training. He was badly afflicted by air sickness but overcame the problem through sheer willpower. On 1 July 1935, Leutnant Mölders was posted to Fliegergruppe Schwerin (later to be redesignated I./StG 162). He was appointed Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 334 (later to be redesignated 1./JG 53) on 15 March 1936. On 1 April 1936, he was transferred to the Schulstaffel of JG 134 to undertake instructing duties. For two years he was an instructor at Wiesbaden. He volunteered for the Condor Legion and arrived by sea in Cadiz on 14 April that year. He took over from Adolf Galland at the head of 3.J/88. During the Spanish conflict he showed considerable qualities not only as a pilot and marksman but also, and especially, as a tactician and organiser. Together with other airmen, in Spain he developed the technique known as the "finger four", or fan, which improved a flight's all-round vision and encouraged the pilots' initiative. Between 15 July and 3 November 1938, he shot down fourteen aircraft: eleven I-16 "Mosca", two Polikarpov I-15 "Chato" and one SB-2 "Katyuska", as well as one unconfirmed I-16 victory, most of these at the controls of the Bf 109 C-1 coded 6-79 "Luchs". He was awarded the Spanienkreuz in Gold mit Schwertern und Brillanten in recognition of his achievements. At the end of the year he returned to Germany as the highest scoring German pilot of the Spanish conflict, with a glowing reputation and a maturity beyond his years and rank. At the beginning of World War II, Mölders was Staffelkapitän of 1./JG 53 "Pik As", based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. He became known by those under his command as "Vati" (Daddy) Mölders. He shot down his first aircraft of the Second World War on 21 September 1939, a French Curtiss 75 A fighter. On 1 November he went on to command III./JG 53, also based at Wiesbaden-Erbenheim. On 27 May 1940, after his 20th victory, a French Curtiss 75 A SW of Amiens, he was promoted to Hauptmann and decorated with the Knight's Cross. He was shot down in combat on 5 June 1940, by French ace Sous Lieutenant René Pommier Layragues (6 victories) flying a D.520 of GC II/7 after having scored 25 victories during 128 missions and was taken prisoner. He was liberated two weeks later upon the armistice with France. He returned to Germany to be promoted to Major and given command of JG 51 as Kommodore. On 28 July 1940, during his first flight with his new unit, he succeeded in downing a Spitfire, but his aircraft was then hit by the Spitfire of Flt. Lt Terry Webster of 41 Squadron (himself a fighter ace, later killed with at least 12 victories). Severely wounded in the legs, Mölders just managed to make an emergency landing at the airfield at Wissant in France. It was not until a month later that he was able to return to combat, most likely flying the Bf 109 E-4 W.Nr. 2404 (photographed on 31 August with 32 victory bars), as well as W.Nr. 3737, (shot down over England while being flown by Hptm Asmus on 25 October, with no staff markings according to the crash report, but 49 victory bars). Other claimants for Molders wounding were Bennions of 41, Malan of 74 and Pat Hughes of 234 squadron but all do not match and Webster is the most likely victor. His enforced rest allowed Galand, his rival in ranking aces, to close the gap. Molders quickly brought his score up by downing 28 British fighters during the remainder of the Battle of Britain, including his 40th, a Spitfire over Dungeness, on 20 September, for which he was awarded the Oak Leaves (No. 2) the next day. On 22 October he downed three RAF Hurricanes to become the first Luftwaffe pilot to reach a score of 50 aerial victories. By the end of the Battle of Britain he had a total of 54 victories, and he would add one more before the end of the year. With his score at 55 he was ranked 3rd top Luftwaffe ace for WW2 victories with Galand now top with 58 and Wick with 56, but he had been killed by another ace:John Dundas (13.3 victories, who was himself killed by another ace:Rudi Pfplanz, seconds later). Werner Molders continued flying and fighting over the Channel Front until early May, by which time he had brought down an additional 13 British aircraft to reach 68 victories. On 22 June 1941, the first day of Operation Barbarossa on the Eastern Front, he shot down four Russian aircraft, one I-153 and three SB-2 bombers, his 69th through 72nd victories, and was awarded the Swords (Schwertern No. 2). He was the first pilot to surpass von Richthofen's WW I record score of 80 on 30 June, when he shot down 5 SB-2 bombers to score his 78th to 82nd victories on a day that JG 51 claimed 110 SB-2 and DB-3 bombers. He shot down a further four enemy aircraft on 5 July for his 83rd to 86th victories. On 15 July he became the first pilot in history to record 100 victories and was immediately awarded the Diamonds (Brillanten No. 1), the first German soldier to be so recognized. He was immediately forbidden to fly combat on the personal orders of Göring. At only 28 years of age, he was promoted to Oberst and appointed Inspector General of Fighters on 7 August. Even though ordered to cease flying combat missions, he continued to do so and achieved several unconfirmed victories over the Crimea. He personally instructed many pilots on how to achieve success, and helped develop the forward air controller concept. On 22 November 1941, he was flying as a passenger in a He 111 from the Crimea to Germany to attend the funeral of Ernst Udet. Landing during a thunderstorm at Breslau the aircraft crashed and Mölders and the pilot were killed. In his memory, on 20 December 1941, JG 51 was bestowed the honour name "Mölders". He flew a total of some 330 missions during the Second World War, 100 of these on the Eastern Front, during which he shot down a total of 101 aircraft, 33 of these in the East. He also was the top scorer of the Legion Condor in Spain with 14 victories achieved in some 100 missions, and helped develop many of the modern fighter tactics still in use today. The name of Molders is well known, much less known is the name of Ernest Scott of Nottinghamshire, who was remembered on the Runnymede memorial for years and remained Missing. Now he is recovered and given the decency of a full military funeral and a fitting CWGC headstone, his name is remembered on the Battle of Britain Monument in London, also on the Battle of Britain Wall at Capel-le-Ferne, Kent and in several websites such as this one and books on 222 Squadron or the Battle of Britain. Had these two men met, as other veteran aces did post war, such as Adolph Galland and Douglas Bader or others, then, they may have shared common interests, flying and such. As it was, they were brought together by war and both died in that war. There are no winners in war. They died, both of them, doing the thing they loved:Flying. One in a fast monoplane fighter, the other a victim, some thought, of sabotage, in an accident. May they both rest in peace. Paul Davies. See more

07.01.2022 Bill Eames, Royal Air Force (1) 570 Squadron 1923 - November 16, 2020... As a pilot in the Royal Air Force Flight Lieutenant Bill Eames was involved with Pegasus Bridge and OPERATION MARKET GARDEN. Bill took part in Supply Drop operations where supplies were dropped to Maquis in occupied France. In the early hours of June 6, 1944, D-Day, Bill was flying a Short Stirling aircraft which was towing a Horsa Glider full of troops. The glider was released on the eastern side of Sword Beach near the town of Ouistreham. On Tuesday September 19, 1944, he was wounded by gunfire but was able to fly back to England where he spent some time in Hospital in Oxford. Born in Enniskillen in 1923, Bill got to fly for the first time at the age of 12, when CW Scott’s International Air Circus visited Enniskillen. My friend George McVitty and I both paid seven shillings and sixpence for the flight, Bill recalls. I thought it was great. George and I later joined the Air Force. George was killed over Germany before I had even finished my training. At Portora Royal School, Bill was a member of the Officer Training Corps. He joined the RAF in 1941 and travelled to the USA for secret training. We were dispersed to different training schools. My group went to the US Air Corps, and I was nine months in Souther Field, Georgia, Bill says. From there he was sent to Toronto. On his return to the UK, Bill was stationed at RAF Ashbourne in Derby, flying Whitley and Albemarle aircraft. He later joined 570 Squadron at RAF Hurn near Bournemouth. His squadron specialised in supply drops to the French resistance operatives, generally at low level, at night. He also towed the Horsa glider. In September 1944, Bill was involved in OPERATION MARKET GARDEN, the ill-fated Allied attempt to secure the Rhine crossing at Arnhem. On the first two days I was dropping gliders carrying troops into the Arnhem area, Bill says. On the third day I was wounded very badly. There was a lot of flak. The troops on the ground were very hard pressed. We were detailed to drop in as accurately as possible, so had to fly as low as 500ft. My plane was hit by flak. I was struck on the leg and arm, and parts of the plane were very badly damaged. References: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-54960231 https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-50932306 https://connor.anglican.org//it-is-important-to-remember-/ https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk//first-minister-express https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m0005n19

07.01.2022 Milestone moment with the Avro Anson restoration at the RAAF Amberley Aviation Heritage Centre with the aircraft up on its undercarriage. Engines will evidently get mounted next week!

07.01.2022 On this day: 29 years ago, the USAF Strategic Air Command ended its 37 year-long, round-the-clock nuclear alert (September 27, 1991). End of an era!

05.01.2022 Quite a nice collection of aircraft in the backyard of this Chateau. But it is sad to see that so many aircraft are in a bad condition. Photos are made with my phone

05.01.2022 More photos from the John Smith Mozzie move. This time on JEM Aviation Ltd Facebook Page.

04.01.2022 Newsreel footage of wrecked Italian aircraft and captured pilots that took part in a raid against Britain on 11 November 1940. The film also includes shots of S...quadron Leader Robert Stanford Tuck and pilots of No. 257 Squadron at RAF Martlesham Heath in Suffolk, displaying souvenirs of their action. On this day, the Corpo Aereo Italiano saw its first major combat against the RAF. A formation of ten BR.20 bombers escorted by forty CR.42 biplane fighters set off to attack the Essex port town of Harwich, but were intercepted by Hurricanes of Nos. 17, 46, and 257 Squadrons. In the ensuing melee, three BR.20s and three CR.42s were lost. There were no RAF losses. Winston Churchill later quipped that the Italian aircraft "might have found better employment defending the fleet at Taranto", referring to the successful British raid that took place later on the same day. Source: British Pathé

04.01.2022 Lavochkin La-9 828 was built in 1946 and served with the People's Republic of China Airforce before being retired to the Beijing University of Aeronautics & Ast...ronautics in the late 50s. She remained there in an overall good condition until purchased by the Old Flying Machine Company in 1996. Initially shipped to Duxford, she was stored there until 2000 when she was shipped to Pioneer Aero Ltd in New Zealand for a complete restoration to flight. Remarkably the restoration was completed in just a few years with her first flight in March 2003, now on the NZ register as ZK-LIX and registered to Ray Hanna and Garth Hogan. She briefly carried Chinese markings as 828 before they were modified to Russian markings of "White 28". Shipped back to the UK for the 2003 season, she was flown to France for a static appearance at the Paris Airshow and made her UK display debut at Flying Legends. She made other memorable appearances at Shoreham, Goodwood and Duxford but sadly for UK enthusiasts, was shipped back to NZ in 2004. Based at Wanaka, she displayed at the bi-annual Warbirds Over Wanaka airshow in 04, 06, 08 and 10, but by this stage had been put up for sale. Sold to Jerry Yagen's Military Aviation Museum in 2010, she was shipped to the USA. Initially stored, she was eventually reassembled and placed on display in the music alongside an impressive number of other Russian types. Although on the US register as N415ML, she has not flown since arriving. Reportedly one reason is due to her nose mounted weapons having to be removed for export into the USA and the issue of installing a suitable substitute to maintain the aircrafts' centre of gravity is to be resolved. Hopefully when time and resources permit we will see her take to the air again.

03.01.2022 The Tigercat, sleek, brutal, fast and elegant! The Fighter Collection operated 80425 / G-RUMT in the UK for the 1996-2006 seasons. She left Duxford in Spring 2007 bound for the US with new owner Joe Clarke, and is now registered as N909TC.

02.01.2022 28 November 1938 - RAAF Seagull amphibian crashed during search for missing Queensland woman:

02.01.2022 22 September 1950 - Citizen Air Force Member joined the Air Board. WW II fighter ace John Waddy was appointed the first Citizen Air Force (CAF) Member of the Ai...r Board with acting rank of Group Captain on this day, for the purpose of watching the interests of CAF personnel and advising on matters about the Reserve. After enlisting in the RAAF in 1940, Waddy learnt to fly in Rhodesia before serving in the Western Desert, flying Tomahawks and Kittyhawks with No 250 Squadron, RAF, and No 4 Squadron, SAAF. An ace by May 1942, he was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in October. Returning to Australia in 1943, he became Commanding Officer of No 80 Squadron at Morotai and in Borneo. His term on the Air Board ended in October 1954. He later entered the NSW Parliament as Liberal MLA for Kirribili (196276) and held various ministerial portfolios, including Health (197375) and Police and Services (197576). John Waddy died on 11 September 1987; his NSW Parliamentary record is here: https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au//Pa/member-details.aspx Waddy as CO 80SQN, Morotai, c 1945.

02.01.2022 The air-tractor sledge was a converted fixed-wing aircraft taken on the 19111914 Australasian Antarctic Expedition, the first plane to be taken to the Antarcti...c. The air-tractor sledge in 1912 Expedition leader Douglas Mawson had planned to use the Vickers R.E.P. Type Monoplane as a reconnaissance and search and rescue tool, and to assist in publicity, but the aircraft crashed heavily during a test flight in Adelaide, only two months before Mawson's scheduled departure date. The plane was nevertheless sent south with the expedition, after having been stripped of its wings and metal sheathing from the fuselage. Engineer Frank Bickerton spent most of the 1912 winter working to convert it to a sledge, fashioning brakes from a pair of geological drills and a steering system from the plane's landing gear. It was first tested on 15 November 1912, and subsequently assisted in laying depots for the summer sledging parties, but its use during the expedition was minimal. Towing a train of four sledges, the air-tractor accompanied a party led by Bickerton to explore the area to the west of the expedition's base at Cape Denison. The freezing conditions resulted in the jamming of the engine's pistons after just 10 miles (16 km), and the air-tractor was left behind. Some time later it was dragged back to Cape Denison, and its frame was left on the ice when the expedition returned home in 1913. In 2008, a team from the Mawson's Huts Foundation began searching for the remains of the air-tractor sledge; a seat was found in 2009, and fragments of the tail assembly a year later. The Mawson's Huts Foundation has undertaken extensive investigation using sophisticated equipment in 2009 and 2010. Results indicate that the air tractor, or parts of it, is still buried under three metres (10 ft) of ice where it was abandoned at Cape Denison. The tail fragments are currently on display at our replica museum in Hobart, Tasmania. Donations are welcome, and tax deductible. Contact us for details.

01.01.2022 11 November 1944 - RAAF rescued downed USAAF B-25 crew off Wewak: