RAAF crew fly first Lancaster bomber to Australia 1943

[CDF]

L-R: P/O Don Welaney, Flt./Lt. Alan Richie DFM, P/O E.M. Copley DFM, Flt./Lt. Peter Isaacson DFC AFM, captain of the plane, Flt. Sgt. A. F. Page, Flt/Lt. Robert Neilsen, Corporal Claude Spencer, Flt. Sgt. Joseph Grose.

Crew being interviewed by A.B.C.; crew when they arrived in Melbourne, from l.: Plt-Off. Don Delaney, Flt-Lt. Alan Ritchie, Plt-Off. E. M. Copley, Flt-Lt. Peter Isaacson, Flt-Sgt. A. F. Page, Flt-Lt. Bob Nielsen, Cpl. Claude Spencer and Flt-Sgt. Joe Grose

Three government ministers greet the crew, Mr. Drakeford (Minister for Air), Senator Cameron (Minister for Aircraft Production) and Mr. Dedman (Minister for War Organisation and Industry) in Sydney

crew members beside their plane in Sydney;

[jdvoss]

IIRC, the RAAF received TWO Lancaster bomber aircraft during WWII (A66-1 & A66-2). Is the one you have pictured the very one on display at the AWM in Canberra??

[croweater]

No not the Lanc at The AWM.

From: http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a66.htm

A66-1 Ex ED930.
Affectionately known as "Queenie", ED930 departed UK for Australia on 22/05/43.
Routed via: 22/05/43 Prestwick - Montreal (15:45 hr), 24/05/43 Montreal - Toronto (02:20), 27/05/43 Toronto - San Francisco (13:10), 30/05/43 San Francisco - Honolulu (13:00), 31/05/43 Honolulu - Palmyra Is (9:45), 31/05/43 Palmyra Is - Canton Is (4:50), 01/06/43 Canton Is - Nandi (6:40), 03/06/43 Nandi - Amberley (8:40), Total Fight Time 74:10 hr.
In late 1943 Queenie was taken on charge by the RAAF as A66-1.
In October 1943 Queenie had the honour (record) for the largest aircraft to fly under the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Crashed 26/10/43, Evans Head. The a/c suffered a wind change when landing and ran off the end and ended up in a ditch severely damaged. Repairs needed 10 crates of parts to be sent from Canada and took until 4 April 1944. Initially thought to be a write-off, it turned out to be the biggest field service repair in RAAF history.
Used on War Bonds tours in Australia with one trip across the Tasman to NZ.
It did about 500 hours flying after the repairs, including converting all the DAP test pilots and 52 Qantas pilots for the Lancastrian operations which began in 1945.
Flown from 1 OTU East Sale to 7 OTU Tocumwal 08/08/45.
To 7AD 14/01/46 for storage.
Approval given for conversion to instructional airframe 15/10/46.
To Care and Maintenance at Tocumwal for conversion 12/11/46.
To 1 OTU East Sale 04/08/47.
Approved for conversion to components 07/06/48.
Considering Queenie had no war service it was sold for scrap to a dealer in Maffra VIC in 1948.

Croweater

[CDF]

On 22 October 1943 Isaacson flew Q-for-Queenie under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, flouting a 1931 regulation that prohibited such activity; the Lancaster remains the largest aircraft to have been flown under the bridge.Isaacson gave his crew no warning of what he was about to do and when asked later why he did it, replied "Because it was there". It was, however, reported at the time that he undertook the stunt to support the war loan effort for which he and his crew were actively fundraising.Notwithstanding the publicity the escapade generated for war loans, Isaacson recalled that when he landed at Mascot afterwards:

I was threatened with a court martial. Two authorities wanted to court martial me: Eastern Area in which the crime was committed and Southern Command to which I was attached at the time. I was told later there was a great fight among the bureaucrats of each of these commands as to which would court martial me. Apparently they could not agree on which should be the prosecutor and the idea either lapsed – or maybe is still being pursued by the successors to each of these commands!

http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/2654417

[DH82EH]

Workin' at the speed of government!

Great stuff CDF!

Thanks

Andy

[CDF]

Good book as well

Pathfinder THE PETER ISAACSON STORY IN THE AIR-ON THE GROUND
By Denis Warner
http://www.ozatwar.com/ozatwar/pathfinder.htm