Australian Aviation — December 2017

78 AUSTRALIAN AVIATION DECEMBER 2017

Warbirds DAVE PROSSOR

HARS accepts ex RAAF Orion
Lockheed AP-3C Orion A9-753
was formally handed over to the
Historical Aviation Restoration
Society (HARS) at Albion Park on
November 3.
The Orion has joined a HARS
collection of more than 20 former
RAAF aircraft, including examples
of earlier RAAF maritime patrol
aircraft in the PBY Catalina and
SP-2H Neptune.
The Orion is progressively being
replaced in RAAF service by the
Boeing P-8A Poseidon (see feature
article elsewhere this issue – Ed).
Chief of Air Force Air Marshal
Leo Davies, himself a former P-3
navigator, was at Albion Park to
formally hand over the ‘keys’ to
A9-753, while a second AP-3C
flew into Albion Park to mark the
occasion (A9-753 had arrived at
Albion Park earlier this year.)
HARS plans to fly the ex-RAAF
aircraft as a civil warbird, a fitting
tribute to the Air Force’s nearly
50 years of operations with the type.

Remembering Newton VC,
75 years on
November 29 marks 75 years since
Pilot Officer Rawdon H Middleton
was posthumously awarded the

Royal Australian Air Force’s first

Victoria Cross (VC) in World War 2.

Pilot Officer Middleton was

the pilot of a Short Stirling

four-engined bomber that had been

on a bombing mission to Turin,

Italy on November 28 1942.

The aircraft was hit by anti-

aircraft fire over the target with

one shell exploding in the cockpit

wounding Middleton’s body and

face, and destroying his right eye.

The same shell also wounded the

second pilot and wireless operator.

Middleton lost consciousness and

the aircraft lost a great amount of

altitude before the second pilot

brought the crippled aircraft back

under control. Middleton regained

consciousness and after consulting

the crew elected to fly the aircraft

back to England. Approaching the

English coastline but with scant

fuel remaining Middleton ordered

his crew to abandon the aircraft.

Five men left the stricken aircraft,

and two remained on board to

help Middleton before attempting

to parachute to safety, although

unfortunately both drowned.

The Stirling crashed into the

English Channel killing Middleton.

He was aged 26. His body was later

washed ashore and he was buried in

the churchyard of St John’s Beck’s

Row, Suffolk, with full military

honours.

A ceremony was due to be

held at the RAAF Base Wagga on

November 29 to commemorate

Middleton’s actions of extreme

gallantry and devotion to duty.

Aviation heritage on display in FNQ

In far north Queensland around

Cairns there are many aircraft

of interest to visiting aviation

enthusiasts.

At Cairns Airport the Short

Belfast is still in one piece. Given

its size it is unlikely to be moved

to an air museum, or ever leave the

airport in one piece, one suspects.

We await its fate with interest.

The C-47/DC-3 that was with

the Belfast, VH-SPY, is no longer

at the airport but has been moved

down the road to Edmonton,

just south of Cairns, and is now

dormant in a paddock minus its

wings. It is understood that there is

a dispute over storage fees so the

fate of the machine is in doubt.

Back at the Cairns Airport the

Cairns Aviation Skills Centre has a

turbine Piper PA-31T Cheyenne I

on display at its front door, while

inside there is the cabin section

of a Robinson R44 helicopter,

VH-HOT, being used as a training

aid. At the back of the building

is a second R44, complete with

RAAF AP-3C Orion A9-659 flies into Albion Park for the ceremony where

sistership A9-753 was formally handed over to HARS. Below, Chief of Air Force

Air Marshal Leo Davies hands over the ‘keys’ for A9-753 to HARS.MARK JESSOP