6|FLIGHTPATHNews
W.W.II Wackett Wireless Trainer
ThenewMaryboroughMilitaryAviation
MuseumhasacquiredCACWackettA3-
fromtheBeckMuseuminMareeba.The
Wacketttrainerwasusedingreatnumbers
at Maryborough to train wireless operators/
air gunners during W.W.II. This particular
WackettservedwithvariousRAAFflying
schools and, in 1947, was sold to J.T. Brown
andregisteredVH-AJY.Itspurchasefollows
the news that the museum has secured a
lease on a parcel of land at Maryborough
Airportontheveryspotthatwasusedfor
theheadquartersof3WirelessAirGunner
School. The museum is hoping to be able to
bringtheaircraftuptodisplaystandardand
isactivelysearchingforpartstocomplete
thisexceptionallyrareaircraft.Rob FoxLEFT:ThefuselageandengineremainsofWackett
A3-87 now at Maryborough.[David Geck]Museum’s major step forward
On 28 October 2017 the planned South
PacificWWIIMuseumopeneditsproject
development office in Luganville, Espiritu
Santo,Vanuatu.Itfollowedthe26October
servicetocommemoratethe75thanniver-
saryoftheaccidentalsinkingoftheSS
President Coolidgeby American mines in
Luganville Harbour.
Vanuatu’s W.W.II heritage is renowned
andsomeoftherelicscherishedbythelo-
cals are expertly displayed in the project
office’s pop-up museum and at several
other establishments, including the air-
port. These physical remnants, including
the airfields and wrecks, however, only tell
partoftheregion’swartimehistory.
When the island chain was still known
astheNewHebrides,EspirituSantobe-
came the largest military base in the
SouthPacificandwasinstrumentalin
supportingtheSolomonscampaign.Air-
fields were constructed and major navalfacilities complemented the beautiful
naturalharbour.Combatunitsalso
passed through and Santo became an im-
portant base for rest and recreation.
Thenot-for-profitSouthPacificWWII
Museum will be a world-class educational
complex and more than just a museum. It
willbenefit,andbeamajorpartof,the
communitybyproviding,amongother
things,employmentandtrainingoppor-
tunities, a cinema, a restaurant, and con-
ference facilities. A public-access water-
frontprecinct,partiallyfundedbythe
Australian government, will begin devel-
opment this year with the museum as its
intended centrepiece. The New Zealand
governmenthasprovideddirectassis-
tance to the museum with the provision of
a fundraising strategist.
This will be an important museum for
the South Pacific and deserves our sup-
port.Andy WrightBELOW:Museum members
investigate the remains of a
Corsair somewhere on Espiritu
Santo. Many wrecks remain on
the island and an as yet
unidentiiedP-38isinstorage
with the museum.
[via South Paciic WWII Museum]RIGHT:The design of the
museum is based on the
ubiquitous Quonset hut.
Furtherimagescanbeseen
at http://www.southpaciicwwiimu-
seum.com.
[via South Paciic WWII Museum]