As it is ANZAC day tomorrow

[Tony P]

and keeping with the Civil/Airliner theme. What Australian (maybe NZ?) civil/airliner aircraft have been impressed into military service since the dawn of aviation?
From memory there were three Beech Staggerwings and a Cessna Airmaster during WW2.

Might make a nice SIG theme for a future Expo?

[tor lives]

and keeping with the Civil/Airliner theme. What Australian (maybe NZ?) civil/airliner aircraft have been impressed into military service since the dawn of aviation?
From memory there were three Beech Staggerwings and a Cessna Airmaster during WW2.

Might make a nice SIG theme for a future Expo?

Great thread Tony,
The first ones that come to my mind are the big Qantas "C" Class Empire Flying Boats with their crews.
Once impressed into RAAF service, these aircraft were operated by a number of different RAAF squadrons including my old unit 33 Squadron. Several of the "C" Class Flying Boats were lost during their RAAF war time service, Qantas and 33SQN histories were inextricably linked. Many years after WW2, 33SQN was reformed around a fleet of ex-Qantas Boeing
707-338Cs. In fact the very last Qantas 707-338C (VH-EAG) became the very first RAAF Boeing 707-338C (A20-627). Another interesting fact is that this aircraft was also the 707th 707 built.
Ray

[Adam the Akrodude]

Nice idea!

One of my all time heroes is John Jackson (CO of 75 Sqdn at Port Moresby during that most famed "44 days" in March/April 1942). John was a wealthy grazier from Queensland and owned a Beech Staggerwing pre-war, that was pressed into service with the RAAF during the war. Sadly, John of course didn't live long enough to receive his Staggerwing back post war.

I have the book "A lot to fight for" put together by his son Arthur and daughter Patricia Jackson. Pretty sure there is a photo of Jackson's Staggerwing inside this book. If anyone is interested, I'll scan it.

Cheers

Adam

[Tony P]

I have the book "A lot to fight for" put together by his son Arthur and daughter Patricia Jackson. Pretty sure there is a photo of Jackson's Staggerwing inside this book. If anyone is interested, I'll scan it.

Please do Adam. I have a few of Roden's fantastic 1/48 Staggerwings to do and I would like to do one during the war.
Thanks
Tony

[frediv]

Civilian aircraft impressed into the RAAF
Cessna Airmaster
Beech 17
DC-3 A30-1to -4
DH.50A
DH.86
DH.83 Fox Moth
DH.60 A7-75 to 122
DH.82
DH.84
DH.89
DH.90
DH.94
Douglas Dolphin
Empire Flying Boat
Fairchild 24
Miles Merlin, Hawk and Falcons
Ford Trimotor
Lockheed Vega
Northrop Delta
Percival Gull and Vega Gull
Stinson Reliant
Wackett Gannet
Waco YQC96
Junkers G31 and W34

FGH

[_BlackHawk_]

450 Squardon flew a captured Junkers 52.

[Tony P]

Thanks Fred. That's more than what I thought there would be.