ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300495
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| Date: | Thursday 13 April 1944 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: | de Havilland DH.84 Dragon Mk III |
| Owner/operator: | 6 CF RAAF |
| Registration: | A34-26 |
| MSN: | 2015 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Melville Island, NT -
 Australia
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Batchelor Airfield, Batchelor, NT (YBCR) |
| Melville Island, Eastern Timor Sea, NT |
11.42: Built Mascot by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd to RAAF order for 87 aircraft
03.12.42: Brought on RAAF charge as A34-26. Received 2 Aircraft Park Bankstown, Sydney, NSW ex-De Havilland's
08.12.42: Completed at 2 Aircraft Depot, RAAF Bankstown, Sydney, NSW
16.12.42: Received 36 Squadron, RAAF ex 2 Aircraft Park, Bankstown, Sydney.
31.01.43: Issued to 34 Squadron, RAAF ex 36 Squadron RAAF. (Not recorded on Status Card). Directorate of Air Transport, Allied Air Forces allocated radio callsign VH-CSG, which was painted on the aircraft.
15.2.43: Crashed after takeoff Oodnadatta, extensive damage, on charge with 34 Squadron. Pilot and 1 crew unhurt.
01.04.43: Issued Guinea Airways ex 34 Squadron, RAAF
14.12.43: Received 6 Communications Unit. RAAF ex Guinea Airways
30.12.43: Departed Batchelor at first light for Cape Wessel carrying 900 lbs of cargo, fresh foods, canteen supplies and mail, flown by 6 Communications Unit Commanding Officer Squadron Leader Fenton. Navy charts used to time arrival at low tide to expose as much beach as possible to use as landing strip. On arrival, Fenton found the beach covered by high tide, so landed at a rough landing area previously deemed unsuitable by 6 Communications Unit due narrow soft surface. After the cargo was off-loaded by military personnel, he departed for Milingimbi to refuel, but with fuel getting low made a precautionary landing on a beach at Howard Island. Nosed over ihen wheels sank in soft patch of sand.
Over the next 4 hours, Fenton pulled the tail down using ropes from emergency parachute, and cleared sand for a taxy path. He was assisted by native boys to push aircraft from the soft sand. Took off for Elcho Island Mission, where stayed the night. Next morning Fenton added minimum required fuel from mission which only had motor spirit, enough to get him to Milingimbi RAAF strip to refuel with aviation fuel. Returned to RAAF Batchelor, NT.
14.01.44: Landed on the beach at Maret Island, 100 mile west of Drysdale Mission, in Indian Ocean. Pilot found the sand was too soft to takeoff and notified 6 Communications Unit of his predicament.
15.01.44: Supermarine Walrus X9515 with Flying Officer Lobwein, LAC Murgatroyd, and two airframe fitters departed Batchelor at first light to rescue the crew of A34-26. X9515 landed on the leeward side of the island and the crew transferred to the beach by natives in canoes. A34-26 was stripped of the instrument panel, magnetos and other selected parts, then tied down and guarded by locals until a salvage party arrived. With the extra weight of the Dragon crew on board, the Walrus had a difficult water takeoff, taking over one mile to get airborne. Aircraft then returned to Drysdale Mission for the night.
19.01.44: 6 Communications Unit Commanding Officer Squadron Leader Fenton. accompanied by 6 Communications Unit Engineering Officer Flying Officer Moorfield and a fitter, departed Darwin for Maret Island on board 41 Squadron Dornier Do 24 flying board A49-5 flown by Flying Officer Wright. After a four hour flight A49-5 landed and anchored 300 yards off the beach at Maret Island. Natives paddled one small dugout canoe to get the Dornier crew ashore, they then took 14 more trips to get the heavy rolls of cyclone fencing wire ashore.
20.01.44: The recovery team camped on the beach overnight, sheltering inside the Dragon during a violent storm at midnight. A34-26 had its instrument panel and other removed parts refitted and fencing wire laid to provide a firm take-off surface. Petrol was drained and enough left in the tanks for the one hour flight to Drysdale Mission also, the tyres were deflated to improve their traction in the sand. Squadron Leader Fenton took off but the Dragon was extremely nose-heavy due lack of load and full back-pressure was needed on the control column. Fenton lashed the control column back to the pilot's seat using ropes from a mosquito net and completed the flight to Drysdale Mission. At Drysdale the tyres were fully inflated, fuel and ballast loaded and the aircraft returned to Batchelor, NT.
13.04.44: Squadron Leader Fenton accompanied by engineer Flying Officer Moorfield and an aircraft fitter, departed Batchelor, NT for Melville Island to retrieve Anson MG520, which had made a forced beach landing three days earlier. A34-26 landed on a nearby beach at low tide and then flown to Gove by Flt Lt Mitchell (Anson pilot). MG520 was given temporary repairs, fuel was added and pushed to edge of the beach. At low tide the engines were started, one bent propeller tip vibrated but not excessively. Aircraft taxied on to beach on the steel matting and successfully took off for Gove. Remainder of the rescue party were transported to Gove by launch.
22.10.44: Northern Area Engineering Officer recommended the aircraft for conversion as the aircraft was beyond economical repair.
22.10.44: Allocated to No 8 Central Recovery Depot Darwin, NT for conversion to components.
10.11.44: Struck off charge and Converted to components.
Melville island lies in the eastern Timor Sea, approximately 60 kilometres (37 miles) north of the Darwin and west of the Cobourg Peninsula in Arnhem Land, in the Northern Territory. At 5,786 square kilometres (2,234 sq mi), it is just outside the 100 largest islands in the world, but is the second biggest island of Australia after Tasmania.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/pAus01.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt2/dh84-dragon-pt2.htm
4. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
5. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melville_Island_(Northern_Territory)
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 04-Nov-2022 02:27 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 04-Nov-2022 21:55 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
| 04-Nov-2022 21:57 | Nepa | Updated [Location, Operator] |
| 08-Nov-2022 13:32 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Narrative] |
| 27-May-2023 11:11 | Ron Averes | Updated [[Narrative]] |
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