Usaaf Wirraways, query use

[william l cole]

anecdotally the USAAF 5 A/F HQ used a Wirraway that had full US markings applied. If this is correct what was the Wirras S/n etc and do any pohoto exist. Bll Cole

[batman]

I think I have a pic somewhere, I will check

[Brendan Cowan]

From our Wirraway pages:

A20-243 CA-8 444 Rec 05/04/41 1AD ex CAC. 14/04/41 in service with 2SFTS.19/06/41 accident on take-off when aircraft lost height and struck ground one mile east of Wagga. Pilot, Lac L J Brown Ser#406910 injured slightly. 11/07/41 issued to 2AD for repair.02/05/42 issued to ANA for repair. Under repair until 4/43. Issued to USAAF ex 2AP 16/04/43.Rec 03/05/43 USAAF(FEAF). 15/06/45 aircraft returned to RAAF for use by 4Comm Unit.04/01/46 Rec 7AD ex 4CU for storage.14/05/46 allocated 38Sqn for repairs.15/05/46 canc, reallocated 6AD.Canc.19/07/46 allocated 3AD ex 38Sqn.09/08/46 Rec 3AD ex 38Sqn. 01/10/46 to be stored Cat E. 14/10/47 converted to components. SOC 14/10/1947.

A20-443 CA-9 644 Rec 1AD ex CAC 26/11/41. Rec 5SFTS 15/12/41. Accident 1040hrs 09/02/42 Uranquinty when pilot held off too late and applied power causing aircraft to ground loop. Pilot, LAC P P Burroughs Serv#412383 not injured. Aircraft suffered considerable damage to fuselage, centre section, undercarriage, cowl, wings and airscrew. Issued to Clyde Engineering 16/03/42. Rec 2AD ex Clyde 14/09/42. Rec 5SFTS 26/09/42. Issued to USAAF (5thAAF) 28/06/43. Request to return to RAAF ex 5thAAF with 5th Maintenance Group to inspect 18/03/44. Inspection by 5MG found aircraft uneconomical to be repaired and recommended RAAF to charge 5thAAF under reciprocal Lend-Lease Agreement 21/03/44. SOC.

A20-500 CA-9 701 Rec 1AD ex CAC 23/02/42. Rec SHQ Flight Bankstown 09/03/42. Rec 2AP ex SHQ Bankstown 13/07/42. Rec USAAF OTU Bankstown on loan 27/08/42. With 2AP ex USAAF 07/09/42. Rec 4 Communications Flight ex 2AP 27/10/42. Rec SHQ Flight Richmond ex 4CF 17/12/43. Rec 3Communications Unit ex SHQ Richmond Flight 31/03/44. Rec 5SFTS ex 3CU 14/07/44. Selected post was use 22/03/46. Rec CFS Point Cook ex Uranquinty CMU Storage 10/03/48. Rec 1AD ex CFS 07/09/48. Rec CAC ex 1AD 04/07/49. Rec 1FTS ex CAC for Reserve storage 19/05/50. Rec Point Cook Base Squadron 01/03/51. Held Point Cook Was in Cat B Storage 04/07/51.In use with 1ATFS 17/10/52 to 17/11/55. Accident on flight 17/11/55 aircraft made forced landing at Little River Satellite Strip Victoria. Pilot, WgCdr H C Plenty Serv#03103 not injured. Repaired and in service 17/09/56. Approval to dispose of from Storage at Point Cook 06/05/58. Sold to CAC 02/05/58 for conversion to a CA28 Ceres. SOC 03/07/58. Sales Advice SV.40232, cost 750 pounds. No details are know at this stage on which if any Ceres it became. 1953 Colour Pic held.

A20-527 CA-9 728 Rec 1AD ex CAC 08/02/42. Rec SHQ Bankstown RAAF 16/02/42. On loan to USAFIA (Used by 7thPS/49thPG at the time). Accident and severely damaged when when 7Sqn Hudson collided with this aircraft on landing at Croydon 26/03/42. Also damaged was A20-525. That Hudson was A16-139 Coded "G". Accident occurred during bad weather and poor visibility, when forced landing. Hudson Crew F/O A E Adams Serv#692P/O B L Hancock Serv#406481(Injured ribs), Sgt B R Bright Serv#407841 and Sgt B K Chandler Serv#21351. No crew were in A20-515 and A20-527. Rec 1AD ex SHQ Bankstown 06/04/42. Allocated 7SFTS ex 1AD 24/04/42. Canc. Allocated SHQ Laverton for USAAF Sqn use ex 1AD 28/04/42.Issued SHQ Laverton 18/06/42. Note per card 13/05/43, that it was used by 43rdBG and 8th Material Sqn whilst at Laverton into 1943 and was still held by USAAC (USAAF). Held by HQ Flight 5AAF Archerfield 31/08/43. NFDs. (Picture held with USAAF Star and bar insignia at Archerfield 1943)

A20-528 CA-9 729 Rec 1AD ex CAC 12/02/42. Rec SHQ Flight Williamtown 14/02/42. Used by 9th Pursuit Sqn/49th Pursuit Group at Williamtown 14/02/42 to 13/04/42 . Allocated 2CF(Communications Flight) ex SHQ Williamtown for exclusive use by USAFIA 16/05/42. Used by USAAF 5th Fighter Command's OTU for conversion training of new P-40 Pilots for 4 weeks from 27/08/42. Accident 20/08/42 at Williamtown when 2nd Lt J L Rowe made a 90 degree turn on finals with flaps and gear down, causing aircraft to spin in. No records of when 4OTU(Unit where A20-528 was transferred to 2AD from) obtained aircraft (perhaps abandoned after 5FC OTU moved to Townsville late August 1942). Aircraft approved for conversion 12/01/43 at 2AD due to condition following crash of 2nd Lt J L Rowe

A20-567 CA-9 768 Rec 1AD ex CAC 07/04/42. Rec 5SFTS ex 1AD 09/04/42. Accident 27/10/42 at Uranquinty when on landing after finishing dive bombing exercises, the student pilot held off and stalled on landing in a cross wind, causing the aircraft's starboard wing to hit the ground with the aircraft ground looping 180 degrees, then damaging the port wing and aircraft engine when the aircraft flicked on its opposite side. Instructor Pilot, Sgt J G Conner , not injured, and LAC Frederick Bingemann Serv#420119 was slightly injury. Issued Clyde Engineering 12/11/42. Rec 2AP ex Clyde 18/08/43. Rec USAAF ex 2AP 26/03/43. Used by USAAF on loan FEAF 1943-1945. Rec 4CU temporarily ex USAAF 15/06/45. Allotted permantly ex USAAF to 4CU 17/07/45. Rec 7AD ex 4CU 11/02/46. Stored Cat C 01/10/46. Stored Det B 1AD 31/01/51. Held Tocumwal Cat C under cover 15/02/52. Held special reserve Cat C. To be transferred to RAN FAA 09/02/52. Issued RANFAA 19/01/53 (6 Wirraways for spares A20-18/73/190/412/567 & 579). Never flown by RAN FAA. Aircraft inspected at Randwick and found unsuitable for use. Held Cat D at Randwick, pending conversion to components. To be BOC by 2AD ex RAN. Approval to convert to components by 2AD 27/11/53. SOC 12/03/54.

A20-595 CA-9 796 Rec 1AD ex CAC 06/05/42. Rec 5SFTS ex 1AD 30/05/42. In service with 5SFTS 1942 to 1943. Issued 5th AAF USAAF on loan ex 5SFTS 28/06/43. USAAF insignia applied. Advised USAAF NEA that aircraft would be accepted back after overhaul 18/03/44. Rec 13ARD Brendan ex Det Garbutt, USAAF, without log book or records 17/04/44. Rec 13ARD Garbutt ex 13ARD Brendan 04/05/44. Rec 7SFTS ex 13ARD 06/09/44. Rec AFRU Deniliquin ex 7SFTS 18/09/44. Rec CCU(F) ex CMU Deniliquin 09/08/46. Rec CMU Tocumwal ex CCU(F) Williamtown 03/01/47. Rec 78 Wing ex CMU Tocumwal for BCOF Training Japan 27/08/47. Rec 1AD ex 78 Wing 11/03/48. Held did not go to BCOF Japan. Rec CAC F/B ex 1AD 24/06/48. Rec 1AD ex CAC 13/08/49. Rec 1FTS ex 1AD 06/07/49. Tfred to Base Sqn Point Cook 02/04/51. With 1ATFS 1952. Accident 1130hrs 22/05/52 when solo pilot struck a tree and crashed during a low level cross country exercise 8 miles SE of Rokewood, Victoria. Date - 22 May 1952. Pilot, Trainee Pilot C I S McKenzie Serv# A35103 was killed. Wreckage Rec 1AD ex 1AFTS Point Cook 25/06/52. SOC 18/07/52.

Cheers

BC

[Warhawk]

Here's a pic A20-527 in USAAF Insignia at 4AD(USAAF)

Well I tried to upload a 147k pic,..failed

[Warhawk]

Err

The requested file upload failed. This is either because it was not in the correct format, or the file size was larger than that allowed. Please check the file you wish to upload and try again.

*.jpeg at 147KB??????????????????? Thought limit was 1Meg,...guess its stuffed again

Argggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

I feel better now :)

[Invader26]

Chaps can we show the USAAF machine please?

[Warhawk]

Oi,..we're haven't trouble loading it. Its not resolved

Refer: http://www.adf-messageboard.com.au/invboar...?showtopic=2570

But since I'm a pretty bright lad,...I've uploaded it on Face Book



https://www.facebook.com/groups/233552413412953/


Under:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=929...&type=1&theater

Best
Gordy

[william l cole]

thank you gentlemen. Most appreciated Bill Cole

[Brendan Cowan]

Sorry,

We are still having probs with loading photos into the message board.

Here is the photo of A20-527 that Gordy has placed into our Facebook page:

(IMG:https://scontent-b-lax.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xap1/t31.0-8/10661689_929998570347641_5879885377948332430_o.jpg)


BC

[derekbu]

Hi All,
for reference, a total of 15 Wirraways were loaned to the USAAF:

A20-31
A20-66
A20-99
A20-144
A20-243 (as noted above)
A20-443 (as noted above)
A20-497
A20-498
A20-524
A20-527 (as noted above)
A20-528 (as noted above)
A20-529
A20-560
A20-567 (as noted above)
A20-595 (as noted above)

In addition, two aircraft were allotted but never delivered:
A20-242 (allotted, but not delivered)
A20-500 (Allotted to "American OTU" ex 2AP on loan, but cancelled. )

Regards,
Derek

This post has been edited by derekbu on Jun 21 2016, 08:38 PM

[Warhawk]

Hi Derek

As distinct from "issue" and "borrowed". More so, even 3SFTS loan some 6 to 8 of their own IE, with pilots, at Amberley and so did No23 Sqns at Archerfield also loaned theirs during the early 1942 period, with pilots, but were not on the cards. Then there's No 4 Sqn in Canberra that did the same, they also got two assigned Battles also.

"Officially issued", per E/E-88 cards, number some 9 from what I recall,..and were returned mostly U/S and sans records

A20-243/443/497/500/527/528/545/567/595

Dare say, should we start locating USAAF 5th AAF Pilot log books, the number could and would be indeed a lot higher.

A lot of unwritten history around eh

But here's A20-527 in Amerikana Markings

Best
Gordy



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