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Royal Australian Air Force
This page was added on 16.08.11.
This is part of an e-mail from the Office of Air Force History. It was not clear which aircraft belonged to which squadron.
. . . . This information is sourced from 78Wing, 75SQN and 76SQN ORB's which can be/are accessible via the National Archives' website...
From July 1952 to December 54, 78 (Fighter) Wing RAAF, made up, in part of 75 & 76 Squadrons (RAAF), was deployed to Malta and operated as part of Britain's Strategic Reserve in the Mediterranean area (this was also done in recognition of the security interest held by the UN and NATO in the region) utilising Vampires and Meteors. These aircraft were leased from Britain, drawn RAF stocks and retained RAF serial numbers and markings. Below are the airframes operated by the RAAF contingent. Once the deployment was concluded, these aircraft were returned to the British government/RAF.
Losses were Vampire WR174 piloted by Flying Officer Lyall Klaffer on Nicosia, Nov52 and Meteor WH220. Your site has WH220 as being RAF (information corrected when this e-mail originally received); I can confirm WH220 was on strength with the RAAF and piloted by Flying Officer R.C Hunt (who survived) and the rear seat occupant was Leading Aircraftsman (LAC) Hennesy, and both were RAAF members. While I'm unable to confirm Hennesy's exact cause of death, all information you have regarding WH220 is, in essence, correct.
Both aircraft lost were replaced by equivalent type airframes; Vampire FB.9 WR239 for WR174 and Meteor T.7 VW482 for WH220.
The tables below lists the various aircraft allocated to 78 Wing.
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DH Vampire | TYPE | SERIAL | HISTORY/NOTES | | FB.9 | WP993 | d/d 20/03/1952, w/o 12/12/1957 | | FB.9 | WP997 | d/d 27/03/1952, sold as scrap 31/12/1958 at No.12 MU Kirbride to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR109 | d/d 02/04/1952, sold as scrap 06/09/1957 at No.22 MU Silloth to David Island & Co. | | FB.9 | WR110 | d/d 02/04/1952, sold as scrap 06/09/1957 at No.10 MU Hullavington to Eyre Smelting & Co, Mitcham, Surrey | | FB.9 | WR116 | d/d 24/07/1952, sold as scrap 28/10/1957 at No.27 MU Shawbury to Lowton Metals, Ashton-in-Makersfield | | FB.9 | WR118 | d/d 18/04/1952, sold as scrap 25/10/1957 at No.27 MU Shawbury to Lowton Metals, Ashton-in-Makersfield | | FB.9 | WR133 | d/d 23/04/1952, sold as scrap 22/09/1960 at No.10 MU Hullavington to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR136 | d/d 23/04/1952, sold as scrap 22/09/1960 at No.10 MU Hullavington to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR138 | d/d 23/04/1952, sold as scrap 22/09/1960 at No.10 MU Hullavington to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR140 | d/d 06/05/1952, w/o 18/04/1955, s.o.c. 09/06/1955 as CAT 5(c) in Malta. | | FB.9 | WR147 | d/d 14/05/1952, sold as scrap 08/05/1959 at No.19 MU St. Athan to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR148 | d/d 03/06/1952, w/o 10/09/1954, s.o.c. 09/12/1954 as CAT.5(c) in Malta. | | FB.9 | WR151 | d/d 16/05/1952, s.o.c. 31/10/1958, to No.10 MU Hullavington fire dump, since perished. | | FB.9 | WR173 | d/d 10/06/1952, sold as scrap 20/12/1957 at No.10 MU Hullavington to Enfield Rolling Mills, Enfield | | FB.9 | WR174 | d/d 10/06/1952, w/o after aborted take off 24/11/1952 at Nicosia, s.o.c. 31/12/1952 as CAT 5(c) with MEAF. | | FB.9 | WR185 | d/d 11/06/1952, sold as scrap 10/10/1958 at No.12 MU Kirkbride to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham. | | FB.9 | WR189 | d/d 11/06/1952, sold as scrap 26/09/1960 at No.19 MU St. Athan to H H Bushell & Co, Birmingham | | FB.9 | WR187 | d/d 25/06/1952, sold as scrap 25/05/1956 to No.10 MU Hullavington | | FB.9 | WR239 | d/d 26/08/1952, s.o.c. 25/05/1955 at No.137 MU Safi, Malta. | | T.11 | WZ495 | d/d 11/03/1953, w/o 15/10/1959 |
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Gl. Meteor | TYPE | SERIAL | HISTORY/NOTES | | T.7 | WH220 | d/d 12/02/1952, w/o 18/01/1954. See accidents page. | | T.7 | WH238 | d/d 04/03/1952, w/o 10/03/1960, s.o.c. 10/05/1960. | | T.7 | VW482 | d/d 03/10/1949, w/o 23/10/1958, s.o.c 21/11/1958 as CAT 5(C) at No.103 MU Akrotiri, Cyprus and scrapped |
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