DE HAVILLAND VAMPIRE T MK 35A A79-828
MSN 4113
(AA000006)

Radio Call-sign VM-LCM

 

 
22FEB55
 Received at 2AD, Richmond ex de Havillands at Bankstown as a T. Mk. 33. (Source: 1)
17MAR55
 Received at No 22 Sqn ex 2AD. No 22 (City of Sydney) Sqn was a Citizen Air Force squadron based at Richmond. (Source: 1)
12OCT55
 Received at de Havillands, Bankstown via 2AD Richmond for Vampire Mod 125. (Source: 1/3)
17NOV55
 Received at No 22 Sqn ex de Havillands. (Source: 1)
23SEP58
 Received at de Havillands, Bankstown for conversion to Mk 35A. (Source: 1)
07APR59
 Received at 2AD, Richmond ex de Havillands. (Source: 1)
29APR59
 Received at No 22 Sqn ex 2AD. (Source: 1)
16FEB60
 Received at No 76 (F) Sqn, Williamtown ex No 22 Sqn. (Source: 2)
19MAY60
 D Service commenced at 76 Sqn. (Source: 2)
14JUN60
 D Service completed at 76 Sqn. (Source: 2)
11JUL60
 A 76SQN mobility exercise to Townsville was delayed because of bad weather at Amberley. (Source: 2)
11JUL60
 C-130A A97-207 of 36SQN flown by the C.O. WGCDR I.R. Olorenshaw DFC with 33 servicing personnel from 76SQN departed Williamtown for Townsville. (Source: 5)
12JUL60
 Twelve 76SQN Vampires including A97-828 departed Williamtown for Townsville via Amberley. Total Sorties: 27. Total Hours: 40.25 (Source: 2)
13JUL60
 Townsville: Area recces in battle fours. Total Sorties: 31. Total Hours: 31.00 (Source: 2)
14JUL60
 Townsville: High and low level strikes on Reid River and Fanning airfields. Total Sorties: 30. Total Hours: 30.05 (Source: 2)
15JUL60
 Townsville: High and low level cross countries to Cairns, Mackay, Lindeman Island, Hayman Island, Bowen, Mackay, Charters Towers and Ingham. Total Sorties: 22. Total Hours: 34.40 (Source: 2)
17JUL60
 C-130A A97-210 of 36SQN flown by SQNLDR P.V. Hamilton-Foster DFC, departed Richmond for Townsville in support of the 76SQN mobility exercise. (Source: 5)
18JUL60
 "It was with regret the Squadron departed Townsville for the icy blasts of the Williamtown Steppes." Twelve 76SQN Vampires including A97-828 departed Townsville for Williamtown via Amberley. Total Sorties: 27. Total Hours: 38.15 (Source: 2)
19JUL60
 Vampires returning from Townsville were serviced and drop tanks removed. (Source: 2)
29SEP60
 D Service commenced at 76 Sqn. (Source: 2)
27OCT60
 D Service completed at 76 Sqn. (Source: 2)
27FEB61
 Transferred to No 81 Wing, Williamtown. (Source: 1)
04SEP62
 Despatched to de Havillands at Bankstown for fatigue life repair. (Source: 1)
22FEB63
 Received at 2AD, Richmond ex de Havillands. (Source: 1)
05JUL63
 Despatched to East Sale Base Sqn ex 2AD. (Source: 1)
21DEC67
 Despatched to No 2 (F) Operational Conversion Unit (2OCU), Williamtown ex East Sale. (Source: 1)
APR70
 No 5 Operational Training Unit (5OTU) was formed at Williamtown out of 2OCU to transition trainee pilots to the Mirage conversion course. Primarily equipped with Sabres, the Vampires were short-lived, being replaced later in the year by the Macchi. 5OTU Vampires were then withdrawn from service and parked on the grass at the northern end of the 2OCU tarmac until being scrapped in the early 70s. Markings consisted of 18 inch kangaroo roundels on the tailboom, 36 inch kangaroo roundels on the mainplanes and the 18 inch square national tail flash (each colour 6 inches wide) on the rudder. 5OTU adopted blue for marking its Vampires, Sabres and Macchis – this appears to be BS381C-175 Light French Blue. (Source: 4)
The status card does not record an allotment to 5OTU but A79-828 was wearing 5OTU blue markings when received by QAM.
23NOV70
 Allotted to NQATC as a training aid but this entry was later deleted. (Source: 1)
21DEC70
 Dept of Air approved disposal of A79-828 with Goblin engine No 662. (Source: 1)
27JAN71
 Disposal action held pending use of aircraft for equipment at Base Sqn. (Source: 1)
02AUG71
 Advised disposal (Source: 1) (Final entry on Status Card).
NOV72
 Advertised for tender ex Wagga Wagga [ex 5OTU]
73
 Sold to John Hill. To expedite transport, Mr. Hill asked the fire service to remove the wings with a circular saw. The upper surface of the port wing was cut before this plan was abandoned.
73
 The fuselage pod and tail booms were stored at the Denning residence at 31 Hoff Street, Mount Gravatt. By 1975 they had been moved to the property of John Hill's parents at Springbrook. (Source: 6)
15AUG76
 The tail booms were collected from Springbrook. (Source: 6)
It had been originally intended that the Vampire would be displayed at Pioneer Valley Park on loan from John Hill.
OCT76
 The Vampire was purchased from John Hill. The aircraft had been stored in the open at Springbrook for some time and its condition was poor.
24OCT76
 The fuselage pod was moved from Springbrook to temporary storage at a horse riding school across the road from Pioneer Valley Park. Around this time it had been announced that Pioneer Valley Park had gone into liquidation.
15JAN77
 The fuselage pod was moved to Nudgee over the weekend 15-16JAN77.
06FEB77
 Both wings were collected from Springbrook and moved to Nudgee.
MAR80
 The fuselage was transported to the residence of QAM member Ernie Van Aken for restoration.
09APR80
 The QAM aircraft collection (Canberra, Meteor & Sea Venom) was moved from Nudgee to Navy Street, Brisbane Airport.
AUG83
 The completed fuselage was moved to the Hawker Pacific hangar at Archerfield for temporary storage. Subsequently it was relocated to the Royal Queensland Aero Club hangar.
01FEB86
 It was intended to transport the unrestored wing from the Brisbane Airport site to the South Brisbane TAFE for restoration and to collect the restored wing for transportation to RQAC at Archerfield. Despite having made prior arrangements, access to the TAFE was not possible so the unrestored wing was taken to RQAC at Archerfield.
08FEB86
 The unrestored wing was transported from the RQAC to the South Brisbane TAFE and the restored wing was transported from the South Brisbane TAFE to the Austral Mining yard at Archerfield.
23FEB86
 The fuselage was transported from Archerfield to Caloundra. Initially the fuselage was stored in a vacant service station in Bulcock Street.
JUN86
 The Vampire fuselage and other QAM items were moved from the service station to the QAM site at Caloundra Aerodrome. This was the seventh time the Vampire fuselage pod was moved by QAM.
DEC86
 The aircraft was re-assembled at Caloundra after both wings were repaired by the South Brisbane TAFE (Technical And Further Education).
The aircraft was displayed in the colours of its last unit 5OTU.

 

SOURCES
1
 RAAF Form E/E.88 Airframe Record Card
2
 RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 76 Squadron Jan 60 - Aug 73 Series number A9186
3
 NAA: RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 2 Aircraft Depot 1936 - 1961, Series number A9186, Control Symbol 293.
4
 John Bennett.
5
 RAAF Unit History sheets (Form A50) [Operations Record Book - Forms A50 and A51] Number 36 Squadron Nov 50 - Jul 66, Series number A9186, Control Symbol 72
6
 Matthew Denning.

 

 

Compiled by Ron Cuskelly

 


 

ISSUE
DATE
REMARKS
8
03SEP20
 Added 14 images thanks to Matthew Denning.
Also added historical details at 1973 from Matthew Denning (Source 6).
7
07SEP19
 Added a photo of the aircraft in its original Mk 33 configuration.
6
06SEP19
 Added details of a mobility exercise to Townsville in JUL60 from Source 2.
Added a photo of the aircraft in 76SQN markings thanks to John Bennett.
Added a photo of the aircraft in 5OTU markings thanks to John Bennett.
5
10MAY17
 Added an image of the aircraft wearing DayGlo patches. Thanks to Allan Brooks.
Added details of the 5OTU colours and markings thanks to John Bennett.
4
17AUG16
 Added details from Source 3.
3
16JUN16
 Added details from Source 2. Also added an image of the aircraft being collected from Springbrook.
2
02FEB02
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