Air Force Association - SA Division

13 July 1954: First flight of a production model CA-27 Sabre aircraft

Did you know that on this day in 1954, the first flight of a production model CA-27 (A94-901) Sabre aircraft occurred?

Planning for a new jet fighter aircraft for the RAAF commenced in 1949. While initial attempts to secure the American Sabre during the Korean War failed and a temporary replacement for the CAC Mustang was acquired with the Meteor, procurement planning in the early 1950’s confirmed that the Sabre was the aircraft to procure. In particular, advice from the Australian aircraft engineer / designer, Lawrence Wackett was influential in the final decision for the RAAF to acquire a Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation built and redesigned version of the North American F-86F Sabre swept-wing fighter.

Modifications included a 7,500 lb thrust Rolls-Royce Avon RA.7 turbojet in place of the 6,100 lb thrust General Electric J-47 engine, a larger nose-intake, positioning the Avon engine further aft, increased fuel capacity, a revised cockpit layout, and replacement of the six 0.50" machine guns with two 30mm Aden cannons. Consequently, CAC had to redesign 60 per cent of the airframe. The aircraft, sometimes called the Avon-Sabre, or the CAC Sabre became widely acknowledged as the best Sabre variant built throughout the world.

The prototype Sabre first flew on 3 Aug 53. On 13 Jul 54, the first production aircraft had its first flight operating out of Avalon Airfield, Victoria. The aircraft, A94-901, was subsequently formally handed over to the RAAF at Laverton in August 1954 initially serving with ARDU. The aircraft later flew with the 76 SQN Black Panthers aerobatic flying team from 1961 to 1965. Today it is on display at the Historical Aviation Restoration Society (HARS) Museum at Albion Park, NSW.

The RAAF acquired 112 Sabre aircraft seeing operational service in various RAAF squadrons including 3SQN, 75SQN, 76SQN, 77SQN, 79SQN and used in ARDU and operational training units. The aircraft saw operational service in the Malayan Emergency and at Ubon, Thailand. It was also deployed to Butterworth and Labuan for air defence in Malaysia. From 1964-5, the Mirage III began to replace the Sabre and, on 31 July 1971, the RAAF officially retired the Sabre from service.

Image of RAAF CA-27 Sabre A94-901 courtesy of Australian War Memorial Digital Online Collection (Copyright expired, public domain)

12 July 1941: Two Avro Anson’s of No 2 Air Observers School collide near Mt Gambier killing three aircrew

Did you know that on this day in 1941, two Avro Ansons of No 2 Air Observers School collided near Mt Gambier killing the pilot and two South Australian trainees?

During World War 2, the RAAF established various training bases in South Australia to support the mobilization and sustainment of what would be come the fourth largest Air Force in World War 2.
The largest and most important were three bases established at Mt Gambier, Port Pirie and Mallala to train aircrew for the Empire Air Training Scheme. As a result, thousands of young Australians underwent training across South Australia during World War 2.
Flying training was risky and the units located around South Australia incurred their share of aircraft accidents and fatalities of young aircrew and trainees. Invariably, the accidents were caused by either human error or mechanical problems.

On this day in 1941, No 2 Air Observers School experienced its first fatal accident at Mt Gambier when two Avro Anson’s collided. It was a tragic accident for a unit that had only been established five months earlier in February 1941. The two aircraft were on morning training sorties when the pilot of Avro Anson W2020 did not see Avro Anson W1966 come out of cloud during a rain squall. His aircraft collided with W1966 striking its tailplane. The pilot of W2020 was able to recover control and return to the airfield with a damaged port engine. However, the pilot of W1966, FLTLT George Peacock (RAF) was not so fortunate as he lost control of his aircraft and it crashed killing him and two South Australian trainees (LAC Lance Andrew and LAC Ernest Milford).

FLTLT Peacock was a popular officer at Mt Gambier. Having enlisted in the RAF in 1936, he had seen active service in the early stages of the war before coming to Australia with WGCDR Shaw (RAF), the first Commanding Officer 2AOS, in May 1940, to be the 2AOS Chief Navigation Instructor. A local newspaper reported his military funeral at Christ Church, Mt Gambier, and ceremony at Mt Gambier Cemetery was one of the most impressive Mt Gambier had seen. Today, FLTLT Peacock is buried in a Commonwealth War Cemetery Grave at the Mt Gambier Cemetery in a land far distant from his homeland of England. He was 29 years old.

Sadly, the two trainees actually knew each other while growing up in Moonta before joining the RAAF. Born in Wales in 1915, LAC Ernest Milford came out to Australia from Wales with his family who settled in Moonta on South Australia’s Copper Coast. A popular teacher in Penong, Milford was head of the Hundred of Cohen School before enlisting in the RAAF in April 1941 – only three months before his tragic death on 12 July. Milford was buried at Moonta.

Born in Kadina in May 1915, LAC Lance Andrew grew up with Ernest Milford in Moonta as mates. After school, Andrew moved to Alberton where he was employed in the Adelaide office of the General Accident, Fire and Life Assurance Corporaton. Enlisting in the RAAF in April 1941, he ran into his mate, Earnest Milford, at initial training at Victor Harbour before proceeding to Mt Gambier for air observer training. Like his mate, three months after enlisting, he was tragically killed in 2AOS’s first fatal flying accident. He was buried in the Cheltenham Cemetery, Port Adelaide.

Lest we forget.

Images of 2AOS Avro Anson and the RAAF base at Mt Gambier during World War 2 courtesy of Australian War Memorial Digital Online Collection (Copyright expired, public domain).

5 July 1943: South Australian 4 SQN pilot killed in friendly fire incident in New Guinea

Did you know that on this day, FLGOFF James Collier from South Australia was killed when his 4 SQN Boomerang was struck by friendly fire during a tactical reconnaissance mission?

Although born in Brighton, Victoria in July 1921, James Keith Collier grew up in Glenunga, South Australia. He went to Glen Osmond Primary School and Unley High School before being employed as a clerical assistant from 1936 to 1937 and then an electrician apprentice with the Adelaide Municipal Tramways Trust from 1937 to 1939.

He enlisted in the RAAF in June 1940 and after completing initial training, completed elementary flying training at Parafield from August to October 1940 and then service flying training school at Point Cook from October 1940 to February 1941.

Initially serving with No 23 Squadron at Archerfield, QLD, he was posted to No 21 Squadron completing an operational tour in the Malayan campaign flying the out-matched Brewster Buffalo aircraft. He was wounded when his Brewster Buffalo was damaged by Japanese bombs when taxing into the dispersal area at Ipoh Airfield.

Recovering to Australia, he was posted to 5 SQN before attending the School of Army Cooperation in Canberra during May 1942 returning to 5 SQN for the remainder of 1942. In April 1943, he was posted to 4 SQN which was performing army co-operation missions in New Guinea providing ground forces with artillery observation, reconnaissance and close air support.

On 5 July 1943, FLGOFF Collier took off from Wau Airfield in the New Guinea highlands on a tactical reconnaissance mission with one other aircraft (A46-89) over the Salamaua area in 4 SQN Boomerang A46-88. With low cloud over the target area, the two aircraft proceeded to Nassau Bay located south of Salamaua where the allies were in the process of landing forces.

The two aircraft spotted barges and dived to inspect them. The barges were American and fired on the two aircraft believing they were Japanese. FLGOFF Collier’s aircraft was hit at low level before banking and striking the water approximately 50 feet from shore and skidding along the water up onto the shoreline.

FLGOFF Collier was killed in the crash, only two days before his 22nd birthday. It was the first operational loss of a RAAF Boomerang in the war. FLGOFF Collier’s body was recovered and buried at the Lae Commonwealth War Cemetery, New Guinea.
Tragically, his brother, Lt John Methven Collier was later killed in action serving with the Army at Tarakan in 1945, meaning Mr and Mrs Collier of Glenunga lost two of their three sons that served in World War 2.

Lest we forget

Image of 4 Squadron Boomerang and unit personnel courtesy of Australian War Memorial Digital Online Collection (Copyright expired, public domain)