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| Built for United States Navy with Bu No 49555 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 19MAY44 | Departed West Coast. (Source: NAA via Gordon Birkett) | |||||||||||||||||
| 24MAY44 | At Honolulu (List shows 25APR44 which is evidently a typo. Several other aircraft shown at Honolulu on 24MAY44). (Source: NAA via Gordon Birkett) | |||||||||||||||||
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29MAY44
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Departed Honolulu. (Source: NAA via Gordon Birkett) | |||||||||||||||||
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01JUN44
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Received at 2 Aircraft Depot, Richmond. | |||||||||||||||||
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25JUL44
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Received at No 2 Aircraft Park, Bankstown. | |||||||||||||||||
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20NOV44
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Allotted 2AD Care and Maintenance Section, Evans Head for storage. | |||||||||||||||||
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19DEC44
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Approval granted for use of aircraft to escort 79 Sqn Spitfires. | |||||||||||||||||
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31DEC44
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Received at 2AD Care and Maintenance Section, Evans Head for storage. Status card states "31.12.45". Context suggests that 1944 was intended. | |||||||||||||||||
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09FEB45
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Received 1ADBS ex 2AD for storage. | |||||||||||||||||
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02JUL45
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Damage to port elevator and tailplane. Aircraft flyable. Recommend repair by 2AD. | |||||||||||||||||
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19NOV46
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Authorised for write-off. | |||||||||||||||||
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06FEB48
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To Dept of Aircraft Production for disposal ex Care and Maintenance Unit, Evans Head, NSW. | |||||||||||||||||
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25MAR49
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Disposal action completed. (The status card does not record the name of the purchaser). | |||||||||||||||||
| A
Social History of A59-96 contributed by Bill Staff (August 2006): "The aircraft was acquired from Evans Head by the Jones and Short Carrying Company and moved to Mr Short's back yard at 38 Booyun Street, Brunswick Heads. The other partner in the business, Mr Alf Jones (who was married to Short's sister) lived in Nana Street, across the lane behind Short's property and three doors up. The business (and partnership) eventually folded and Short sold 38 Booyun Street. The aircraft was sold to the owner of the property next door, Cecil Robb, who owned the next three blocks along from 38 Booyun Street (36, 34, 32). Blocks 34 and 32 were vacant and overgrown with Bracken Fern. The time of the sale would have had to be at the latest, in the early fifties. The aircraft was moved over to the back corner of Block 34 at the time of the sale. The Staff family moved into 35 Booyun Street across the road and the Goodwins moved in to 36 Booyun Street in 1956. At this time, the aircraft had no wings, empennage, or interior fittings. It was a bare, gutted fuselage. The aircraft had been there for some time of course and was the scene of many legendary games, involving kids from all over town. As a young kid, I have memories of many of the local kids conducting serious war games in that thing….if you could get over the concern for possible resident spiders and snakes. The older kids designated themselves as the only ones allowed in the cockpit, so the only time I could get up there was when there was no-one else around. Otherwise, I was ordered to be the “tail gunner”. I remember “parachuting” out the side door many, many times. It is reported by other residents of the street that the aircraft also served a useful purpose as a class room, principally in the study of anatomy! The aircraft remained in Booyun Street until approximately 1962 when it was removed, at the insistence of the Byron Council, to the Robb family farm at Kennedy's Lane, Tyagarah. My Mother and Sister still live at number 35 and I still call it home". |
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19APR78
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Fuselage sighted on the property of Cecil E. Robb (Coorabel Road, third property on right, 3 miles past Tyagarah Airfield). Used to store pig feed. (Source: Geoff Goodall) | |||||||||||||||||
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79
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Fuselage sold to John Hill. | |||||||||||||||||
| Displayed at Chewing Gum Field Museum, Tallebudgera. | ||||||||||||||||||
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31MAR91
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Sold to QAM. | |||||||||||||||||
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16MAY91
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Transported from Tallebudgera to Caloundra. | |||||||||||||||||
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FEB06
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A milestone in the restoration was reached when the aircraft was raised on its own wheels for the first time in sixty years. | |||||||||||||||||
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