A/C SERIAL NO.A16/199
SECTION 2B

INDIVIDUAL HISTORYLOCKHEED HUDSON MK.IIIA A16/199
MUSEUM ACCESSION NUMBER 81/AF/1057
Ordered as part of Req. BSC 2817, dated 2nd July 1941, as Wright-Cyclone engined Mk. IIIA,FH174, for RAF under the Lend-Lease scheme but diverted to RAAF prior to delivery. One ofa batch of 300 delivered to RAF/RAAF/RNZAF April-July 1942, 94 of them being for theRAAF. Allotted American serial 41-36975. Built at Lockheed, Burbank, California;
manufacturer’s number 6464. A total of 2,942 Hudsons of all marks were built.
From 26 Jan 40 until May 1942 a total of 247 Hudsons entered RAAF service (A16-1 to A16247) and operated the type until 1949, though most were sold 1946/7.
01 Feb 42

Received by USAAF.

Feb 42

Shipped to Australia.

02 Apr 42

After shipping from manufacturers' in the US arrived for erection at No.1
AD (Aircraft Depot) Laverton, one of 30 delivered that month. Fittedwith Wright Cyclone R-1820-87 engines, s/n 59461/2.

06 Apr 42

Recorded as awaiting erection at 1.AD.

05 Jun42

Allotted 13 Sqn RAAF as A16-199, one of twelve RAAF squadrons tooperate the type in the Australia/South West Pacific areas.

30 Jun42

Received by 13 Sqn at Hughes Airbase, South of Darwin, in theNorthern Territories. Recorded as unserviceable until 26 Jul 42. At thistime the squadron were involved in an intensive series of raids on
Japanese shipping and ground positions throughout the Netherlands East
Indies and Timor.
Logbook of Reg Curtis, Flt Lt. (Retired) RAAF, DFM, Hudson
Navigator, records 11 flights in `199 31 Jul 42 - 14 Oct 42. The flights
were of 3-9 hours duration; three were curtailed by engine failure. Theseflights with 13 Sqn included = (Quotes)

25 Aug 42

Pilot Plt Off McDonald - from Hughes Field raid on Dili, Portuguese
Timor. Port engine failed over central Timor, bombs jettisoned.
Returned at night on one engine. Flying time 6 hours 50 minutes.

26 Aug 42

Logbook extract of former Sgt Wireless operator/Air Gunner W R J
Shaw (correspondence file Mar 2000) records 7.40 hour patrol toMillineimby, taking off from Hughes Field at 06.40; pilot P/O Dixon,with a 1.45 hour return flight to Hughes, leaving Millineimby at 15.45.

© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 2012

02 Sep 42

Pilot Plt Off McDonald - Hughes Field to Ambon - reconnaissance sortie
abandoned when enemy aircraft sighted, port engine failed one hourfrom base at Hughes Field. Flying time 7hrs 45mins.

25 Sep 42`Pilot Plt Off McDonald from Hughes Field. Discovered HMAS
`Voyager' aground ashore, SE Timor - opened up with ack ack on us,evasive action. The damaged ship was later evacuated and blown up.
Shaw logbook extract records 7 hour Patrol, taking off at 06.30. Pilot
P/O George Oldham from NSW. WOAG’s Shaw and Sgt. Parker

4Oct 428Oct 42

Shaw logbook records 4 hour strike sortie; no shipping seen and nointerceptions made. Pilot was again P/O Oldham; took off at 16.00.

10 Oct 42

Pilot Plt Off McDonald from Hughes Field, raid on Dili, 18,000 feetbombs on eastern end of town, intensive ack ack fire, return to Hughes
Field.
During Oct 42 A16-199 was also flown by P/O Dixon, F/O Jaques
P/O George Oldham and P/O Thompson.

18 Oct 42Issued 5 AD Ex-13 Sqn, presumably for repairs after the above fatalcrash. (Received 21 Oct)

24 Nov 42

Issued 13 Sqn Hughes - Received 30 Nov 42 ex-5 AD.

21 Dec 42

Plt Sgt Campbell - Anti-Submarine Patrol. Armed reconnaissance forpossible floatplane base, west coast Aroe Is. Formation attacked byenemy aircraft. Floatplane attacked and caught fire -minor damage toHudson.
Operations over Timor included those in support of `Sparrow Force' - aguerrilla operation that was still fighting on the Japanese occupied island,
supplies being dropped to them. See No.13 Squadron operations list,
File E.30.

03 Feb 43

Further sortie crewed by Reg Curtis. Pilot Wg Cdr Jock Whyte - Hughes
Field, raid on Pobo Is, bombs on target, attacked by Japanese `Pete'floatplane, shot floatplane down, intense ack ack fire.
After missions flown by A16-199 at this time included searching forsurvivors of sunken ships and downed airmen, and numerous antisubmarine patrols and armed reconnaissances. In 1942 Wg Cdr A J
Craze flew '199 as 2nd pilot and Plt Off John Alcock (13 Sqn) on 8
sorties from Hughes Field, and following year as captain flew 10
operational sorties with 2 Sqn on '199. (See file letters).

13 Feb 43

Issued for No.1 Repair and Salvage Unit from 13 Sqn for 240-hour
inspection.

08 Mar 43

Issued back to 13 Sqn at Hughes, codes SF -© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 20122

30 Mar 43

Final Hudson operation by no 13 squadron.

04 Apr 43

13 Sqn to Canberra to reform. A16-199 stayed behind and transferred to2 Sqn RAAF, who moved to Hughes Airbase that month.

14 Apr 43

Engine change at 1 RSU.

01 May 43

Delivered from RSU to 2 Sqn.

06 May 43

Attack on Maikour and Taberfare. Formation intercepted by Rufe.
Bombs jettisoned. One Hudson shot down.

11 May 43

Extract from Reg Curtis log book - he had transferred from 13 to 2 Sqn `Wg Comdr. Jock Whyte. (Pilot) Hughes Field, reconnaissance searchfor shipping to New Guinea Coast, to Cape Valsh, Dutch New Guinea.
Navigator (Curtis) wounded in stomach. Nav shot down one Japanese`Sally' and awarded DFM.

3Jun43

Pilot’s flying log book of E.B ‘Beech’ Stacy (X002-5794) records flightfrom Hughes to Millingimbi on ‘Zebra Search No.2’ with same aircraft
and four crew returning from Millingimbi to Hughes the following dayfor Zebra Search No. 3.

9Aug 43

Logbook of then Flight Sergeant radio operator/gunner, later Flying
Officer, John Allan Ford RAAF records take off at 17.20 for strike on
Doelah-Kai Island ‘All bombs in target area; Big Explosion and Fire’;
flying time 6.5 hours.

11 Sep 43

Ford logbook records 7.45 hour flight to from Hughes via variousislands, taking off at 10.50.

14 Nov 43 23 Dec 43

Log book of Sqn Ldr Ross Moore RAAF (retired) records 7flights in A16-199, including circuits and bumps and seasearch.

30 Dec 43

To 4 RSU for 240-hour inspection.

26 Feb 44

Returned to 2 Sqn ex-4 RSU.

08 Apr 44

See Air International Jun 86 p.310 = last operational flight with 2 Sqn - a
Sea Search, captained by Flg Off Roger Kuring - 2 Sqn re-equippingwith Beauforts, having been the last RAAF operational unit equippedwith Hudsons. This was also the units' last Hudson patrol, A16-199
being the last Hudson with No.2 Squadron.

09 Apr 44

Issued to No.3 Communications Unit for experimental duties with Radio
Physics Laboratories.

© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 2012316 Apr 44

Received 3 Comms Unit ex-2 Sqn. `Used by AOC EH until due forcomplete overhaul'.

29 Aug 44

Received 2 AD for complete overhaul ex-3 CU.

16 Nov 45

Stored 2 AD. (Richmond, NSW)

28 Jul46

Offered to Commonwealth Disposals Commission for sale - one of the
post-war-disposal of war assets. Around four dozen RAAF Hudsons
were sold to civil operators 1946-49.

24 Sep 47

Sold by CDC to Macquarie Grove Flying School, NSW for A£150.00,
although the usual price for a Hudson was A£500.00. A total of 48 exRAAF Hudsons were sold post-war, including eleven sold for scrap.

27 Nov 47

Collected by purchaser and taken to their base at Camden as one ofeleven Hudsons acquired by the Flying School.

18 Dec 50

Registered to John Fairfax & Sons PTY Ltd, Sydney as VH-SMM.
Fairfax & Sons were the proprietors of the Sydney Morning Herald
Newspaper and used `SMM and other ex-RAAF Hudsons to air-drop
their papers to country areas. Re-engined with P & W Twin Wasp R1830-SIC3-G engines to conform with rest of Fairfax fleet - Hudson IVs.
Test flown on this date.

10 Aug 51

Transferred to Herald Flying Services of Sydney - a Fairfax company.

27 May 52

Withdrawn from service.

02 Mar 53

Struck off Register.

12 Oct 54

Returned to service as VH-SMM for aerial survey work under charter toAdastra Airways Pty Ltd, though still owned by Fairfax. Like John
Fairfax and Sons Pty Ltd, Adastra were Sydney based.

16 Oct 54

Departed for Essendon for engine modifications by T.A.A. On charter toBrown & Dureau Ltd, Aerial Survey Division. Minor airframe work onnose window and newspaper chute. Much of this detail from thewww.adastra.adastron website.

24 Nov 54

Departed for Moorabbin on completion of engine work by T.A.A(fitment of R-1830-S1C3G engines converted by addition of two speed
superchargers in order to carry out aerial photography at altitudes up to25,000ft). Entered Brown & Dureau hangar at Moorabbin for completionof aerial survey modifications, with installation of an oxygen system,
camera hatch and camera mount near the rear door, and installation of
two additional framed flat Perspex windows in the nose section.

1957

Used for short period by Tamworth, NSW based East West Airlines Ltd
on survey work.

© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 20124

1958

Returned to John Fairfax & Sons.

1959

Leased to Adastra Aerial Surveys, Sydney.
By March 1960 it was flying in an overall silver colour scheme withAdastra fuselage titling in black. Photo - Anson, Hudson and Sunderland
in Australian Service (Wilson) p.134.

3 Jun 60

Struck power cables at Humpty Doo in the Northern Territory; theimpact demolished the cockpit roof and upper aerials, but the aircraft
landed safely with no injuries to the crew. The cockpit roof was repairedto virtually Lockheed Lodestar rather than Hudson standard.

Aug 64

Photographed at Bankstown alongside preserved Avro Lancaster NX611.
Flypast November 2004 p.42.

6 Apr 66

Photographed at Mascot, NSW in overall silver scheme and black'ADASTRA AERIAL SURVEYS' titles over the cabin windows. Colour
photos, Sydney, April 1966 – Anson, Hudson and Sunderland inAustralian Service (Wilson) p.131.

24 JunSold to Sepal Pty Ltd. Sepal was an Adastra subsidiary company forregistration of aircraft and employment of aircrew, based at Mascot.

66

14 Dec 66

Re-registered as VH-AGJ. Photo: FlyPast Dec 88 p.34.

Jan-Feb 67

Aircraft received major overhaul by Adastra at Mascot. Camera hatch
installed in nose compartment by this time and non-standard nosetransparency replaced by a conventional Hudson unit. Pitot heads
relocated and other internal modifications - e.g. seats and bulkheads
made.

24 Oct 69

To Adastra Aerial Surveys Pty Ltd, Mascot.

Mar 70

Repainted in Adastra colours. The scheme for the company’s Hudsons
included the titling Adastra Aerial Surveys over the fuselage windows on
the white-topped fuselage and blue engine cowlings. See Scale Aircraft
Modelling April 2002 p.129 for colour side views.
Flew with Adastra's Mk.III Hudsons VH-AGP, VH-AGS (ex A16-112)
and VH-AGX. (VH-AGS now restored as VH-KOY A16-112 andflying with the Temora Aviation Museum, New South Wales; believed
to be the only airworthy example). VH-AGP/BKY/FXF/SMO is alsopreserved by the Australian War Memorial, in its former colours as A16105. The remains of the crashed VH - AGX, formerly A16-122, arestored by the RAAF Museum.

1 Feb72

Struck off register and stored in Adastra hangar at Mascot.

11 Apr73

To Adastra Airways Co.

© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 2012516 Apr 73

After reconditioning bought by Mr Maurice J. Whittington of the Hendon
Aeroplane Company, Avalon Beach, Sydney, who sold it to theStrathallen Collection for A$17,930.00. Adastra was acquired by East
West Airlines in 1973.

09 Apr 73

Engine change as part of major inspection.

13&19 Apr 73

Two Air Tests at Sydney. Certification sheets and other technical ducts
from this period to DoRIS May 1945 - AC95/8/1-95/8/8.

19 Apr 73

Left Sydney for the last time piloted by 64 year old Lionel M.Van Praag,ex-Flt Lt., RAAF, assisted by metal worker W. Chambers. Flew v/aCharleville (20/4) Mt. Isa (20/4) Darwin (overnight stop) 21/4 - Kupang
21/4 - Sourabaya 22/4 - Singapore 23/4 -Bangkok 24/4 - Calcutta 25/4 Delhi 26/4 - Karachi 27/4 - Dubai - Bahrain 29/4 - Damascus 30/4 Athens 1st May - Rome 1/5 -Marseilles 2/5 -Gatwick 4/5 - Prestwick 4/5- arriving Strathallen 10th May 1973.
On this, her final flight the aircraft covered12, 000 miles in 73 flying
hours, giving total airframe hours of 8,494.45. Slight delay at Prestwick
due to Strathallen airfield being water-logged. Photo: Central Column
Jun 73 p.89; Aircraft Illustrated Jul 73 p.295.
Lionel van Praag wrote of the delivery flight: `Tropical storms wereencountered over Indonesia and the airplane leaked like a sieve and thewater damaged a few of the gyro instruments.
At Delhi, India I was interrogated by army blokes at considerable length
about the aircraft and the trip they were hardly nice people'.
After Paris `then came London through very bad weather using blind
flying instruments that were far from good and no windscreen wipers
with zero visibility and low cloud along with the other things to contend
with it was a blind landing', though `the Pommy talk down man wasterrific'. Mr van Praag died in Brisbane in May 1987, aged 79.

Apr 7514 JulAdastra scheme stripped for repainting into 13 Sqn RAAF colours. The
aircraft did not fly in Strathallen ownership, though registered with Sir
William Roberts as G-BEOX on 25 March 1977.
Photo at Strathallen 1974 - Air Enthusiast International Apr 74 p.212.
Also Scale Models Aug 77 p.385 (repainted); RAF News week ending
Feb 28th 1976 p.7; Lost Aviation Collections of Britain (Ellis) p.118;
Aeroplane January 2012 p.47.

81

Auctioned by Christies as Lot 14 at sale of part of the Strathallen
Collection. Sold to RAFM for £16,000.

Aug 81

Aircraft moved by Abingdon Salvage and Transportation flight fromStrathallen - St Athan for repainting, the wings arriving in September(Aircraft Illustrated Feb 82 p.90).

© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 20126

06 Oct 81

Aircraft arrived at Hendon from St Athan. Photo: Control column Mar
82 p.41. FlyPast Mar 82 p.3.

02 Nov 81

Reassembly at Hendon complete. Aircraft cocooned and stored by
Beverley until Bomber Command Museum aircraft moves complete.

Jan82

Aircraft moved into main hall of Museum. Photo - Aeroplane Monthly
1986 UK Aircraft Collections and Museums Guide p.7.

04 Jan82

Registration G-BEOX cancelled since aircraft formally withdrawn fromuse 22 Dec 81.

TEXT - ANDREW SIMPSON© ROYAL AIR FORCE MUSEUM 20127