Australian War Memorial Wirraway

[planecrazy]

The Wirraway is displayed with it's port side open showing the interior workings, while Wirraways are often compared to
the Harvard they do have some quite different features. Rounded wing tips and rudder and fabric covered rear fuselage.
She has some interesting artwork and of course she does also have the history of getting the better of a far superior
Japanese Zero!





From the Australian War memorial Web site.
Pilot Officer (PO) John S (Jack) Archer and Sergeant J L (Les) Coulston, both from Melbourne, Vic, seated in No. 4 Squadron,
RAAF, Wirraway A20-103. On 26 December 1942 this crew was flying A20-103 on a tactical reconnaissance over a Japanese
ship wrecked off Gona when they sighted an enemy Zero 1000 feet below. Taking advantage of his position Archer dived on
the Zero firing a long burst with his two Browning .303 inch guns and as he pulled away the enemy aircraft was seen to crash
into the sea. PO Archer later stated that he had acted on impulse and was lucky to get in an effective first burst.
Wirraway A20-103 is now in the Australian War Memorial Collection.

[Dave Homewood]

That poor aircraft looks so crammed into the corner, what a strange way to display it.

My friend, RNZAF pilot Wendell Phillips, was flying a Wirraway with No. 21 Squadron RAAF in Singapore when he was attacked by a Zero. He manoeuvred the aircraft all over the sky and the Zero wasn't able to hit him. Eventually the Zero pulled up beside him and the smiling pilot waved and flew off. He's never been sure if the pilot was simply playing or if he had no ammo left. but a very lucky escape.

[Bruce]

Looks like the displays in the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. The "arty" set seem to have designed the displays there. Impressive building really well run, but the displays are so unusually laid out with obscure logic, you can't make head or tail of it...

[planecrazy]

Jul 23, 2013 0:20:30 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

That poor aircraft looks so crammed into the corner, what a strange way to display it.

My friend, RNZAF pilot Wendell Phillips, was flying a Wirraway with No. 21 Squadron RAAF in Singapore when he was attacked by a Zero. He manoeuvred the aircraft all over the sky and the Zero wasn't able to hit him. Eventually the Zero pulled up beside him and the smiling pilot waved and flew off. He's never been sure if the pilot was simply playing or if he had no ammo left. but a very lucky escape.

Wow I love stories like that, he must have been some pilot to out manoeuver a Zero in
a Wirraway, maybe your are right the Zero had no ammo and was scaring PO Phillips.

[planecrazy]

Jul 23, 2013 9:17:57 GMT 12 Bruce said:

Looks like the displays in the Imperial War Museum North in Manchester. The "arty" set seem to have designed the displays there. Impressive building really well run, but the displays are so unusually laid out with obscure logic, you can't make head or tail of it...

Yes it is a frustrating place especially for pictures, hard to get close to the machines without getting a wall or
something else in the way. Also some of the aircraft are only sections, perhaps this is because that is all they
have? Some wonderful stuff to see, it's free and no restrictions on cameras video and flash photography all
okay.

[Dave Homewood]

Wendell had trained as a pilot only recently. Like many pilots from the RNZAF his posting to No. 21 Squadron was really meant to be a stepping stone to then go onto Buffalos. Luckily for him the war intervened as a few weeks later he may have been in combat in Buffalos!

When he escaped from Singapore he came back to NZ, and went to the School of General Rconnaissance where he trained on Vincents, and was posted to No. 3 (GR) Squadron to fly in Hudsons, with which he went back into combat. In April he was one of the veterans who returned to the Pacific for the 70th Anniversary.