The Maryborough Sun, Thursday 11th August 2022
3
Aviation Museum takes off
CRAIG WINTER
DURING WWII, Maryborough was chosen as a base for a Wireless Air Gunner School and Air Navigation School under the Empire Air Training Scheme. Over 120 military buildings were constructed there in the early 1940s. President of the Maryborough Military Aviation Museum Association Jenny Elliot says that the airport’s history didn’t stop there. “In May 1945, the Royal Navy formed MONAB for training crew and the assembly of aircraft.” she said. “HMS Nabstock arrived
at RAAF Station Maryborough on 1 June 1945.
aircraft that are being restored to serve as static displays.”
“Nine Royal Navy Air Squadrons were based at Maryborough and at its peak there were 127 buildings on site.
The Museum is now at the investment ready stage, and the Association is searching for funding and sponsorship to construct a world class museum complex.
“The six remaining buildings and Bellman Hangar are on the Queensland Heritage Register.” On Sunday 18 September, the MMAMA is partnering with the Maryborough Aero Club for a fly-in and sod turning to officially launch the Museum.
The Maryborough Aero Club will host a fly-in for recreational aviation enthusiasts over the weekend to celebrate 75 years of occupancy in the heritage listed former RAAF Station Maryborough Flight Office building.
“The museum collection is continually growing, and we currently have over 270 items including genuine Wackett and Tiger Moth
The Club boasts up to 100 local pilots who regularly make use of the Maryborough Airport and it’s facilities.
Connection to history
An MMAMA volunteer works at restoring the Museum’s Wackett which will become a major static display (MMAMA) and (below) Tiger Moths became a staple of the early RAAF.
INFORMATION AS RECEIVED FROM THE RAAF
LEADING Aircraftman Alan Clarence Bloxsom, of Maryborough, Qld, No 9 Squadron, RAAF, Iroquois helicopter crewman who fought a gun duel with Viet Cong (VC) guerrillas during a daring jungle rescue of Australian soldiers in Phuoc Tuy Province on 18 January 1967, is pictured behind his M60 machine gun, sitting in the helicopter on the landing strip at Vung Tau. During an operation in dense jungle country an Australian soldier was wounded, and the patrol called for helicopter support to evacuate him. LAC Bloxsom was the port door gunner, the helicopter was flown by Flight Lieutenant (Flt Lt) Kevin John Sharpley, of Sunbury, Vic, and the starboard gunner was Corporal (Cpl) Victor Edward (Vic) Williams, of East Brighton, Vic. LAC Bloxsom engaged the attacking guerrillas
Tiger Moth’s use in the RAAF LAC Alan Bloxsom was just one of many Maryborough servicepeople who saw action in Vietnam. (Australian War Memorial)
with his M60 machine gun and in the action killed two of the enemy. None of the Australians were wounded in the action. LAC Bloxsom was later killed in action on 31
March 1971, when the helicopter in which he was the door gunner was tricked into an ambush. LAC Bloxsom was fatally wounded and the helicopter was badly damaged by enemy fire.
THE Tiger Moth is an open tandem cockpit biplane that has a fuselage constructed from steel tubing and covered in a combination of fabric and thin plywood. The wings and tail plane are constructed of timber and covered with fabric. The Gypsy Major engine, fitted to many of them was manufactured, under
license, by General Motors Holden in Australia. De Havilland manufactured 8,811 DH 82 Tiger Moths between 1931 and 1945 in seven countries. Originally intended for civilian training and recreational use, rather than for military buyers, the Moth was quickly adopted as the standard
trainer of the British RAF and then by Australia’s own RAAF.
Altogether 861 Tiger Moths appeared on the RAAF register. Although primarily employed as trainers, they were also camouflaged and used operationally with army co-operation units in New Guinea.
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