Freight Plane Abandoned At Sydney Along With R.A.F. Craft

Grey River Argus, 6 April 1948, Page 4

Freight Plane Abandoned At Sydney Along With R.A.F. Craft

SYDNEY. April 4. Two converted Halifax bombers have been stranded at. Mascot aerodrome, Sydney, for some time. They are being investigated by the civil aviation authorities. The aeroplanes are anchored in the open on marshy ground. One named “Waltzing Matilda,” has been stripped derelict by vandals. The machine was flown, from England last year with passengers by a former officer of the Royal Air’ Force, and undertook several freight charter flights in Australia. The other plane known as the Port of Sydney, has been abandoned bv its commander and crew, who have been been unable to communicate with their employers, London Aero Motor Services. The command er is Captain K. F. TU/fle, bf Christchurch. He was tola m January to cease operations in the Pacific, and to obtain freight to pay for the cost of flying the plane to England. This he was unable to do. He has since announced his resignation from the firm. All the members of the crew have taken jobs with Svdnev air companies and two engineers inspect the aircraft twice a week. The man-aging-director of the firm is Dr. Groham Humbv, who conceived the idea of a world-wide "tramp” air service. The last flight of the Pov of Svdney was when, piloted by Captain j Thiele, she took a cargo of pineapples to Auckland.