Dates

Event

Constructed as an Anson I.

1941

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Air Force with s/n W2068.

11 March 1941

Ferry flight.
Sent to Australia for use in the Empire Air Training Scheme. Aircraft were crated up and shipped to Australia, not flown.

11 May 1941

Transferred to No. 1 Aircraft Depot, Richmond, Victoria.
Arrived in Australia at No. 1 Aircraft Depot.

12 May 1941

Taken on Strength/Charge with the Royal Australian Air Force with s/n W2068.
Taken on charge at 1AD Laverton Vic, ex UK for assembly.

26 May 1941

Transferred to No. 4 Service Flying Training School.

27 May 1941

Transferred to 4 Service Flying Training School, Geraldton, WA.

11 June 1941

Crashed.
An engine failure resulted in a forced landing at Geraldton and ran through a fence on landing.

18 December 1941

Equipped with a gun turret.

4 June 1942

Involved in an incident.
Involved in a Taxiing accident at the Georgina satellite landing ground.

23 March 1943

Involved in an incident.
An engine failure resulted in a forced landing near Perenjori.

Not avaialble for service.

5 June 1944

Transferred to No. 4 SFTS.
Returned to service with No. 4.

From 1944 to 1945

Transferred to No. 87 Operational Base Unit.

27 May 1945

Transferred to Care and Maintenance Unit, Evans Head.

29 March 1946

Transferred to Care and Maintenance Unit, Narrenderra.

Struck off Strength/Charge from the Royal Air Force.

19 November 1946

Sold into civilian ownership.

6 May 1947

To East-West Airlines Pty Ltd with new c/r VH-ASM.

22 June 1947

Made first commercial flight from Tamworth, New South Wales to Sydney.

5 August 1951

To Marshall Airways/Sid Marshall.
Registration cancelled when ownership transferred.

21 June 1956

Assigned civil registration: VH-ASM

17 July 1962

Civil registration, VH-ASM, cancelled.
Cancelled when the Australian CAA authority withdrew flying permits due to deteriorating glue in the wings and concern over single engine performance.

1965

Outer wings cut off.

By 1966

The fuselage was in storage in Sid Marhals storage yard at Bankstown.

March 1972

To East-West Airlines, Tamworth, NSW.

From March 1972 to 1987

Restored.
This was a complete restoraiton using new wings constructed by John Gallagher of Loftus, NSW. Was finished in an overall silver colour schemewith black registration letters. The intent was to display the airframe in a building at the Tamworth Airport, the base of East-West Airlines.

June 1987

Photographer: Geoff Goodall
Notes: A surviving wartime RAAF Anson was VH-ASM, which flew the first East West Airlines passenger service in June 1947.John Gallagher and his wife Chris completed the remarkable feat of rebuilding the Anson from a collection of derelict parts.Seen at its public unveiling at Sydney Airport in June 1987 at East West Airlines 40th Anniversary celebrations

1990

Photographer: Arthur Scarf
Notes: 1990 photo at Tamworth, NSW

Circa May 1993

To The Fighter Collection, Duxford Airport, Duxford, Cambridgeshire/Cambs, England.
The fuselage only was imported into the United Kingdom by the Fighter Collection.
View the Location Dossier

Contracted to Aircraft Restoration Company for work on the airframe.
Restored on behalf of The Fighter Collection.

19 April 1996

Transported by ground.
Delivered to the Royal Air Force Museum at Hendon.

19 April 1996

To Ministry of Defense.

New serial number assigned: 9261M RAF

3 August 1998

To RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, Hendon, London, England.
Donated to the RAF Museum by the Ministry of Defense.
View the Location Dossier

2010

Photographer: Andy West