VH-GVB Avro 652A Anson XII
(c/n unknown)
The following history of VH-GVB come from
Fred Niven:
Ex R.A.F.
Anson XII NL153
(all-metal wings & empennage), initially as an aerial ambulance
& later as a V.I.P. aircraft.
To
RAAF 1/45, as a V.I.P. aircraft (the prototype conversion). Included in the V.I.P.s it carried was the
Governor
General
of Australia, the Duke of Gloucester, who used it as his personal
aircraft. Its starboard undercarriage
collapsed at Canberra 3/45. To N° 4 Sqn.,
Central Flying School. Sold to M.W. Hopp
(t/a Petroleum Development
Corp.)
& was registered VH-PDC to Petroleum Development Corp., Brisbane,
20/8/54.
Purchased by
Sir Reginald
Barnewell 11/54, from a Brisbane aircraft broker, with a large number
of spares; for use by Goulburn Valley Air Services.
Registered
VH-GVB to Sir Reginald J. Barnewall (t/a Goulburn
Valley Air Services) 19/11/54 & named 'Yanga'.
Before it
entered
service an 8th seat, which folded & was situated near
the entrance-door, was added. Registered
to Southern
Airlines
Ltd., 21/12/54. It
ground-looped during an emergency landing at Corowa 10/3/55, after the
pilot (Victor T. Wood)
smelt rubber burning. He
was carrying 5 passengers &, apparently. The tail section
pulled
away when being pulled from
the mud during recovery rendering the
aircraft beyond economic rebuild.
When I examined it at Essendon
in 1955 I found that it was a much plusher
Anson than -GVA,
having heavier blue padded seats, window curtains,
etc. Definitely up to Avro XIX standard.
The shot below shows it in
Southern Airlines livery.
