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The Kununurra Historical Society has taken on a new challenge for its museum and archive. A project is underway to preserve and present a static display of the cockpit canopy ('Glasshouse') from an RAAF 12 Squadron Wirraway, A20-62, which force landed on salt marsh near the NT/WA Border on the morning of March 20, 1942. The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) at Fisherman's Bend in Victoria built the Wirraway, which is an Aboriginal word for challenge. The Wirraway had been assigned a salvage mission with the task of retrieving parts from a crashed Wirraway at Drysedale River Mission. They were flying over the Timor Sea, Joseph Bonaparte Gulf en route to Wyndham when their Pratt and Whitney R1340 Wasp radial engine suddenly lost power and oil appeared on the windscreen and canopy. Pilot Sgt Lew (Lex) Dwyer with 'no oxygen, no Mae West (life vest) and no dinghy' immediately 'turned her south' for the coast near the NT/WA Border. The display will tell the story of this 12 Squadron Wirraway and the subsequent survival story of pilot Sgt Dwyer and Sgt Warwick J. ('Flash') Carmody (wireless air operator), who were rescued by three local Aboriginal stockmen and Charlie Pretlove from Legune Station. Since first filming the wreck site some months ago, much has happened. |
A main trip to the coast a month later to salvage parts for the display, with great guidance from preservation archivist, Mario Kolk and assistance from Dr Marieke Bos, both visiting from the Netherlands, was very successful. Securing the canopy frames and documenting the site by way of measurement, photographs and video was undertaken. The following weekend a third trip was made to search for parts of the canopy we had not found. Several missing pieces were found at the site, while Perspex pieces and one piece of canopy frame were found about a kilometre from the site, half buried, probably blown or shifted on a large tide, with the Perspex still attached, while a few others were not. Anyone who may have picked up relics from the site in the past is encouraged to donate these to the museum, as any other items may be valuable to us in attaining parts we are missing. The pilot came to Kununurra in 1986 and with Howard Young's assistance, attempted to get to the wreck site. Finding it too wet on the salt marsh, they had to abandon the trip. Lew did get to see the engine and firewall of the Wirraway, which had been retrieved from Brolga Springs in the 1970's. Both pieces were taken, more recently to be used in the Darwin RAAF base for a display in the Truscott Club. |
Contact has been made with Lex Dwyer by phone and I met with Warwick Carmody and his wife on a recent trip to Perth. It is hoped to open the display on the same date as the forced landing, on March 20, 2005 and to invite the men and their families to attend. Any relevant information, help with making the display cabinet, any people expert in working Perspex and any other assistance we can get with this will go a long way towards making this display a successful part of the archive. Work on preservation of the parts retrieved from the site is well underway. This display will be an important part of the Shire of Wyndham East Kimberley history, from a time 57 years after the settlement of Wyndham and about 20 years prior to the establishment of Kununurra. As this is a not for profit organization any assistance by way of sponsorship, or donations would be greatly appreciated and can be sent to: Kununurra Historical Society, 'Wirraway Challenge', PO Box 77, Kununurra WA 6743. For further information call me (Andrew Barker) on (W) 9169 1886 (H) 9169 1600 or fax 9169 1990.
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