UPDATES

 

ISSUE
DATE
REMARKS
67
08MAY22
Added a new page on Operation Navy Help Darwin which describes in detail the participation of the Royal Australian Navy and the Fleet Air Arm.
66
29OCT21
Added passenger uplift numbers for flights by 11SQN Orions on 27 & 28DEC. Also added a new page on 11SQN RAAF with thanks to Ian Pearson.
65
15JUN21
The entire website has been refurbished with a new menu structure. There were no changes to content.
64
29DEC20
Added a link to the film When Will The Birds Return?
63
11DEC20
Added details of the medical team that arrived on the first RAAF flight into Darwin on 25DEC74 on C-130E A97-168. Thanks to Lorraine Brownlie whose husband SQNLDR Phillip Brownlie led the medical team. The names of the team members were sourced from RAAF News of February 1975, the relevant pages of which can be found here.
62
31JUL20
Added further details of the first arrival into Darwin after the cyclone on 25DEC (Cessna 320 VH-EGN). Thanks to Robert Zweck.
61
14OCT19
Added two flights by B727-277 VH-RMX on 28 & 29DEC74 thanks to Bruce Clentsmith. (Source: 70)
60
11FEB19
Added a flight by C-130A A97-210 on 29DEC74 thanks to Norman Fitzpatrick. (Source: 69)
59
09DEC17
Added crew names for a flight by B727-276 VH-TBI on 29DEC74. Thanks to Greg Weir. (Source: 68)
58
25JUN17
Added an aborted attempt to return to Darwin on the night of 25DEC by Heron VH-CLS. Thanks to Graham Ham. (Source: 67)
57
22AUG16
Added two SAR sorties by P-3B Orions from No 11 Squadron, RAAF. Refer 27DEC74 & 28DEC74. (See Source: 66)
56
21AUG16
Identified the BAC 1-11 (A12-125) which departed CBR on 25DEC with Maj-Gen Stretton on board. Thanks to Nev Duus. (See Source: 65)
55
08JUL16
Added flights by ARDU C-47 A65-114 on 27DEC74 and 13JAN75. (See Source: 64)
54
19OCT15
Added a reference to a flight by Neptune A89-279 on 30DEC74 as possibly in connection with Cyclone Tracy.
53
15MAY15
Added two early Connair Heron flights. Thanks to Bob Bowne (See Source: 62)
52
26FEB15
Minor format changes.
51
27JAN15
Added the Ansett B727 VH-RMV on 29DEC. (Source: 61)
50
08JAN15
Added the Union Air Beech Queen Air VH-FWG thanks to Jim Jones. (Source: 60)
49
08JAN15
Added the Ansett F.27 VH-FNU thanks to an anonymous contribution via PPRuNe. (Source: 59)
48
06OCT13
Added explanatory notes on the use of airport codes. Thanks to Phil Vabre of the Airways Museum.
47
04OCT13
Added the DCA F.27 VH-CAV thanks to David Williams. (Source: 58)
46
17FEB13
Multiple amendments to 37 Sqn C-130E movements thanks to Steve Allan of the Office of Air Force History, Canberra. (Source: 57)
Anomalous entries are now marked with a red hash # symbol in the Source column.
45
15FEB13
Multiple amendments to 36 Sqn C-130A movements thanks to Steve Allan of the Office of Air Force History, Canberra. (Source: 57)
44
14FEB13
Effective from this date, all RAAF C-130 movements have been sorted by serial number. This is for ease of reference and because the chronological sequence is rarely known. Serial numbers in the A97-1XX series are C-130E operated by No. 37 Squadron. Serial numbers in the A97-2XX series are C-130A operated by No. 36 Squadron.
43
12FEB13
Added Swearingen Merlin VH-CAM. (Source: 6)
Added Cessna Agwagon VH-DDT. (Source: 7)
All aircraft of No. 34 Sqn RAAF (2 BAC1-11, 3 Mystere & 2 HS748) were used on Darwin operations but specific movements are unknown.
Added details of 35 Sqn Caribou operations.
42
05FEB13
Added Wessex N2-208 (the missing 9th aircraft) (Source: 7)
Added Gulfstream VH-ASM (Source: 7)
41
02JAN13
Added details of flights by Caribou A4-173 thanks to FLTLT Ken Stone (Source: 55)
40
07SEP12
The SAATAS Cessna which was the first aircraft to arrive in Darwin after the cyclone has been identified as Cessna 320 VH-EGN. Thanks to Robert Zweck who was a SAATAS pilot at the time.
39
10AUG12
The three DC-3s that were in service with Connair are now believed to have been VH-EWE, VH-MIN and VH-PWM. It is most likely that Connair's fourth DC-3, VH-UPQ, was still undergoing pre-service overhaul in Alice Springs. See Note 7.
38
28APR12
Added details of a Royal Air Force Short Belfast with an indirect connection to Cyclone Tracy. Thanks to Jock Manson (Source: 53)
37
18APR12
Added details of the sole RAF Nimrod flight which evacuated British subjects. Thanks to Bob Trowern who was captain of the aircraft and to Ray Deacon for facilitating contact with Bob. (Source: 52)
36
10APR12
Capt Geoff Kendall confirms that the Bristol Freighter on 26DEC was VH-TBB. This aircraft also operated between GOV and DRW on 29/30DEC. (Source: 48)
35
07APR12
Added details of the involvement of RAF Hercules XV199 thanks to Arthur Osborne who also advises that an RAF Nimrod evacuated British subjects to Singapore on 27DEC. Arthur also travelled on RAAF C-130E A97-190 on 30DEC. (Source: 51)
Also added a new page listing all participating aircraft. Only aircraft which can be identified by registration/serial number are included.
34
23MAR12
Added further details of a Bush Pilots DC-3 flight thanks to Murray Walmsley of BPA. (Source: 49 & 50)
33
26FEB12
Added further details of a Bush Pilots DC-3 flight thanks to Ron Entsch and Capt Bill Kelman of BPA. (Source: 49 & 50)
32
22FEB12
Added details of the first MMA flight into and out of Darwin thanks to Capt Reg Adkins. (Source: 47)
Added details of a Bristol Freighter flight thanks to Capt Geoff Kendall. (Source: 48)
Added details of a Bush Pilots DC-3 flight thanks to Noel Oxlade.
31
04FEB12
Cyclone Tracy and its aftermath have been well covered photographically so I decided from the outset that I would not include photos in this project. However, Jenny Mooney has provide a number of photos from the collection of her late father, Air Commodore David Hitchins, and two of these are crying out for publication. Thanks Jenny.

Dakota A65-104 in the OC's Garden

Dakota A65-104 gets a parking ticket
30
02FEB12
Added details of the Canberra photo survey of Darwin thanks to Martin James at the Office of Air Force History. (See Note: 10)
29
02FEB12
Added a list of 8 Westland Wessex helicopters which sailed with the RAN fleet.
28
01FEB12
Added reports by Qantas and Ansett on their involvement in the relief operation. Thanks to Françoise Barr at the Northern Territory Archives Service (Source: 45)
Also added a navigation system!
27
30JAN12
Added considerable extra detail from the personal papers of Air Commodore David Hitchins (then GPCPT) who was OC RAAF Darwin at the time of Tracy. Information that did not lend itself to incorporation in the table above has been reproduced on a separate page The Hitchins Papers. The compiler is privileged and honoured to have access to this material and extends thanks to David Hitchins' family. (Sources: 38-41)
Included in the Hitchins Papers is a newspaper cutting describing the use of USAF Starlifters. Most of the text has been added as Note 9.
26
26JAN12
Added the full story of FLTLT Allan Edwards' overweight take-off. See The Weight of Command.
25
25JAN12
Added flights by FLTLT Allan Edwards, 37 Sqn RAAF. (Source: 37)
24
24JAN12
Added Ansett Air Freight Electra VH-RMB on 26DEC thanks to Ross Petrie.(Source: 36)
23
23JAN12
Added some statistics for RAAF C-130 operations. See Note: 4.
Added flights by Denis Pendergast, Flight Engineer, 37 Sqn. (Source: 35)
22
22JAN12
Added several C-130 flights thanks to Keith Kershaw. (Source: 29). These include the flights carrying Maj-Gen Stretton to/from Darwin. Also added Keith's recollections as a stand-alone page.
Added flights by LTCDR Jim Campbell, RAN, CO of VC851 Sqn. (Source: 30) Thanks to Brian Abraham.
Added flights by Ted Wittup, Loadmaster, 37 Sqn (Source: 31) Thanks to Annie Wittup.
Added flights by FLTLT 'Doc' Casey, 37 Sqn (Source: 32) Thanks to Brian Abraham.
Added flights by Bill Moore, Flight Engineer, 37 Sqn (Source: 33) These flights were with FLTLT Casey (Source: 32)
Added an explanation of why the two TAA Twin Otters were ferried to Darwin at the end of 1974. Thanks to Stu Spenceley. See Note: 8.
21
21JAN12
Corrected the serial numbers for flights by Barry Rose (Source: 28)
20
20JAN12
Added 3 RAAF C-130 flights thanks to Barry Rose (Source: 28)
Added more detail of Connair operations (Source: 27)
19
19JAN12
Added one RAAF C-130 flight on 27DEC thanks to Tracey Turner. (Source: 26)
18
17JAN12
Added 3 RAAF C-130 flights thanks to Steve Phillips (Source: 25)
17
17JAN12
Added 3 RAAF C-130 flights thanks to Bill Mattes (Source: 24)
16
16JAN12
Added 32 flights from official TAA records. Thanks G.
Added a list of aircraft damaged and destroyed by the cyclone.
Added a complete schedule of all TAA flights in connection with the evacuation. See above link.
Added a link to the starting point for this project.
15
12JAN12
Added first and second arrivals from Source 22.
14
13JAN12
Added details of RAN HS748 operations thanks to Peter Adams. (Source: 19) Thanks to Brian Abraham.
Added details of RAAF C-130 operations thanks to Peter Grimmer. (Source: 20)
Added Ray Vuillermin's story First In
Added the story of The CycLone Tracy Heron
13
12JAN12
Corrected the details of Maj Gen Stretton's arrival in DRW. (See Note 3)
12
12JAN12
Added a flight to ADL by Ansett B727 VH-RMV on 27DEC.
11
11JAN12
Added a TAA F.27 flight on 26DEC thanks to David Baker the PIC.
10
10JAN12
Added a TAA F.27 flight on 25/26DEC thanks to Ray Vuillermin the PIC.
9
08JAN12
Added more information on MMA participation in the operation. See Source 11. Thanks to Mervyn Prime.
8
08JAN12
Added more information on the use of RNZAF C-130H NZ7003 thanks to Michael Sommerville (Source: 10)
7
08JAN12
Added three DCA F.27 flights thanks to John Laming (Source: 9)
6
07JAN12
Added three RAAF C-130A flights thanks to Tony Ryan (Source: 8)
5
07JAN12
Major update and added a link to a new page listing the Qantas schedule.
4
06JAN12
Reformatted.
3
05JAN12
Filled some of the gaps in the Qantas flights from a listing in "Qantas News" of January 1975.
2
05JAN12
Added a date and further details for the C-141 operation.
1
05JAN12
Original.