6 years ago
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
UEC's RAAF Avro Anson expedition on the Murray (1968)
The Swan Reach Museum has approached the UEC to see if they have any information or photos of the club's "RAAF Avro Anson" expedition on the River Murray in 1968. The plane crashed in the river at Monteith (near Tailem Bend) in 1942. Eight airmen were killed, including one from Swan Reach (Dudley Haines). The UEC dived the site mid-1968 in order to salvage items from the crash. The Swan Reach Museum has been given a grant by the federal government to create a display of the incident. If you dived the site, or were involved in any way, or have any information or photos, please contact me.
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1 comment:
Hello Steve.
Yes I was on that dive, no visibility, total loss of orientation at 50 foot and a rather risky dive for club members.
I believe the man who started all this was Doug Seton who now resides in K.I. and Peter Koch whose wife ran the folk museum in Murray Bridge, )Peter still resides in Murray Bridge and keeps in contact with Doug Seton.) We spoke to an old guy who witnessed the event and put us near the spot and I remember finding the landing gear complete with the Dunlop tyres and the oil coming out of the shock absorbers when we lifted this artefact aboard a paddle steamer which the club hired and charged admission to interested onlookers.
This event came about from a request of a relative of the pilot drowned in the incident who was wanting some memento of the accident.
Regards.
Paul Lunn
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