Participating in a group tour on 23rd May with his friends, former RAAF pilot, Jack “Bluey” Ellis had been walking through the facilities when he recognised the Boomerang frame.  On hand to speak with him, HARS member Mike De La Hunty quickly made a call to myself, at which time I ran downstairs, camera in hand, excited at the prospect of speaking with a ‘real’ boomerang pilot.

Jack had served with No.5 Squadron and had accumulated over 500 hours in Boomerangs, flying ground support missions in Bouganville during WWII.  Prior to his posting up north, Jack was one of many pilots who was sent to Canberra, to a school that at the time was only newly formed.  The Army School of Air Cooperation.

A46-73 had been assigned to the Army School of Air Cooperation, and lived out the war until 1947, training Boomerang pilots on tactics and techniques of operating at close proximity to the ground and in coordination with Army ground units.  ”The school did not operate many Boomerangs, as we did most of our training in the Wirraway with an Army officer in the rear.  It is fantastic to see A46-73 again after all these years.”, Jack recalled.

“We used to fly the Boomerangs no more than 2 foot off the (jungle) canopy.  We didn’t have the luxury of thousands of feet under us like spitfires and kittyhawks, Boomerang pilots flew close to the ground and quite often got shot at, but almost always got home.  On many missions we (boomerang pilots) would lead in New Zealand Corsairs for ground attack missions, I was only 23 back then.” he said.

It was an honor and privilege to meet Jack and spend the time that i did.  It makes me all the more determined to see A46-73 fly again.  An unexpected bonus in the process of restoring this great aircraft and an experience I doubt I will ever forget.

Thank’s Jack and I hope to see you again soon.  Ben Morgan