I've developed
strong memories of my time with Adastra, perhaps as we get older,
in an attempt to return to our youth, we more fondly remember
various phases of our life. I live in Canberra and I'm fortunate
to be able to visit 'AGP' at the War Memorial whenever I want
and I sit in the new hall on the balcony overlooking her and enjoy
the memories. I'm afraid I don't have any mementos stored away.
For what it's worth, I visited the RAF Museum at Hendon in September
1986 and was allowed to go on board 'AGJ'. While externally it's
painted in military colours, the inside was / is a totally different
story! It was exactly the same paintwork, scratches etc. as the
last time I flew it in 1969. What was perhaps really significant
(and this may have been noted by the curators) were, affixed to
the bulkhead dividing the 'Nav' compartment and the passenger
cabin, two VB labels from wet stubbies which I personally saw
Alex Whitworth (Nav) place there in 1968. While employed as an
Airworthiness Surveyor by the CAA in 1986 or 1987 I saw the log
books of 'AGP' in Melbourne and saw page after page of my signature
for daily inspections of the aircraft.
Rick Geary
9th February 2003
Rick's photos of AGJ at Hendon
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