During recent
deliberations on the origins of "Adastra Green", it
emerged that its first application may have been on the Prince
G-AMLW (later VH-AGF). (Please refer to "It's
Not Easy Being Green #1") Subsequent examination of a
photo of a Prince (see above) which served with Polynesian Airlines
revealed that it was painted in a colour which shows remarkable
similarities to "Adastra Green". In an attempt to establish
if this was more than just coincidence, aviation historian Roger
McDonald put the question to Sir Reginald Barnewall, who was one
of the founders of Polynesian Airlines. His response follows:
"Yes, there is a story here...and it DOES have vague overtones
involving Adastra. Better I take time to explain fully. When Southern
Airlines was a little more than a figment of my imagination, I
knew - somewhat longingly - of Hunting's new aircraft, the design
of which they took over from Edgar Percival and engined with a
radial to be known as the "Leonides" - the basic design of which
was developed by the Alvis Company from captured German design
plans. A small company basically concerned wih marine motors in
North Melbourne by the name of Aeronautical Supply Company was
Hunting's Melbourne agents. Through them I learned that a Prince
was coming to Australia for a dry hire to an aerial survey company
but was first doing a demo for the RAAF in connection with operations
at Woomera. It was arranged that I would fly to Parafield and
spend a day with the aircraft and make my own assessment. As a
result, I was smitten and the Prince became my first choice for
equipment when Southern's first prospectus was launched. (It failed
to raise the necessary cash!) This aircraft, soon to join Adastra,
was "cleanskin silver". I never saw it again. But when needing
to hire a pilot in 1961 to go to Africa to ferry one of the two
replacement Princes, I chose Ken Rowlands, a longtime pilot with
Adastra who had flown that Prince on many surveys and also flew
it back to UK at end of the hire. He became a captain with Polynesian
and succeeded me as Chief Pilot when my contract expired in 1962.
The two Princes I bought had been repainted over and over and
some of the paints had "fought", leaving a very poor finish. I
sought and got approval from my company to have them stripped
and repainted in Singapore. But what colour to do them in? We
agreed that the simple scheme I had "inherited" from the NSW Aero
Club (on Prince VH-RSX) was not suitable. Rowlands asked for a
day's lay-over in Calcutta where his sister, Betty Cotteril -
an artist - and her husband lived. She viewed the aircraft and
suggested something between turquoise and eau-de-Nil (a dull green
colour literally, 'water of the Nile') and that night sketched
a colour scheme for us. That became the colours to be painted
in Singapore. Only later did I learn that, back in Sydney, that
lady had suggested a similar paint scheme for the Prince her brother
was to fly on survey work."
Reginald R Barnewall
7th February 2005
NOTES
The
only area of conflict between this account and the earlier account
by Joe Tidey is how the green colour was chosen. Although it may
not have been selected by Mrs Hammond as previously speculated,
it's still possible that Mrs Hammond saw the sketches of the Prince
and took a liking to the proposed colour and suggested to Bunny
that he paint his car the same colour. The following chronology
would appear to support both accounts:
c.
April 55 |
The
Adastra Prince was based in SA. Probably this is when Sir
Reginald Barnewall did his evaluation. The aeroplane was then
silver and he "never saw it again". |
1957 |
Ken
Rowlands joined Adastra. |
late
57
/early 58 |
The
Adastra Prince was repainted green. |
Jan
59 |
The
Adastra Prince returned to the UK. |
1961 |
Ken
Rowlands' sister was consulted on the livery for the Polynesian
Princes. |
Sadly,
Ken Rowlands and his sister Betty are both deceased.
The
Polynesian Princes
c/n
|
Regn
|
Prev
|
Remarks
|
P.38 |
ZK-BMQ
|
A90-1
VH-RSX
|
Ex
Royal Aero Club of NSW. Polynesian Airlines retained the silver
paint but changed the trim from blue to red. Accident 03DEC60.
Noted derelict in 1966. |
P.48 |
ZK-BYN
|
G-AMPR
VR-TBN
|
Acquired
in Tanganyika and ferried to Australia via Singapore where
it was painted in the green Polynesian Airlines livery.Withdrawn
from use in JUL63. |
P.25 |
ZK-BYO
|
VR-TBD
|
Acquired
in Tanganyika and ferried to Australia via Singapore where
it was painted in the green Polynesian Airlines livery.Withdrawn
from use in MAR63. |
All
three Polynesian Princes ended their days in Samoa where
they were presumably scrapped. Thanks to Tom Singfield for
assistance with this table.
|
Thanks to Sir Reginald Barnewall and Roger McDonald.
See also:
|