CANBERRA – B.20 – RAAF – A84-307

This nicely preserved Canberra began its life as a B.2, WD939. Awaiting collection in August 1951, it was immediately delivered, on 1 August that year, to the Royal Australian Air Force. Delivery was over a four day period from RAF Lyneham to Darwin with the Australian crew, Wg Cdr D.R.Cuming and Flt Lt Harvey, setting up an unofficial fastest jet record for the trip, flying 10,200 miles in just 21 hours. WD939, all-over silver with a black fin, arrived on 5 August 1951. For a few days it flew out of Laverton to assist training and aircrew conversion before it joined the RAAF’s 6 Sqd as A84-307.

In 1958, it was converted to a Mk 21, first flying in that configuration on 29 September of that year. As a Mk21 it was delivered to 1 Sqd in the November. Later, a stay with the famous 2 Sqd was broken when A84-307 transferred to the RAAF’s 1(B)OCU. It ended its service life on 2 Sqd and is currently in a park area of the Defence Munitions Depot, Kingswood NSW Australia. Bob says that because of the sensitive nature of the area, it took him some time to get approval to take the photos.