Avro Anson.W2068 Hendon or Tamworth?

[Martin Edwards]

Can any one help sort out this little mystery;
ex RAAF Avro Anson Mk 1 serial W2068 is claimed to be both at the RAF Museum Hendon and displayed as VH-ASM in the Avro Anson museum at Tamworth Airport, NSW, Australia.

[airnutz]

Setter, may be your man for this one. He logs on about now, or a little
later. On this site a few months back, I read of a case of 2 Spitfires
sharing the same numbers. One had a complete re-build. Ship #2 was
created using the "cast-off" sheetmetal of ship 1! How they could attempt
this with an Anson, escapes me!

[Jungle Bob]

Confusion as to the real identity of each airframe is a direct result of both airframes coming from the same storage yard at Bankstown Airport, Sydney.

Back in the 1970's there were two Anson airframes stored in a backyard adjacent to Bankstown airport. This yard was owned by the late Syd Marshall who had a very ecletic collection of aircraft including 109, Oscar, Spitfire etc.

With two Ansons in the one backyard it is possible that an identity mixup has occurred. The airframe currently in Hendon is the most plausible candidate for its current serial number as its various Australian owners, including me, knew its pedigreee quite well.

However if I can be corrected.............

[Martin Edwards]

Thanks for the replies. I tended to think that Hendon would have the correct identity. I wonder if the Anson on display in Tamworth as VH-ASM is actually another aircraft carrying that identity.
Are you out there Setter, your thoughts?

[setter]

My thoughts.......

The Anson at Tamworth is largely a very good replica constructed by a chap to the south of Sydney whose name escapes me ( darn alszimers was it john Chalenor?) and I think it could well have used donor parts from the Hendon machine, so both could have been sourced from the same machine and hence taken on the same identity. This sort of thing happens all the time and it is usually a case of mixing components. when the parts were being sourced fro the Hendon example it is likely they used the best of the two airframes and when the East West example for Tamworth was being reconstructed it used what was left over. It was also a historic airframe to the airline and this may also have dictated the identity.

I will remember who did the work and ask him but thats my theory. I also have some articles on the restoration which I will dig out and they will help I am sure.

Regards
John P

[Martin Edwards]

Thank you John.
I look forward to any other light that you can shed on this matter.
Regards Martin

[Ghost 01]

Hey guys, I was researching ASM myself and came across this site so I joined the group and thought I would share with you guys.

VH-ASM at Tamworth is indeed the original one with parts of it having gone to the one in Hendon- refer:

http://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austa2/VH-ASM.html

I was recently out at Tamworth specifically to take pics of ASM, which I am very happy to share should anyone be interested, I have just posted them on Facebook in a small group I am a member of (I am a member of so many it is not funny).

[Invader26]

I think you'll find that John Gallagher did the rebuild on ASM in Sydney. He's a wizard fabric man...