Most of the information contained in the table below is by courtesy of ADF Serials, to whom we offer our grateful thanks. The job would have been infinitely harder without their work!

 Serial

  Type To RAN Aircraft History
A79-837
N6-837		 T.34
T.34A		 18Jun1954 First Vampire acquired by RAN, delivered 18/06/54.
Delivered as A79-837. No evidence of N6-837 being applied to aircraft.
Coded 927, 956 or 960 between 1954-58.
Modified with later type canopy and ejection seats but retained original fin design
We show it in photograph at Nowra coded 869
Coded 805 between 1963-67.
Crashed 11/10/67 Laverton Vic.
Killed were SBLT M. Lynch (Pilot) and FLGOFF S. Barkley (passenger)
Noel Fenton adds “Crashed at Laverton in October 1967. The cause of the crash was the failure of the engine main thrust bearing at a critical time during takeoff. The aircraft continued beyond the runway end into the over-run. Unfortunately, it hit the railway embankment which demolished the nose of the aircraft and caused damage to one of the two full drop tanks. Burning fuel sprayed over the two crew and they died from major burns. The non-pilot (a Pilot Officer just graduated from Melbourne University) was an Engineering Officer attached to ARDU and had been posted to Point Cook for his Pilots Course a day or so earlier.”
A79-838
N6-838		 T.34
T.34A		 18Jul1954 Delivered 18/07/54. Purchased for £45,000.
Delivered as A79-838. No evidence of N6-838 being applied to aircraft
Coded 957 between 1954-58.
Coded 871 and 874 between 1958-60
Modified with later type canopy and ejection seats but retained original fin design
Coded 806 between 1963-68.
Crashed 15/05/69, Nowra NSW. LCDR(P) Fred Goodfellow, RAN-the AEO(Air Engineering Officer) of 724 Sqdn crashed into bushland just to the west (off the runoff area) of Runway 26 at RANAS Nowra. He was attempting to land before an advancing thunderstorm from the west hit the airfield. The tricky wind conditions at the time most likely caused him to overshoot into the advancing roll cloud of the storm, where wind shear drove the climbing Vampire into the ground.The ejection seat fired partially on impact at a stalling airspeed, driving Fred into the front windscreen, causing severe paralysing injuries to him.
The aircraft was a total wreck.  Sold for scrap for either $70 or $100 – we have two sources of info on this, to P McElvogue of Airport West, Vic on 25/01/72.
A79-839
(N6-839)		 T.34

 

 

  11Aug1954 Delivered 11/08/54.
Delivered as A79-839. No evidence of N6-839 being applied to aircraft
Crashed 6/08/56 at Nowra.
The elevator had become jammed immediately after take off. The pilot’s last call was that he had found the fault. In the Vampire Trainer the control for the elevator was via a chain. The dingy pack clip had dropped out and jammed the control. This effectively prevented him from bailing out. He speared in about a mile from the end of Runway 26. A dinghy knife was found in the wreckage with crush marks matching an elevator bell crank. The pilot LCDR P Dunlop was killed.
Replaced by A79-842
A79-840
(N6-840)		 T.34
T.34A		  08Sep1954 Delivered 8/09/54. Purchased for £45,000.
Delivered as A79-840. No evidence of N6-840 being applied to aircraft
Coded 928 and 958 between 1954-58.
Coded 804 from 1963
Modified with later type canopy and ejection seats but retained original fin design
Withdrawn and reduced to spares 07/06/65. |
Remains sold 14/07/71 or 15/10/70 for $100 to Mr Parnell of Melton VIC, representing the Fogarty Flying Club. It was lacking ejection seats and instruments.
Was on display Ballarat Aviation Museum Vic 1992.
Owned by P Crowther of Ballarat. Noted at the rear of the Museum in 2002 without its tail.
Acquired by Evan Campbell at Nhill, Vic.
Then owned by Dick Winterburn’s Derelict Aircraft Museum at Launching Place (previously Heathcote), Vic . Sold 05/2016
Currently owned by Steven Demanuele (along with A79-660)
A79-841
(N6-841)		 T.34  11Oct1954 Delivered 11/10/54.
Delivered as A79-841. No evidence of N6-841 being applied to aircraft. Codes used not known.
Crashed 09/10/56, into the sea off Greenwell Point near Nowra, NSW. The pilot, Commander D. Buchanan had been declared missing, presumed dead.
The wreckage was recovered when it became entangled in a fisherman’s nets 04/74. The wing of the aircraft was landed and returned to RANAS Nowra
A79-842
(N6-842)		 T.34A 08Mar1957 The only Vampire built from new as a T34A.
Delivered 8/03/57
Delivered as A79-842. No evidence of N6-842 being applied to aircraft
Coded 802 and 805 between 1963-68.
Damaged 20/07/59, wheels up landing.
Made last official flight by a Vampire in RAN service. Flown on that occasion by CDRE Norman Lee with LCDR Bob Bell as co-pilot.
Sold to Arnold Glass’s Oldian Pty Ltd (NSW) with Goblin Engine 9367 for $15000 on 25/01/72
Stored in his yard on Parramatta Rd Auburn (noted 1978)
Tailbooms noted with Nicholas Cale in 1995
Noted advertised for sale, Adelaide 04/02.
Current status and location unknown.

 

The Temora Aviation Museum’s Vampire A79-617 made an appearance at the Fleet Air Arm’s 60th anniversary air show at NAS Nowra on 26/10/2008 wearing Navy titles, carrying the serial A79-842 and “NW” tailcodes
XA101 T.22  Aug1959 British built. Transported to Australia aboard SS Canopic and delivered to Nowra 08/59. Purchased for £36,275.
Coded 873/NW between 1958-60. Coded 806/NW between 1963-68.
Sold 03/06/69 or 22/09/69 for $219.
To de Havilland Bankstown and later to Camden Aviation Museum.
Currently located at the Camden Museum of Aviation The complete aircraft is held but currently only the fuselage is on display
This is a privately owned collection and is not open to the public
There was a “XA101” on display at the FAA Museum Nowra but that was really XG770
XA167 T.22  Aug1959 British built. Transported to Australia aboard SS Canopic and delivered to Nowra 08/59. Purchased for £45,000.
Coded 872/NW between 1959-60. Coded 807/NW between 1963-68.
Withdrawn 10/09/68.
Sold to Arnold Glass’s Oldian Pty Ltd (NSW) with Goblin Engine 9461 for $1250 on 07/09/70.
Stored in his yard on Parramatta Rd Auburn (noted 1978)
Sold to Camden Aviation Museum
Sold to Hawker de Havilland Historical Group
Replaced A79-642 on the plinth at the HdeH factory at Bankstown. The swap took place 08/86
It was displayed as A79-643 on starboard side and XA873 on port side
It was taken down for refurbishment on 4/12/98 and towed over to the other side of the Bankstown airport for refurbishment by a work-for-the-dole crew. This gave Nicholas Cale the chance to examine it in detail. The fuselage no.1 bulkhead and nose cap are marked as XA167. One of the engine cowls is also identified with this T.22 serial. Other original ‘owners’ of parts are as follows: A79-838 (boom aft fairing); A79-649 (this is almost certainly the serial originally on the stbd boom); and A79-843 (jet pip cone fairing). He is satisfied that the aircraft should be identified as XA167.
When the Boeing factory was sold the Vampire was taken down and donated to the Bankstown Aviation Museum.
XG766
(N6-766)		 T.22  Aug1959 British built. Transported to Australia aboard SS Canopic and delivered to Nowra 08/59. Purchased for £45,000.
Coded 874/NW between 1959-60.
Coded 808/NW between 1963-70.
Sold to Chewing Gum Field Qld with Goblin engine 16749 for $750 on 23/03/72.
Sold to Kim Rolph-smith and moved to Archerfield.
12/04/94 moved by road to Tamworth NSW.
Was under restoration by Paul and Vivien Bredereck at Tamair as VH-RAN (ntu).
09/99 Sold to Martin Cobb and exported to UK. Was at D.H. Aviation Swansea, Wales and registered as G-SPDR. / G-VYPO
10/05 offered for sale on eBay.
Currently owned by Hendrick Venter, Wonderboom, Pretoria, South Africa
XG770 T.22  Aug1959 British Built.
Delivered to RAN 08/59.
Coded 802/NW, 809/NW, 871/NW and 981/NW.
Sold to Mr Coggeshell of Benella Vic, who gifted the aircraft to the Australian War Memorial.
The aircraft was due to be transported to Canberra on 28/11/72 but never left Nowra.
It has since been given to Fleet Air Arm Museum, Nowra
Has been displayed wearing its own serial, that of XA101 and is currently on display marked as “XG766”.