De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth, A1784 / DHA81, Royal Navy
This picture is © Noel Collier and may not be used or published without permission.
Registration: A1784
Construction Number: DHA81
Code Number: NONE.
Military Unit: Royal Engineering College Manadon Flight
Model De Havilland DH.82A Tiger Moth
Operator: Royal Navy
Airport: Plymouth - Roborough (EGHD), UK - England
Airshow: Plymouth - Air Day - 1954
Photographer: Noel Collier
Date Taken: 26/06/1954
Date Submitted: 19/03/2012
Originally allocated to RAAF as A17-84 in December 1945. It was then allocated to HMS Nab Catcher (Hong Kong) and at some point, possibly in 1947, was re-allocated to the Royal Navy and shipped to the UK aboard the carrier, HMS Theseus. She was then given the serial A1784 and operated with FAA reserve squadrons as a trainer and squadron âhackâ. There are some questions about how the Royal Navy âacquiredâ A17-84 and the exact circumstances of its re-allocation, which may have been via ânone standard methodsâ as there appears to be no paperwork. There is more than a suggestion that the re-allocation may have occurred after HMS Theseus left Australian waters with A1784 safely struck down below deck. The aircraft crashed on take off 21 June 1958 at Bramcote Navy Day and was SOC 26,6,58. with the remains sent to AHU Lossiemouth for spares. Later these went to George Williamson's yard at Elgin from where some were recovered in April 1994. These were stored in Bournville, Birmingham, for future use as the core of a long term static restoration project until December 2017 when the project and its owner moved to North Yorkshire. Accompanying A17-84's remains on the journey to Sinnington were the surviving components of another Bramcote survivor, seafire FR47 VP455.
Picture ID:1337951