Iroquois P2-403 Ex A2-509

[Martin Edwards]

Our Iroquois page states that A2-509 as P2-403 crashed in 1994/95 and the remains are at Jackson's Field.
It goes on to state;
"A2-509 was replaced by another UH-1H which became 0405. It was originally 'liberated' by the UK forces during the Falkland Islands War in 1982"

There are a couple of things that aren't correct with that statement.

Firstly A2-509/P2-403 was photographed at Jackson's Field in January 2016 as where all the other PNGDF Hueys except A2-510/P2-404
While none of the four look serviceable they don't look like having had sufficient damage to require a replacement.
Certainly none would be described as "remains"

I think that if any Huey was lost chances are it would be A2-510/P2-404

The dates stated don't coincide. The stated accident date is 1994/95 but the helicopter that became P2-405 was purchased in 1992 so wasn't an attrition replacement

There are numerous reports dealing with the PNGDF's use of these Australian supplied Hueys as gunships against the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA).

The caption on the 1994 photo below from the Australian War Memorial
"Members of the Bougainville Revolutionary Army (BRA), many with homemade weapons, gather around a Second World War Japanese 20mm cannon which was reconditioned at the Panguna mine workshops and used to deadly effect against the Papua New Guinea Defence Force (PNGDF). In 1994, one of the PNGDF’s Iroquois helicopters, donated by Australia, was reportedly shot down by this gun in the hills above Koromira, southeast Bougainville"

Attached Image

[enfield38]

Scramble website lists what I've always maintained are the correct PNGDF assigned tail numbers, ie 506 is 401, 509 is 402, 510 is 403 and 505 was 404. 405 is without doubt the former VH-UHE. 404 was clearly the write off but I don't agree it was 510.

When we gifted the aircraft in 1989, 505 was actually in deep maintenance at Hawker Pacific Cairns. I watched 506, 509 and 510 all depart Townsville for their ferry flights, 505 went north some months later (I don't remember it ever coming back to 35SQN).

I suggest the PNGDF allocated their tail numbers as the aircraft were delivered and this is backed up by having read 510's data plate on an airframe delivered to Amberley in the early 2000's by RAAF C130 presumably for refurbishing.

I'm more than happy to be proven wrong if someone can take a peek at the manufacturer's data plates in Pt Moresby. They're located on the forward face of the main roof pillar when you open the co-pilot's (left) door.

[Martin Edwards]

Thanks Rod,
Looks like I've opened the proverbial can of worms here!
I will see if I can get someone to look at those ID plates
Hopefully they haven't been souvenired.
I will add a note to the PNGDF page that the serial tie ups are subject to confirmation.