R A A F Caribou In S E A Cam Scheme, Which Airframes and for How Long Worn

[Shep]

I was wondering if anyone might be able to assist with info / photos.

With the assistance of Batman, I've compiled a basic list of RAAF Caribou's that served in SVN and had or might have had the American SEA camouflage scheme applied.

A4-140 YES
A4-152 NO
A4-159 YES
A4-171 NO
A4-173 YES
A4-179 YES
A4-185 NO
A4-191 YES
A4-193 YES
A4-208 YES
A4-210 unk (probably not, RTA too early)
A4-234 YES

Can anyone add to this list or amend it?

Was the scheme on A4-140 fundamentally different from the others? AWM photo seems to show only green / brown over light grey (i.e. no dark green).

For those machines that received the US SEA scheme, how long did they retain it after RTA?

Did any still wear the scheme after 1972?

Edit 09APR, amended list to reflect "YES" or "NO" (as appropriate). All, except A4-210, have photographic evidence showing either cam or not. Many thanks to Gordon, John and Rod.



Cheers,

This post has been edited by Shep on Apr 9 2024, 11:21 AM

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[enfield38]

Hi Shep,

there are various images of 152 being disassembled for shipping home which show it in the original plain green, albeit with the reduced sized roundels.

An image (on the main site) of 171 after its ditching on approach to An Thoi shows the original scheme.

179 was in camo, being amongst the last to fly home. https://www.keymilitary.com/article/wallaby-airlines

Unsure about 210 but I doubt it was repainted in camo. The repaints were done during heavy servicings in the Philippines at which time 210's alignment issues could have been addressed. Clearly, they weren't as it was sent home in disgrace so I don't think it went to the overhaul facility over there.

I have an image on file of 140 in PNG, still in SEA camo that shows the two greens and the tan.

No idea when the fleet repaints were completed back home I'm sorry...

Cheers,
Rod

This post has been edited by enfield38 on Apr 9 2024, 10:57 AM

[Shep]

G'day Rod,

Thanks for the reply - good stuff.

Have amended the list in the original post.

Looks like -210 is the only one I haven't seen a confirmatory image of - but agree - I think its return to Oz pre-dates the application of US cam.

It is interesting that, of those so treated, some received a wavy demarcation between the upper and lower cam and some a straight demarcation. As others have suggested, perhaps the difference between a Philippines paint shop and Thailand paint shop (I haven't looked into it yet). A4-173 seems to have had both; initially a straight application (as seen in a back-to-front AWM nose-on phot with a ghostly/ghastly disembodied wallaby above [P05971.003] ...) and the colour phot of it at ESL in early 1972 shows a wavy line.

Edit: Thanks for the link, too!

Cheers,

This post has been edited by Shep on Apr 9 2024, 11:47 AM

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[Shep]

I thought I'd add this montage. Shows A4-140 before US SEA cam and after.

Top row Left: A4-140, probably back in Australia (by the looks of the back ground) [via www.aviationphotocompany.com]
Top row Right: A4-140 (in OD with small roundels; these visible in original version of photo - has been cropped out here) with A4-159 and A4-unk at Vung Tau, 1970 [John Bennett].

Bottom row Left and Right: A4-140 with 38SQN in PNG 04OCT72. Now has 38SQN Enfield tail marking. [via Tim Cottrell, Friends of the RAAF DHC-4A Caribou facebook page].

This post has been edited by Shep on Apr 9 2024, 02:22 PM

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