Flying under the Sydney Harbour Bridge - The Australians have a go

FLYING UNDER THE SYDNEY HARBOUR BRIDGE
THE AUSTRALIANS HAVE A GO

visits since 20 August 2000

24 Squadron Wirraways fly under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

In early 1943, a flight of 24 Squadron RAAF Wirraways, led by Flying Officer Geoffrey Stevenson in Wirraway A20-525, was carrying out a leaflet drop over George, Castlereagh, Elizabeth and Pitt Streets in Sydney.

As they approached the drop area, Stevenson decided to take a slight detour under the Sydney Harbour bridge. The rest of the flight followed him, but at the last moment, one pilot changed his mind and started to climb up over the bridge rather than fly under it. With difficulty his Wirraway just managed to clear the top of the bridge.

They returned to Bankstown airfield where Commanding Officer Barton-Honey had found out about their high jinx. Fortunately for Stevenson and the other pilots there were no serious ramifications from the heirarchy. They all continued to fly.

Can anyone give me a date for this incident?

Were there three aircraft involved or more?

24 Squadron RAAF

Alastair L. Stevenson is the grandson of the above Geoffrey Stevenson. Alastair remembers his grandfather of telling a story about three Wirraways, led by him, flying under the Sydney Harbour.

Lancaster "Q" for Queenie flies under the bridge

Click on picture to enlarge

UNDER THE BRIDGE
“He did it for the Łiberty Łoan”
by Robert Taylor

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how to order this print
from Aviation Art's Home Page

During a 1943 tour of Sydney, Lancaster ED930 (A66-1) "Q" for Queenie VI, piloted by Flt. Lt. Peter Isaacson, "beat up" the city of Sydney and flew under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, on 22 October 1943 to raise funds for the War Loan. The media claimed “He did it for the Łiberty Łoan!”

Photo:- Ian Jenkins

4th Liberty Loan badge

On 22 May 1943, Isaacson had captained the brand new "Q" for Queenie from the United Kingdom via Canada and USA to Australia. It was allocated the Australian serial number A66-1.

Augustus Selwyn Truman
Aeronautical Engineer on a Lancaster
that flew under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

NOTE:- Cheryl Bruce, the grand-daughter of Augustus Selwyn Truman, initially thought that the aircraft her grandfather flew in under the bridge was "G" for George. The current theory is that it must have been "Q" for Queenie. So far, I haven't found any info on "G" for George flying under the bridge. Cheryl's aunty has a sick bag from the flight under the bridge autographed by the crew. The signatures are as follows:-

Peter Isaacson
Don Delaney
Harvey Neill
A. S. Truman
Doc Page
and one other she can't work out

The above were crew members of "Q" for Queenie, with Peter Isaacson being the pilot.

"Q" for Queenie

"Pathfinder - The Peter Isaacson Story"
"In the Air-On the Ground"
By Denis Warner

Does anyone know if "G" for George
ever flew under the Sydney Harbour Bridge?

Claude Spencer
Engineer on a Lancaster that flew
under the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Flying under the Sydney Harbour Bridge during World War 2
Details of other flights under the Sydney Harbour Bridge