Aircraft of the ADF – N6 de Havilland Vampire

723 Squadron received the RAN’s Vampires over 1954, and on June 1 the following year, 724 Squadron was raised as the operational training unit. Although 725 Squadron also briefly operated the type, it was 724 that remained the prime operator of naval Vampires. A replacement aircraft for the first loss in 1956 (A79-839) was subsequently acquired for 724 Squadron in 1957, and as Vampire 958 was one of the original batch of five Australian built T.34s supplied to the Navy in 1954. This came from the current upgraded T.35 line, the aircraft was designated Vampire T.34A, serialled A79-842 (c/n 4132). The remaining T.34s were subsequently modified to T.34A standard, in line with upgrading the RAAF’s T.33 aircraft to the T.35A standard. This involved the fitting of ejection seats, frameless canopies and anti skid brakes. However, the two T.34 aircraft upgraded to the T.34A standard (A79-837 and A79-838) did not receive the fin modification applied to the RAAF aircraft. The last aircraft, A79-842, was delivered direct from DHA to this standard, including the new fin design.

The RAN then procured several UK produced Sea Vampires over the late 1950s. The RN had originally ordered 53 Sea Vampire T.22s in February 1952, these being serialled XA100 to XA131, and XA152 to XA172 (c/ns 15130, 15131, 15200 to 15223, 15404 to 15413, and 15498 to 15514). These aircraft were supplemented by a June 1954 order for a further 20 machines, serialled XG742 to XG748, and XG765 to XG777 (c/ns 15633 to 15652).

The first British aircraft for the RAN (XG770) was received in August 1957 as a replacement for a second T.34 (A79-841) that had been lost in late 1956. A requirement for 724 Squadron to operate more aircraft resulted in a further three aircraft (XA101, XA167 and XG766) being shipped two years later on the SS Canopic. These were received at HMAS Albatross during August 1959.

It is interesting to note that although DHA was still producing the Vampire T.35 at this stage, with the last examples not being delivered to the RAAF until July 1960, the RAN elected to import aircraft. This may well have been dictated by the need to have the aircraft in service as soon as possible, or perhaps the decision could have been made on cost grounds.

The imported Vampires retained their British serial numbers until 1967, when their alphabetic prefix was replaced by N6- in the RAN serial allocation. In addition to these four Sea Vampires, the RAN is known to have operated another T.22. During 808 Squadron’s workup period in the UK over 1955/56, RAN crews flew Vampire T.22 XG773, on loan from the RN. Through the 1960s the Vampires gave solid, but largely unspectacular, service as the Navy’s operational trainer. This lead-in training prepared pilots for front line service on Sea Venoms, and ultimately on A-4 Skyhawks. During 1969, 724 Squadron was retitled, with other RAN squadrons, along US Navy lines. The unit became VC-724, which signified a fixed wing conversion unit. The following year, 1970, the Macchi MB-326H replaced the Vampire at Nowra. Although at least 13 former RAAF Vampire T.35s have found their way to the USA and onto the civil register, there has been no exodus of RAN Vampires. While most of the Australian produced aircraft were written off in accidents, the four British imports remain for display throughout the country. XA101 is displayed at the Camden Aviation Museum, XA167 at the South Australian Historical Aviation Museum at Port Adelaide and XG770 is at the Australian Naval Aviation Museum at HMAS Albatross. In addition, XG766, after years of static display at the Chewing Gum Field at Coolangatta, is undergoing restoration to airworthiness by Tamair at Tamworth. Its registration has been allocated appropriately – VH-RAN!