User:Ianhl/Amphibious Airways

Ianhl/Amphibious Airways

Amphibious Airways was a charter operation based in Rabaul, Territory of Papua and New Guinea, in the early 1950s, evidently about mid 1949 to mid 1954. It operated two military-surplus Avro Ansons (VH-BMD & BMM), and one Walrus (VH-BLO) - that was originally from HMAS Westralia. A Supermarine Seagull (VH-BGP) was also owned by Mcillree and in New Guinea then, possibly part of the airline. These were withdrawn in mid 1954. Amphibious Airways was owned and operated by Captain Eric E. Mcillree, who later inaugurated Avis car rentals in Australia in 1955 on the basis of his U-Drive business and from 1956 bought and upgraded the Dunk Island resort on the Barrier Reef. He died in Sydney from cancer in 1973.

Footnotes: Seagull/Walrus: Eric Mcillree also owned one of the 24 Seagull V aircraft supplied to the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) in the late 1930s, and almost identical with the Walrus production models immediately following it. It was sold in 1946 to Mcillree Motors for £600, registered as VH-ALB in 1951 to Self Drive Motors Pty Ltd, then it was stored to 1959 when it was sold to Peter Gibbes. It then flew 1960 to 1962, was sold to Robert Shute for £5000 and flew around the Great Barrier Reef to March 1963, with little more to 1970, and after an accident at Taree, NSW, ended up at RAF Museum, Hendon, UK, fully restored. Also in 1946-47 he bought another Seagull and two Walruses, all three of which were apparently operated in New Guinea 1949 to 1954. These three were stored at Bankstown NSW and then burned in 1959 to make space in a hangar.

Ansons: Eric McIllree and an associate Edward Loneragan of Mudgee had previously bought and re-sold about 40 Avro Ansons from the RAAF's original complement of over 900. References

Source re aircraft: ADF-Serials team - Walrus and Anson. RAF Hendon Museum: INDIVIDUAL HISTORY, SUPERMARINE SEAGULL V A2-4/VH-ALB, MUSEUM ACCESSION NO.73/A/426 (includes other Walrus info) personal knowledge of Mcillree and his operation