Koo Wee Rup Swamp History: July 2024

Wednesday, July 10, 2024

Aeroplane VH-UMG makes a forced landing at Koo Wee Rup, December 1933

On December 14, 1933 an aeroplane, Tasman VH-UMG, was forced to land in a paddock at Koo Wee Rup, due to high winds. The Sun News-Pictorial of December 15, 1933 reported on the incident -

TASMANIAN AIR LINER IS FORCED DOWN BY STORM.

Lands in Heavy Rain at Koo-wee-rup; Plane Undamaged And None Hurt

By a Special Correspondent

Koo-Wee-Rup, Thursday. - Driven back by a storm over Bass Strait on its flight from Melbourne to Tasmania today, the air liner, Tasman, with two pilots and a boy passenger, was forced to land in heavy rain at Koo-wee-rup at 1 p.m.

No damage was done to the liner and the pilot landed so adroitly that not even the boy passenger suffered the slightest effect. Rain fell all the afternoon, compelling the liner to remain overnight. The landing was made in a large sheep paddock, owned by Mr. P. Einsedel. Residents heard the engines of the liner, which was invisible behind thick, low clouds, droning for 30 minutes while the pilot searched for a landing place. The liner left Melbourne at 9.30 a.m. The pilot said he had travelled 250 miles since passing over Koo-wee-rup at 10 a.m. on the outward flight. (1)

The next day the Sun News-Pictorial gave an update of the story -
The Hart air-liner, Tasman, which was forced to descend on Thursday at Koo-wee-rup, after endeavoring to fly from Melbourne to Tasmania during the gale, took off yesterday at 7 am. without assistance, and returned to the aerodrome at North Essendon. The aeroplane left again for Launceston at 9.10 a.m. with four passengers, including the boy who was the original passenger, and arrived at Launceston at 1 p.m. (2)

Tasman, VH-UMG, forced landing at Koo Wee Rup, December 14, 1933

Sun News-Pictorial, December 15, 1933 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article276126272

The Koo Wee Rup Sun of December 21, 1933 had this report -

55 Miles an hour gale

Heavy rain and a southerly gale which reached a velocity of 55 miles an hour caused much damage last Thursday. Huge seas - the largest remembered - ran in Port Phillip Bay. In many Melbourne suburbs trees and boardings were blown down, and streets were flooded. In the country the rain done more damage to crops and will delay harvesting. At Kooweerup 154 points of rain from fell 9.00 a.m. Thursday to 9 a.m. Friday. For the second time within a few weeks the pilots of aeroplanes carrying mails and passengers across Bass Strait deemed it inadvisable to make the crossing. On Thursday one landed at Kooweerup on Mr C. Einsedel's property. The plane was tethered by Mr T. Burton, of the Kooweerup Motor Garage, and the following morning journeyed back to Melbourne. (3)

The plane landing at Koo Wee Rup

Koo Wee Rup Sun, December 21, 1933 p.4

VH-UMG, the air liner, was owned at the time of the incident by Hart Aircraft, and had previously been owned by Australian National Airways. A correspondent to The Age, by name of B. Clayton, wrote in March 1931 -

Australian National Airways Ltd have five planes in operation at present, the names and registration letters of which are as follow:- Southern Moon, VH-UMI; Southern Sky, VH-UMH; Southern Cloud, VH-UMS; Southern Star, VH-UMG; Southern Sun, VH-UNA. The Southern Cross (VH-USL) will be put into commission at a later date. They can each accommodate ten passengers, but the usual number is eight or nine. The machines cost £9000 each. (4)

In February 1933, Australian National Airways were in liquidation and their planes and other infrastructure were advertised for sale by tender, including VH-UMG. (5) It was sold to Hart Aircraft Service who were based at Essendon Airport. They changed the name of the plane from Southern Star to Tasman. Hart Aircraft operated the Bass Strait service from 1933-1934. VH-UMG crashed at Mascot Airport in November 1936 and was written off. (6) You can read about Hart Aircraft in the Tasmanian Aviation Historical Society article by C. Byrne, here