Wallaby Airlines landing at Nui Dat

Wallaby Airlines landing at Nui Dat
Graphite pencil on acid-free 220 gsm paper

2009

The de Havilland DHC-4 Caribou is a short take off and landing (STOL), medium-range cargo transport aircraft. It has been in service with the Royal Australian Air Force since 1964 and has provided remarkable service to the country in that time.

During the Vietnam War, the RAAF Transport Flight Vietnam (RTFV) consisted of a number of Caribou assigned to support the Australian war effort there. It was to become No 35 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force and flew under the callsign 'Wallaby'. From this, it became known as 'Wallaby Airlines'.

So widespread were the missions flown by 35 Squadron, and so reliable the maintenance and efficiency of the aircrew and maintenance crew, that allied forces were amazed at the small number of aircraft actually in service with the RAAF which belied the remarkable amount of cargo and passengers that the squadron lifted. At one stage, RAAF Caribou were tasked with only 1.4% of transport missions in Vietnam but lifted more than 7% of the total freight carried for the same period!

This image is a vignette - a small sketch to illustrate a story - and shows a 35 Squadron aircraft landing to pick up members of the Task Force. This sketch will accompany a larger print of the Caribou which will commemorate the aircraft's service in Australia.

Independent Productions and Aviation Services is the website of Conway Bown, Australian Army Official War Artist and Aviation Consultant. Services include portrait painting and other portraiture, aviation services such as CRM - Crew Resource Management - and Helicopter Underwater Escape Training - HUET - which may include Emergency Breathing Systems - EBS - training using Helicopter Aircrew Breathing Devices - HABD - or Helicopter Emergency Egress Device - HEEDs.

During 2006, Conway Bown deployed to the Middle East as the Australian Army's Official War Artist, what the US Armed Forces call Combat Artist. This website features the artwork created during this project as part of the Australian Army's Official Art Scheme.

For more information on War Art, Combat Artists, Helicopter Underwater Escape Training (HUET), Emergency Breathing Systems (EBS) or Crew Resource Management (CRM), please visit the relevant webpages: