WHY SUZY-Q?

Paul Bash at Strathpine in 1943.

Most people are curious as to why this name appears on the Boomerang’s side cowl. Firstly it has nothing to do with the owner’s liking or otherwise of the 70’s pop star Suzi Quatro and her musical ability. It is actually the wartime name given to Boomerang A46-122 by its assigned pilot Paul Bash who spent most of his RAAF service life with 83 Squadron.

Paul first flew Boomerangs with No.2 Operational Training Unit at Mildura, Victoria during his advanced fighter pilot training. His log book records his second Boomerang flight as diving at 420 mph which certainly had the adrenalin flowing. Shortly after completion of training and joining 83 Squadron at Strathpine Queensland he was, on the 19th September 1943 in his own remarks from his logbook "allotted beaut new kite CA13-122 my own beaut a/c Suzy-Q". Apparently Paul had seen the name on a visiting US bomber, liked it, and decided to adopt it for his own assigned aeroplane.

Paul Bash at Camden, Aug 1944.

Some other logbook remarks from his flying in the Brisbane region in Suzy-Q show practice interception on Vultee Vengeances, practice dogfighting with a USAAF Aeronca (which was too good in turns!), collecting the tree tops over Bribie Island during practice gunnery when one cannon stopped firing and causing a wing to drop, formation flight over Brisbane for a Loan Rally, interceptions of B-24 Liberator bombers, straffing the wreck of the Rufus King with explosive ammo,etc. The most interesting entries are on the 8th November 1943 when he flew the squadrons ‘hack’, a Moth Minor A21-8, under the Story Bridge with the unit’s german shepherd mascot in the front cockpit, followed a few days later on the 11th November when he flew his Boomerang Suzy-Q UNDER the Story Bridge and proceeded to beat up downtown Brisbane on the morning of his section’s departure for the Northern Territory. Two other Boomerangs also participated in this event.

Paul Bash at Milingimbi N.T. with CA-13 Boomerang MH-N A46-141.

Paul spent many hours flying from bases at Gove and Milingimbi Island in A46-122 throughout the first half of 1944 locating and escorting shipping convoys in some horrendous weather conditions, often with minimal visibility in continuous showers over the open ocean. Other flights show scrambles in an attempt to intercept unidentified aircraft flying at high level over the base but with no ultimate contact made. By August 1944 it was time for the squadron to move to southern NSW and the Boomerangs were ferried to Camden. Paul spent several months at the School of Army Co-operation at Canberra, before returning to 83 Squadron, which by this time had relocated to Menangle Park south west of Sydney. His logbook shows another entry on the 26th January 1945 Old Suzy-Q back after 6 months, showing an obvious affinity that he had for A46-122. Paul also flew other Boomerangs within the squadron as well, on one occasion flying A46-129 under the Sydney Harbour Bridge .. and getting away without being reported!

Some of his last flying in A46-122 involved Navy co-op with HMS Hood and other destroyers, HMAS Hobart during a brief stint back in the Brisbane region, co-op with Catalina flying boats and mock dogfights with Royal Navy Fireflies and Hellcats. His last flight in “Suzy-Q” was recorded on the 23 March 1945 when he flew her in formation with other 83 Squadron Boomerangs for a Sydney Loan Rally. By the end of that month Suzy-Q had been ferried to No.6 Aircraft Depot at Oakey, QLD for her final flight ( final at least for the next 58 years!).