Whichaway Wirraway? Traditional Cache
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Difficulty:
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Size: 
(small)
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There were over 380 air crashes in Victoria during World War 2 - this is an easy cache at the scene of a very lucky escape!
The last house on Epsom Rd (east side) is a new building on the site of a house whose owner had a very lucky escape on 31st May 1943 - a RAAF plane crash-landed on her roof!
Francis Robertson was a trainee pilot flying a Wirraway aircraft on a night flight from Deniliquin. His task was to make a triangular flight to Tocumwal and Jerilderie, then back to Deniliquin. Unfortunately in bad weather he mistook the lights of the RAAF Base at Benalla for Tocumwal and started to run out of fuel over Chiltern. Not wanting to bail out over a town he attempted to land along the railway line. He hit power poles along the railway, lost his engine (which ended up near the present-day level crossing), and pancaked off the power lines onto the roof of Sister Carter's house in Epsom Rd. The nurse ran out and helped Robertson to extinguish the burning plane on her roof, then treated his injuries. He was soon flying again, gained his wings and flew for the RAAF in New Guinea. (The plane was also repaired and flew again!) After the war he became a banker in Sydney, is apparently still alive and is the father of Geoffrey Robertson, the lawyer and TV presenter. There is a wonderful display on this incident at the Chiltern Athenaeum museum (open 10-4) - with police and newspaper reports, a later interview with Robertson and even a pair of his flying goggles. The cache is a small Systema container with logbook, pencil and a geocoin heading home to Germany. Watch for muggles, park well away from the house and feel free to leave any aeronautical-themed swaps!
Additional Hints
(No hints available.)