G-AUKA  Westland Widgeon III                        (c/n  WA.1175)

                             
                                   
                                   This G-AUKA was actually the second iteration of the registration, as those marks having been
                                   originally been given to Edgar Percival for his new Avro Avian.  Percival graciously allowed Keith
                                   Anderson to have it for the above Widgeon, which was named "Kookaburra"    Images of this
                                   aircraft are difficult to come by.  I am indebted to Colin Young for the one above, whilst the some-
                                   what woeful clipping below was gleaned from the Northern Territory Library archives.   Following
                                   that is an equally woeful illustration culled from the Sydney Morning Herald of 23 April 1929, taken
                                   just before the Widgeon was lost in the desert.  On 10 April 1929 Anderson and his mechanic Bob
                                   Hitchcock were lost in the Tanami Desert on 10 April 1929 while searching for the downed Kings-
                                   ford Smith   The Widgeon had not, at that time, been issued with an official C of R and the trip was
                                   not sanctioned by the then Dept of Civil Aviation.     Additionally I have more on the story under
                                   my entry for VH-UHU, since that machine was, at one time, painted up as G-AUKA for the
                                   purposes of making a TV movie.     The remains of  G-AUKA were extracted from the desert
                                   as late as August 1978 and are now on display in the Central Australian Museum at Alice Springs.
                                   Ken Watson provides a nice shot of the exhibit shown at the foot of this entry.