"Pop" Wood - 23 Squadron RAAF

"POP" WOOD
23 SQUADRON RAAF

wirra01.jpg (32035 bytes)
Photo from Bruce Hall - Photo taken by WW2 photographer W. Myers

Wirraway of 23 Squadron at Archerfield
flown by "Pop" Wood in 1941. The passenger may be Eric Shaw.

Subject:   23 sdn Who is Pop Woods
Date:           Fri, 15 Jun 2001 01:36:17 +1000
From:          "David Shaw" <deswes@bigpond.com>

I believe that the observer in the photograph is my father Eric Shaw who flew on several occasions with Pop Woods. Dad says Pop was a great pilot. Dad and I were referred to your web site by Peter White who is featured on your site. Peter is a life long friend of Dad, they joined the RAAF together in early 1939 and were in 23 Squadron together. Peter thinks its Dad in the back seat.

Pop and Dad ferried a Wirraway to Townsville for 24 sqn who were being sent to Rabaul. They were also ordered to go with 24 Squadron but lost the undercarriage in some construction work on the strip when they landed at Morseby (luckily for them!). They were "stranded" at Moresby for some time until a replacement wing was shipped up. They flew the repaired Wirra back to Brisbane.

Dad did a number of flights with Pop in A20-116 which seems to be the aircraft in your photo. Dad vaguely recalls that they were featured in some posed photographs prior to an army co-operation flight, he thinks from Lowood. I will look in Dad's log Book and send further details if you wan't them.

Dad's memory isn't the best at times now and he had a "block" on Pop's first name he thinks it is Geoff or Jeff. It will come back to him in time.

Lets know if you want further details

Dad also did some flights in Wirras with Bobby Gibbes.

David Shaw