Lawrence Wackett Continued

His inventiveness began to show almost immediately. The aircraft Wackett and his fellow officers where flying was the BE2c. One of the limitations of the BE2c was that the observer/gunner sat between the pilot and engine, beneath the wing, and so the gunner had only a very narrow window for returning enemy fire. Wackett designed a mounting for a machine gun on top of the wing firing over the propeller. One of the tactics used by German fighters was to attack BE2c's from the front because the BE2c could not return fire. These tactics changed when they met Wackett's squadron.
Also the BE2c could carry an observer or bombs, but not both. Lawrence Wackett's modification gave BE2c pilots the ability to return fire if attacked whilst they were on a bombing mission.
Wackett's reputation for innovation became well known amongst the hierarchy, and was responsible for the first aerial re-supply operation during the Battle of Hamel. By this time he was B Flight commander of 3 Squadron and had been given the task by John Monash and General Rawlinson, Commander of the 4th army, of devising a way to re-supply troops on the ground. He designed a small parachute and modified the bomb racks of the aircraft to carry the supplies, and developed the techniques required.
On the 4th of July 1918 Wackett, leading a flight of twenty R.E.8's, dropped 100,000 rounds of ammunition from 1000 ft by parachute to the 4th Army Infantry. The operation was a complete success.
He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for this and other actions and by the end of the Great War had been promoted to Major.
In January 1919 he was appointed Commanding Officer of  No 7 Squadron in Leigherton in England. He also found time to play a banjo mandolin in a Jazz Band. He returned to Australia in March 1919 when No 7 Squadron was disbanded.
On his return to Australia Lawrence Wackett was on of the 21 Officers that formed the nucleus of the Royal Australian Air Force.
He completed a Bachelor of Science Degree at Melbourne University and two years post graduate studied in Advanced Aircraft Design. His first aircraft design, the Warbler, came second in a 1924 competition for low powered aircraft. The competition was won by a plane built and flown by Edgar Percival and designed by H. E. Broadhurst.
the Warbler was powered by a twin cylinder engine called the Wizard also designed by Wackett.
In 1924 the RAAF Experimental Aircraft Station came into being.
Squadron Leader Wackett had persuaded his superiors to buy a workshop in Randwick, NSW that contained tools and machinery

On its first trails in July 1925 the nosed dived in the abnormal swell. There were calls for a royal commission by one newspaper citing waste of public monies. After modifications the Widgeon was trailed again in December 1925 and this time it was a success.
In 1927 the Widgeon made a non-stop flight from Sydney to Melbourne in five and a half hours.
The next step was a retractable undercarriage and Wackett took off from Mascot airport and landed in Botany Bay. The widgeon was followed by a more powerful amphibious version the Widgeon II. In May 1928 the Widgeon II became the first Australian built aircraft to circumnavigate Australia.
Unfortunately the Widgeon II was destroyed in an accident at Hobsons Bay Victoria in January 1930.
After the Widgeon came the Warrigal. The Warrigal ! was a trainer, and the Warrigal II was intended to be a fighter. Australia was heading into the Depression, Defence funding run out and the Randwick Station was closed in 1931. The Warrigal II was given to the Melbourne Technical College,
Now Wing Commander Wackett resigned his commission and moved to Sydney's Cockatoo Island Naval Dockyards with some of his personnel and equipment.
At Cockatoo Island Wackett designed and built small motor boats and hydrofoils. The best know of these is the Cettian which won the 1934 and 1935 Griffith Cup.
The one aircraft that Wackett designed at Cockatoo Island was the Cadock for Charles Kingsford Smith. The only photo I have been able to find is in Flight, May 3, 1934                          Over page