Faithful Annie will move to Czechia
A unique airplane, the world’s only airworthy Avro Anson Mk.I ZK-RRA, former RAF/RAAF MH120, is bound to leave its home in New Zealand. The owner, RR Aviation Ltd. of Springlands, Blenheim, decided some time ago to sell it. As has recently been announced, the plane has now been sold to the R.A.F. Station Czechoslovakia. This collection of airworthy historic planes is based in the Aviation Museum Hangar at Podhorany Airfield (LKPN) in the Czech Republic.
As can be seen on the website of the R.A.F. Station Czechoslovakia, the collection includes a.o. three WW II trainers, a Miles Magister and two DeHavilland Tiger Moths. These types have strong ties with the numerous Czecho-Slovak pilots that were taken up the Royal Air Force after they had fled their country after the invasion by Nazi Germany.
Anson MH120 is another welcome addition to the Czech museum collection as many of their countrymen flew the type. Some flew the Anso during anti-submarine patrols for RAF Coastal Command while others were trained on the Anson to prepare for flying the Vickers Wellington bomber.
Since its restoration, MH120 is flying in RAF colors as ‘K6183’ with code ‘VX-B’. It is not known yet whether these colors will be altered.
During WW II and shortly after, more than 11,000 Ansons were built, most of these in Great Britain, but also in Canada and Australia. Today, only forty of the original 11,000 have survived. Two of the later built Anson models remain airworthy today in the UK. Civilian Anson XIX G-AHKX is flown by the Shuttleworth Collection of Old Warden. Former RAF Anson C21 WD413 G-VROE is owned by mr. Glenn James.
As a type, the Avro Anson Mk.I has ties with the Netherlands too. Dutch crews, consisting of personnel fled from the Lowlands after the German invasion of 1940, maintained and flew ‘Faithful Annies’ in RAF squadrons No.320 and 321 during coastal patrols. These Ansons were adorned with small orange triangles indicating their crew’s nationality.
Photo by Walter van Brempt on 7 April 2023 during ‘Warbirds over Wanaka’