Crew intercom and external radio conversations of a bombing mission carried out by Canberra bomber A84-234 from No. 2 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), South Vietnam, 9 February 1971

Track 1.
Recording of the crew intercom and external radio conversations of a bombing mission carried out by Canberra bomber A84-234 from No. 2 Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), South Vietnam, 9 February 1971.

The RAAF Canberra bomber (A84-234), operating under the call sign of Magpie 31, was crewed by Wing Commander Francis John Leonard Downing (pilot) and Squadron Leader Bernard Alan Johnson (navigator / bomb aimer). Magpie 31 was providing close air support for ground troops engaging the enemy. It was guided to its target by a United States Air Force (USAF) Forward Air Control (FAC) aircraft, call sign Cutie 31.

The recording consists of: intercom conversations between the crew of Magpie 31, radio conversations between Magpie 31 and Cutie 31, radio conversations between Magpie 31 and USAF Air Traffic Control, call sign Port Call.

On the last of five bombing runs the aircraft was hit by a fragment from one of its exploding bombs. The fragment penetrated the fuselage, partially severing the elevator cables before embedding itself in the IFF (Identify: Friend or Foe) panel in the cockpit. The bomb fragment is now held in the RAAF Museum, Point Cook, Victoria.

Wing Commander Downing and Squadron Leader Johnson were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) by the USAF for the mission.

Track 2.
A reading by Michael Thomas of the report written by Captain Larry D. Bruce, 612th Tactical Fighter Squadron, USAF, which resulted in the awarding of the US DFC to Wing Commander Downing and Squadron Leader Johnson.