An Australian warplane disappeared 82 years ago. Now, it's been found

KLS&C 85 said:

I would find out who is Commander of HUWC-AF and if possible, meet with him and share your concerns. You never know, he might just be able to make a spot for you reviewing their field findings. The military tends to be like a battleship being steered with a canoe paddle when it comes to change. In the Active USAF, I was able to make some needed changes. Once was just by being able to talk with the right person.

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That is the person who wrote

and that the searches on May 3 and May 10 were for a Wirraway that crashed on May 15th.

Incidentally there are RAAF and other records regarding the "March 10" crash. The group proved that the crash was actually on March 19 (hand written records often have such errors and that is also not an unusual typo). Records show that the person that RAAF records said died on March 10 did not actually arrive in the state until March 11. That latter record is more reliable as it is his movement orders showing when he left his previous base as well as when he arrived the new base. Movement records are perfect evidence because they are typed and closely scrutinised for errors prior to issue.

Weather records made March 19 the only viable date for the crash and HUWC now accept that though in their report they infer this was their research.

One of the founders of the group was Lt Col James Bourke MG AM PhD retired, from the Australian Defence Force (ADF) and also known as the founder of Operation Aussies Home (OAH). A similar group researching Vietnam war MIA's.
Examples of OAH work can be found at:

• Behind Enemy Lines - Part 1 | Operation Aussies Home
• https://anzacportal.dva.gov.au/resources/john-thurgar-australian-army-operation-aussies-home
• https://www.smh.com.au/national/mis...und-in-vietnam-39-years-on-20090421-aduv.html

Many members of that group are past or present ADF members and members include restorers who have worked on flying P-40 aircraft, an air accident investigator who is ICAO Annex 13 qualified, archaeologists, an archivist, a forensic pathologist, pilots and watch collectors. About half are past or present ADF members and about half of those past or present RAAF personnel.

The group took their concerns all the way to the Minister and the HUWC rebuttal is the document the above extracts are from.

On the plus side for HUWC they did put in a lot of effort at the Bainings site. Personally I doubt any wreckage would be this deep even though the vegetation grows and rots down very rapidly in that area. I may be wrong tho.