Thanks Proplinerman for starting another Belfast thread. With your permission it provides me with an opportunity to ask if any reader was involved in this event which came to my attention only yesterday.
In December 1974, a Belfast was tasked to recover Rapier test equipment from Woomera and return it to the UK. The return flight got as far as Darwin where the aeroplane went u/s and an engine change was required. This event is described in Molly O'Loughlin White's book (p.61) referred to earlier in this thread but the book does not identify the Belfast in question.
Just yesterday I learned that it was XR368 "Theseus". After ten days in Darwin, the aircraft departed on 23 December leaving behind the u/s Tyne (serial number 7527 - impressed?), 2 engine stands, 4 Belfast main wheels and a brake aligning spider! Two days later, on Christmas Day, Darwin was devastated by Cyclone Tracy. It seems that it wasn't until late February 75 that the MoD went looking for these items which had survived the cyclone and were eventually repatriated to the UK by means unknown.
Can any reader provide further details?
Rgds