Whilst cleaning one of the engine-mountings I happened across a pencilled notation which appeared to be racing-related.
Three "horse" names were mentioned, with the odds given for each, and a calculation of what we think was the amount that would be returned for a bet of two shillings.

Perhaps an aircraft fitter, possibly perched on a ladder and either given a tip or listening to a radio, had jotted down this information on the handiest piece of writing material at the time - the bulkhead of the engine mounting!

So what we endeavoured to do was to place a year, and thence hopefully a location, as to when this notation was made.
We know that it was before 1966, the year that decimalisation of Australian currency occurred. The period covered would be sometime between 1943 - when the aircraft went into service - and 1965. But that is all that we knew and it was a pretty broad canvas - 22 years!

The first question that needed answering was whether it was inscribed in Australia or was it done in England, before the aircraft came out to Australia at the end of the war?
If in Australia, then was it during the national tour or after it was laid-up at Fairbairn RAAF Base in Canberra?

I e-mailed the Australian Racing Board, who have a register of thoroughbreds down through the years, and gave them the names of the three horses which we interpreted from the faint pencilled scribblings.
(I say "horses" because, as my son pointed out, it could be a greyhound! But we had to start somewhere and it was reasonable to assume that these names refer to horses.)

Only one of the three names was clear and distinct and we were confident that it was "Frosty Moon".
The second name appeared to be "Blue Fran", but whilst we were sure of the "Blue" prefix, the "Fran" may have been incorrect. It looked like "Fran" but could well have been "Tram" or "Train" or some made-up word.
The third and last name was also somewhat obscure. The first word appeared to be "Jack" or "Jock" and the second looked a lot like "Scottie".

This information was also sent to the British Horseracing Board, with the request that perhaps they could also cast some light on the names.

On the 12th. November I received a reply from the Australian authority.
They came up with two horses, registered in 1944 and 1945 respectively and, interestingly, imported from Great Britain.
The first horse was named "Blue Train" and the second "Jock Scot".

Allowing for the (possible) fact that our mystery punter may have misheard the names given to him by a mate, or gleaned from a wireless broadcast, it looked as if we were on the right track. After all, what looked to us like "Blue Fran" and "Jock Scottie" could certainly have been "Blue Train" and "Jock Scot".
However, the Australian Racing Board had no record of a "Frosty Moon", the closest names being "Frosty Noon" and "Frosty Morn".
Spot-on with regards to name but unfortunately the years of registration were decades off - 1979 and 1983! A long way from the 1940’s.

To this date, despite further prompting, I have not heard from the British body so part of the mystery - whether during active service or when in Australia - remains, although we feel that the notation was most feasibly made here in Australia when the aircraft was on its tour before being laid up at Fairbairn.

It would be nice to lay this conundrum to rest, however.
Who was the scribe?  Where was the aircraft at the time of the notation being scribbled?  Where was the race being held? And, most intriguing of the lot, did any of those horses get a place?!!

Perhaps we’ll never know.

Bruce Kennewell
February 2003