by Steve Mackenzie
19 RAAF disposals aircraft plus seven pre-war civil Moth Minors flew locally post 1945. I intend to go through them in registration order giving details of them (I could not locate images of some to do profiles). So here we go :
VH-AGT - assembled at Mascot from UK parts and delivered to the RAAF as A21-19 on 28-2-1940. Mar 1945 purchased by R. G. Ouston. After going trough nine owners in the next 10 years, it was noted at noted at Camden NSW, in this brown and yellow paint scheme in Mar 1955. After being damaged in 1967 it was stored and later acquired by Harold Thomas for his collection but it does not appear to be in the current museum.
VH-AGT in the scheme of Maroon fuselage and Yellow flying surfaces. White regos, spinner tip and dot on tail (Photos Geoff Goodall's site and Air Britain photo collection).
C/n 94070 (A21-10) built at Bankstown became VH-AHJ when it went to the civil register in Mar 1945. It went thru several owners over the years bt was mostly in the scheme drawn except for one photo. In 1970 it was purchased in unairworthy condition by Nelson R. Wilson, Wandin North Vic to provide parts for the rebuild of DH.94 VH-AIB. 71-72 VH-KHJ was rebuilt using parts from the crashed VH-AIB. The rebuilt aircraft was mostly VH-KHJ, but adopted the identity and paperwork of VH-AIB, and was painted as VH-AIB.
VH-AHJ in restored in it's RAAF disguise as A21-10 (Photo Alan Flett).
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A21-10 in it's original RAAF scheme of Silver overall with RAAF roundels and fin flashes of the time, Black serials.
Profile of VH-AHJ in the scheme of Silver overall with Red stripe on fuselage, cowling, spinner and wheel spats with Black rego on fin and wings. Photos on Geoff Goodall's site and also Eddie Creek's listing.
C/n 94087 (A21-24) built at Bankstown became VH-AHK when it went to the civil register in Mar 1945. Original owner was F.H. Edwards, Melbourne. It went through about eight subsequent owners before being written off in a crash in Nov 1963. I have not done a profile because it was named 'Sparrow' with some sort of bird badge on the nose, details of which are not good enough to enable me to do one, in the reference image on Geoff Goodall's website.
Next is c/n DHP17 A21-38, VH-AIB assembled at Mascot . Mar 1945 disposal, purchased by F.H.Edwards, Melbourne Vic. In 1947 operated on lease by Tasmanian Aero Club. After several more owners it was noted in 1965 as being 'all over yellow with black trim, name 'Miss Canary'. In Dec 1970 it was crashed on takeoff at Wonthaggi Vic. Useable parts were removed and the remainder destroyed. VH-KHJ was then restored those using parts and registered VH-AIB. Later it was loaned to Point Cook museum and eventually restored by a new owner in the markings of A29-38.
AHMWA image P990771. The Griffon on the tail is shown in another image on Geoff Goodall's website.
As it appeared in 1965, Yellow fuselage and name with Silver doped flying surfaces, all other markings in Black plus Red wheel hubs and spinner tip.
In it's later life it had several variations. Varnished plywood fuselage with a 'riffled' metal cowl and nose panel, Silver doped flying surfaces including rudder. At another stage it had a Silver doped fuselage. metal cowl and Black fuselage stripe. At this stage it had the rego split between both wings, 'VH' on upper Port and the remainder to Starboard.
As it appeared with Varnished plywood fuselage with a 'riffled' metal cowl and nose panel, Silver doped flying surfaces including rudder. Red wheel hubs and White spinner spinner tip. Ref photo is on the Geoff Goodall website.
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