Three DC-5s reached Australia just ahead of the Japanese
advance though the Pacific. Two were put out of action (enemy action and
accident) but the third had an interesting history.
The European war diverted the four civil production aircraft from their
intended use by KLM on European routes.
Two went to the West Indies division of the airline instead, based at
Curaçao, and two to the Netherlands East Indies, for operation
out of Batavia with KNILM.
The West Indian pair were transferred to KNILM to ease an aircraft shortage
there, and all four were later used (with other aircraft) to evacuate
civilians to Australia in 1942 as the Japanese advanced.
One was captured, evaluated and displayed in Tokyo.
The other three were among various KNILM aircraft which were operated
within Australia and subsequently chartered, then purchased, by the U.S.
military to transport personnel.
These were assigned military callsigns VH-CXA, VH-CXB and VH-CXC (not
to be confused with Australian civil "VH" registration prefixes).
The three former KNILM DC-5s operated mainly up and down Australia's east
coast and into New Guinea.
One,
VH-CXA, was destroyed (along with other aircraft) during a Japanese attack
on Ward's Strip on 17 Aug. 1942.
Another, VH-CXB, suffered substantial damage in a forced landing on 6
Nov. 1942, east of Charleville, Qld., and was used for spares.
The third aircraft, VH-CXC, soldiered on, to be transferred to the Allied
Directorate of Air Transport in late December 1942, maintained, operated
and partly crewed by Australian National Airways (A.N.A.).
After continued use, it was formally returned to the USAAF on 30 April
1944. It was leased to A.N.A. and used on the Melbourne-Tasmania route,
wearing callsign VH-CXC as a civil registration. It was sold to A.N.A.
in 1945, and in 1946 was registered as VH-ARD - but still marked VH-CXC.
It made its last A.N.A. flight on 19th July from Laverton to Parafield
and back.
By now, it had somewhat belatedly been assigned U.S. serial 44-83232,
which it never actually displayed.
In 1946, meanwhile, the U.S. retired its military R3Ds. VH-ARD was sold
to private owners in January 1948.
In April, New Holland Airways owned VH-ARD, and the aircraft was named
Bali Clipper.
It was used, at least briefly, in immigrant charter between Italy and
Australia, before sale to Israel.
This sale was illegal insofar as it lacked Australian government sanction.
The aircraft then flew in camouflage with the Israeli Air Force. After
landing gear damage in late 1948, it was eventually taken to the Aviation
Technical School at Haifa.
It was noted there as late as December 1954, and was subsequently scrapped,
the last example of its type.
Anyway, thanks again for filling this interesting vacancy in our Flight
Sim aircraft!
|
By John Burford
theburfs@chariot.net.au
Adelaide, South Australia |
