VH-ASV
Aurora Australis
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| Type: | B14S Hudson Mk I |
| MSN: | 1881 |
| Previous Identities: | A16-30 |
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20FEB40
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Received 2 AD ex USA. (Source: 5) |
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02MAY40
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Issued to 14 Sqn. (Source: 5) |
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28DEC41
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Issued to 13 Sqn. (Source: 5) |
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25MAR42
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Issued 1 AD. (Source: 5) |
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07JUL42
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Received 1 OTU. (Source: 5) |
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16JUL43
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Ground looped when port undercarriage collapsed on landing at Bairnsdale. (Source: 5) |
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21JAN44
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Issued to 7 AD. (Source: 5) |
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30MAY44
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Received 2 AD ex 7 AD. (Source: 5) |
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19NOV45
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Placed in storage at 2 AD. (Source: 5) |
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20FEB46
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Declared surplus and offered for sale. (Source: 5) |
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23JUN46
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Sold to G R Board, Sydney for £600. (Source: 5) |
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12OCT46
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Issued to purchaser ex 2AD Storage, RAAF Richmond. (Source: 5) |
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OCT46
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Ferried Richmond-Mascot by Greg Board. Civil conversion began at Mascot where the aircraft was painted as VH-ASV. (Source: 1) |
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04DEC46
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Flown Mascot-Camden by Greg Board as VH-ASV. (Source: 1) |
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FEB47
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Ownership transferred to Board's partner Warren Penny. (Source: 4) |
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FEB47
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Test flown by Geoff Hoskins on two occasions (20 mins and 35 mins) after overhaul for CofA. |
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03APR47
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Flown from Camden to Bankstown by Warren Penny. CofA overhaul continued by International Air Maintenance at Bankstown. (Source: 2) |
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JUN47
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Intercontinental Air Maintence was founded as a partnership involving Warren Penny, Greg Board and Stan Godden to undertake civil conversions for Intercontinental Air Tours and New Holland Airways. The company operated initially from a hangar at Camden but later relocated to Bankstown. (Source: 4) |
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03JUL47
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Registration application from H. Warren G. Penny, Sydney. Configured for 3 crew and 10 passengers. |
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09JUL47
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Test flight from Bankstown to Mascot by Warren Penny and A. Dibbs. (Source: 2) |
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09JUL47
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Test flight at Mascot by Warren Penny solo. (Source: 2) |
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10JUL47
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Test flight at Mascot by Warren Penny solo. (Source: 2) |
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10JUL47
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Registered VH-ASV to H.W.G. Penny. Configured for 10 passengers plus 3 crew. (Source: 4) |
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10JUL47
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Departed Mascot for Charleville with Capt Warren Penny and 9 passengers including Penny's wife Mone, his brother Raymond and Ernie Allen (IAT Tour Manager). The aircraft was not fitted with dual controls so no co-pilot was carried. Operating as Intercontinental Air Tours. The aircraft was named Aurora Australis. (Source: 5) |
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10JUL47
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Intercontinental
Air Tours declared the following to HM Customs on departure from Mascot: Outbound Passengers: Mr. A. J. Hurst, Mrs M. Schring and child aged 6, all to London and non-paying. Outbound Freight: Half dozen parcels from Greek Consulate - no charge and have export licence. Inward Freight if any, will be at BOAC Flying Boat rates. Return Trip: Ten paying passengers. Greeks from Athens to Sydney. Charter Flight fares average £300 (A) per head. Route: Charleville, Cloncurry, Darwin, Koepang, Sourabaya, Batavia, Singapore, Butterworth, Rangoon, Calcutta, Gwalia, Karachi, Jiwani, Bahrein, Cyprus, Athens, Rome, Nice, London. Crew: W. Penny (Captain), M. Croft (Co-pilot), G. Taylor (W/O), C. Clayton (Engineer), E. S. Allan (Steward) (Source: 3) |
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10JUL47
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Charleville-Cloncurry. (Source: 2) |
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11JUL47
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Cloncurry-Camooweal. (Source: 2) |
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11JUL47
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Camooweal-Darwin with 11 passengers. (Source: 2) |
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12JUL47
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Darwin-Koepang with 7 passengers. (Source: 2) |
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12JUL47
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Koepang-Bali. (Source: 2) |
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13JUL47
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Bali-Sourabaya-Batavia-Singapore. (Source: 2) |
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14JUL47
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Singapore-Penang-Mergui. (Source: 2) |
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15JUL47
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Mergui-Rangoon. (Source: 2) |
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16JUL47
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Rangoon-Calcutta. (Source: 2) |
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17JUL47
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Calcutta-Allahabad-Jodphur (sic) -Mauripur. (Source: 2) |
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18JUL47
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Mauripur-Jiwani. (Source: 2) |
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19JUL47
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Jiwani-Sharjah-Bahrein-Basra. (Source: 2) |
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20JUL47
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Basra-Habbaniya with 7 passengers. (Source: 2) |
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20JUL47
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Habbaniya-Lydda. (Source: 2) |
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21JUL47
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Lydda-Tobruk-Castel Benito-Malta. (Source: 2) |
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22JUL47
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Malta-Marseilles-London (Heathrow). (Source: 2) |
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24JUL47
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Heathrow-Redhill. Flown solo by Penny. (Source: 2) |
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07AUG47
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Redhill-Croydon. Flown solo by Penny. (Source: 2) |
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07AUG47
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Croydon-Nice. Crewed by Warren Penny (Captain), First Officer Croft, Radio Operator Bacon, P/M Allen, Hostess Sebring. Passengers: Mr & Mrs C.R. Penny, Mr & Mrs Lloyd & Mr A. Cleal. (Source: 2) |
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08AUG47
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Nice-Rome-Athens. (Source: 2) |
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10AUG47
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Athens-Cyprus. Passengers: Miss I. Coumbis, Mr M. Koumki & Mr Matthreos. (Source: 2) |
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10AUG47
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Cyprus-Habbaniyah.
Passenger: Miss Adaminou. (Source: 2) It is presumed that none of the passengers disembarked en route and that there were now 9 passengers on board. |
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11AUG47
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Habbaniyah-Basrah-Sharjah. (Source: 2) |
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12AUG47
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Sharjah-Jiwani-Karachi. (Source: 2) |
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13AUG47
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Karachi-Gwalior-Calcutta. (Source: 2) |
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14AUG47
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Calcutta-Rangoon. (Source: 2) |
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15AUG47
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Rangoon-Butterworth-Singapore. (Source: 2) |
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16AUG47
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Singapore-Batavia-Sourabaya. (Source: 2) |
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17AUG47
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Sourabaya-Koepang-Darwin.
(Source: 2) The aircraft was noted hangared at Darwin. |
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18AUG47
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Darwin-Cloncurry-Charleville.
(Source: 2) Log book shows Cloncurry-Charleville then Longreach-Charleville. There is no Charleville-Longreach sector shown. (Source: 2) |
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19AUG47
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Longreach-Charleville-Mascot. (Source: 2) |
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20AUG47
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Mascot-Bankstown. (Source: 2) |
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08SEP47
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Bankstown-Mascot. Capt Warren Penny, F/O Croft, R/O Taylor, Eng Clayron & T/M Allan. (Source: 2) |
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09SEP47
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Mascot-Charleville. (Source: 2) |
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09SEP47
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Warren
Penny declared the following flight details to DCA: Passengers: Mrs M. Schring and child aged 6, Mr A.J. Hurst all to London and non-paying. Freight: Half dozen parcels from Greek Consulate - no charge and have export licence. Freight inward: if any, at BOAC Flying Boat rates. Return trip: Ten paying passengers. Greeks from Athens to Sydney. Charter flight fares average £300 (A) per head. Route: Charleville, Cloncurry, Darwin, Koepang, Sourabaya, Batavia, Singapore, Butterworth, Rangoon, Calcutta, Gwalia, Karachi, Jiwani, Bahrein, Cyprus, Athens, Rome, Nice, Croydon Airport London. Crew: W. Penny, M. Croft (Co-pilot), G. Taylor (W/O), C. Clayton (Engineer), E.S. Allan (Steward), (Source: 4) |
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10SEP47
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Charleville-Cloncurry-Darwin. (Source: 2) |
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11SEP47
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Darwin-Koepang-Bali. (Source: 2) |
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12SEP47
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Bali-Batavia-Singapore. (Source: 2) |
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13SEP47
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Singapore-Penang-Mergui. (Source: 2) |
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14SEP47
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Mergui-Rangoon. (Source: 2) |
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15SEP47
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Rangoon-Calcutta-Lalitpur. (Source: 2) |
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16SEP47
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Lalitpur-Gwalior-Karachi-Jiwani. (Source: 2) |
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17SEP47
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Jiwani-Bahrein-Baghdad. (Source: 2) |
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18SEP47
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Baghdad-Nicosia-Athens. (Source: 2) |
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20SEP47
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Athens-Rome-Nice-Paris-Croydon. (Source: 2) |
| 21SEP47 | Photographed at Croydon and a few days later VH-ASV visited Redhill for maintenance by Field Aircraft Services. (Source: 4) |
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25SEP47
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Croydon-Paris-Nice. Bad weather at Nice required a diversion to Bourges. (Source: 2) |
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27SEP47
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Bourges-Nice but returned to Bourges. (Source: 2) |
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28SEP47
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Bourges-Nice-Rome. (Source: 2) |
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29SEP47
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Rome-Bari. (Source: 2) |
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30SEP47
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Bari-Athens.
(Source: 2) Warren Penny's next flight is on 12DEC47 in Lodestar G-AGBU from Heathrow to Lyons. Evidently he returned to London to take delivery of the Lodestar and Hudson VH-ASV continued its journey with another captain. |
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16NOV47
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Arrived Sydney at 1600 hours from London. Capt B. Starkey with 8 passengers from England and 4 migrants from Italy and Greece. (Source: 4) |
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19DEC47
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Arrived Sydney at 1200 hours from Singapore via Darwin. Capt A. Hurst. (Source: 4) |
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22JAN48
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Departed Sydney for Rome. (Source: 4) |
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30JAN48
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Impounded at Singapore due to irregularity with CofA but aircraft later released to Penny. |
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04MAR48
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Port undercarriage strut failed at Darwin on arrival from Athens with migrants who continued to Sydney on Lodestar VH-BFZ. (Source: 4) |
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13MAR48
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Sold to Francis J. Grigware, an American citizen who had been involved in the Australian migrant trade as a principal of South Eastern before moving his base to Burma. (Source: 4) |
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17MAR48
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Hangared at Darwin until 19MAR48. Owner shown as F. Grigware/South Eastern. (Source: 4) |
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01APR48
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Hangared at Darwin until 12APR48. Owner shown as F. Grigware/South Eastern. (Source: 4) |
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APR48
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Registered XY-ACD and subsequently to Burmese Air Force (Aviation Letter #188 JUL82 p.6). Reported as 1948 but could be 1949. |
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22MAY48
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Left Darwin on a charter flight to Rome. Capt A.J. Hurst. Owner shown as F. Grigware/South Eastern. (Source: 4) |
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MAY48
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Tailwheel collapsed at Rangoon. (Source: 4) |
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OCT48
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Reported still abandoned at Rangoon. Grigware reportedly being held by Burmese authorities over illegal landings at Mergui in Southern Burma. (Source: 4) |
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MAY49
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The Burmese DCA reported that the aircraft had been purchased by a partnership of two pilots and one engineer who have registered the name Burma Air Traders. (Source: 4) |
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NOV49
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Two propellers for the Hudson were sourced in Sydney but the transaction did not proceed. (Source: 4) |
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The conversion of former RAAF Hudsons to airliners was largely driven by the upsurge in migration from Europe in the immediate post-war years. Several entrepreneurs began operating charter flights, mainly from Rome and Athens, in what became known amongst the main players as The Migrant Caper. These operations are covered in exquisite detail in Geoff Goodall's seminal work. The following link will take you to Geoff Goodall's Aviation History Site: |
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SOURCES
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1
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Log Book of Gregory R. Board photographed by Matthew Denning and transcribed by Geoff Goodall. |
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2
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Log Book of Warren Penny photographed by Greg Weir in 2021. |
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3
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HM Customs files sourced by Geoff Goodall. |
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4
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Geoff Goodall The Migrant Caper |
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5
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RAAF Form E/E.88. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 7 | 22DEC22 |
Added
details from Source: 4.
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| 6 | 11APR21 |
Added
details from Source: 2 thanks to Greg Weir.
Added details from Source: 3 thanks to Geoff Goodall. |
| 5 | 10AUG18 |
Added
details from Source: 1
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| 4 | 11JUL16 |
Added
an image of the aircraft undergoing
civil conversion.
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| 3 | 09JUL02 |
Added
reference to test flights in FEB47.
Added a photo of the aircraft with nose glazing. |
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