08DEC41 |
Received
1 AD ex USA.
|
09FEB42 |
Received
7 Sqn ex 1 AD.
|
28APR42 |
Landed
on punctured tyre. Main fitting from centre section buckled.
|
04MAY42 |
Received
1 AD ex 7 Sqn.
|
23MAY42 |
Issued
5 AD ex 1 AD for undercarriage repairs.
|
22MAY43 |
Received
6 Sqn ex 5 AD.
|
24AUG43 |
Allotted
7 AD ex 6 Sqn for modification to transport aircraft.
|
04SEP43 |
Proceeding
to Ward's for use by General Blamey.
|
18NOV43 |
Allotted
for use by CAS. Seats ex A16-98 to be installed.
|
07DEC43 |
Issued
1 CU ex 7 AD. Reportedly issued with radio callsign VH-RBC but this
is not reflected on the aircraft's record card.
|
03AUG44 |
Allotted
for use by CAS.
|
23MAR45 |
Allotted
2 AD ex 1 CU for fitment for use by 1 OTU. Seats to be removed for
fitment to Lodestar A67-8.
|
28JUN45 |
Above
allotment suspended in view of recent grounding of Lodestars.
|
10SEP45 |
Received
2 AD ex 1 CU for storage.
|
10DEC46 |
Sold
to H. Ellis, Skerman's Motors, Dubbo for £1,000.
|
04SEP47 |
Previous
sale cancelled.
|
10FEB48 |
Sold
to Macquarie Grove Flying School Pty Ltd, Camden for £150.
|
18MAR48 |
Issued
to purchaser.
|
28FEB49 |
Added
to register as VH-SML. The
photo of VH-SML which appears at the head of this page, despite its
poor quality, suggests that this aeroplane had a "solid"
nose (i.e without windows). That this was so has been confirmed by
John Laming who was working for Herald Flying Services at the time.
John personally witnessed the HFS foreman, Arthur Bone, performing
the necessary sheet metal work to remove the windows.
|
10AUG51 |
Ownership
amended to Herald Flying Services, Camden.
|
27MAY52 |
Herald
Flying Services ceased operations. Aircraft to remain registered to
Sydney Morning Herald but will not be used for regular operations.
|
18MAR53 |
Struck
off register as withdrawn from service.
|
06SEP54 |
Returned
to register as VH-SML in name of John Fairfax & Sons Pty. Ltd., Sydney.
|
14SEP54 |
On
his first newspaper delivery flight after the resumption of services,
Captain Doug Swain with First Officer A.S. Cole-Milne and one passenger
Captain D.C. Burns took off from Mascot at 1400 bound for Taree, Kempsey,
Armidale, Glen Innes and Tamworth. (Captain Burns, who was from the
aerial survey division of Brown and Dureau, was on board to familiarise
himself with the Hudson prior to his company leasing one of the HFS
Hudsons - presumably VH-SML as VH-SMM was still in storage at the
time). Nothing was heard from the Hudson after a position report near
West Maitland. The search was abandoned after two weeks.
|
06OCT54 |
Struck
off register.
|
22DEC55 |
A
Butler Air Transport Heron flown by Captain W. Jenkins (ironically
a former HFS pilot) sighted the wreckage of the Hudson in the foothills
of the Barrington Ranges six miles north of Chichester Dam, fifteen
miles north-north-west of Dungog, NSW.
|