VH-AKI  (1)   Avro 652A Anson 1

                                    

                                       In 1947, in a unique sort of "reverse immigration", or repatriation, I should say, Mr. Eric McIllree
                                       of Sydney sold a number of ex-RAAF Ansons back to the old country.  Mr.McIllree was prom-
                                       inent in civil sales of several of these Ansons in the early postwar years.   Seen above in this shot
                                       from the Geoff Goodall collection is VH-AKI (ex DJ165) at Bahrein in April 1947 en route to the
                                       U.K. It became G-AJSD.  Accompanying it on the ferry flight were VH- ALX (ex DG696, which
                                       became G-AJSE) and VH-ALY (ex AX261 to become G-AJSC).   McIllree was also the first to
                                       set up a car hire business in Australia, along with several short-lived air charter firms such as
                                       Amphibious Airways in Rabaul, New Britain with ex RAAF Ansons and a Walrus. He later went
                                      on establish Avis Rent-a-Car in Australia.    Seen below are two shots by A. J. "Jack" Jackson
                                      (also courtesy of the Geoff Goodall collection) of G-AJSD at Southend in the late 1940s. The upper
                                      shot illustrates it in the livery of British & Continental (Air Charter & Freight) Ltd  Airways.   It
                                      evidently left Southend on a freight charter to South Africa on 10 May1947 and is later reputed to
                                      have flown freight to the Middle East.  The lower (bottom) image shows it derelict at Southend
                                      Airport in 1949.   It was RDP'd soon afterward.