VH-BUU  Junkers Ju 52/3m                            (c/n  7256)

                                                                           
                                   
                                              Three Ju 52s were acquired by Gibbes Sepik Airlines in the 1955-57 period.  All came from
                                              Sweden.  This one was ex SE-BUE (and OY-LAM and D-AVIU before that).   Photographs
                                              of them are rare.  Robert Blaikie took the above photo at Minj, PNG in 1956.  Below is a shot
                                              from The Collection p3690-0068 and shows -BUU after it had groundlooped on landing at                                   
                                              Baiyer River, New Guinea on 17 October 1959 when it swung into a drain.  Gibbes Sepik Air-
                                              ways had been taken over by Mandated Airlines by then but -BUU was operating a Gibbes Sepik
                                              service flown by a MAL pilot.    Although the damage was considered to be easily repairable,
                                              MAL was retiring the Gibbes Sepik Junkers and decided to write it off.