VH-FDB (1)  de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon                     (c/n  6029)

                                    

                                         Seen above at Broken Hill in 1949 is this pre-war Dragon, formerly VH-URE. It was originally
                                         imported as a new aircraft by West Australian Airways in August 1933, and was later absorbed
                                         into ANA.    In February 1940 it was issued to the Flying Doctor Service at Broken Hill, and
                                         remained there on this essential service during the war, being re-registered VH-FDB in 1948.
                                        After numerous adventures and accidents, it was replaced by a DHA-3 Drover and sold to Doug
                                        Muir at Darwin NT for charter work and re-registered again to VH-DMA in November 1956.
                                        It was wrecked in a forced landing after takeoff from Katherine, NT on 11 December 1957 on
                                        a freight charter, when the aircraft could not out-climb the terrain in hot weather.  
                                        (Photo via The Collection p1234-0648)