VH-MJR Douglas DC-3A-447
(c/n 6353)

VH-MJR was one
of those 1942 DC-3s destined for the airlines, but pressed into
military service
following the
Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Ostensibly it was to have been
NC34960 for Pan
American's
Latin American Division. In the event it wound up as a US Navy
R4D-4, BuAer No
33818. In 1946 it was civilianized as NC9032H
for Aero Service Corp, a survey company. In
1961
it was either sold or leased to M. J. Lawrence Holding, Ltd of Sydney,
an Australian geological
concern. The
aircraft was operated in Aero Service titling, as seen in Geoff
Goodall's shot (above)
taken at Adelaide in
December 1964 (note tail survey probe). Soon after this image was
taken (June
1965) the
aircraft was sold to MacRobertson Miller Aviation as VH-MMT and joined
their fleet with
the name 'Turner’. In December
1969 it was sold to Seulawah Air Service in Indonesia becoming
PK-RDG.
It was later sold off to Mandala Airlines changing its rego again, this
time to PK-OSA
(Circa Jan
1978). C/n 6353 was last noted somewhat derelict at
the old Keymayoran Airport in
Jakarta in
April 1980, still in Seulawah markings.
No doubt scrapped when the airport closed.