VH-UER  de Havilland D.H.50A                  (c/n  116)

                                 

                                     Originally G-EBIW, this D.H.50A was imported in October 1924 as G-AUER for Qantas who
                                     named it 'Hermes'.*     It was used as an aerial ambulance as can be seen by the small Maltese
                                     Cross under the pilot's cockpit.   The image below is from the National Library of Australia
                                     collection and shows the aircraft as G-AUER at Mt. Isa in the mid 1920s in company with an
                                     ambulance of the period.   In 1934 -UER was sold to Rockhampton Aerial Services Ltd .  It
                                     had a couple (at least) of accidents including a forced landing on a beach 21 miles north of Bunda-
                                     berg in May 1934 and another in the sea off Caloundra in December 1935.   In the latter, although
                                     the actual landing did not completely destroy the aircraft, the pounding surf did, some three days
                                     later, and -UER was stricken from the register on 3 January 1936.        

                                    *  It was evidently renamed.  See the clipping at the foot of the page from the Brisbane Courier
                                        of 13 September 1928  submitted by Graeme Parsons.