PETER RYE COLLECTION
No. 6869. Douglas DC-3A (VH-MMF c/n 12540) MacRobertson Miller Airlines "Fortescue"
Photographed at Perth Airport, Western Australia, March 1968, by Peter Rye

Douglas DC-3A

02/28/2011. Remarks by Jack McKillop: "This Douglas DC-3A-456 was ordered by the USAAF as a C-47A-10-DK s/n 42-92709 and delivered on February 19, 1944. It was transferred to the RAAF under Lend Lease on March 19, 1944 with s/n A65-41 and radio call sign VHCUK. First assigned to No. 34 Squadron at RAAF Base Parafield, South Australia on April 6, 1944. by September 1946, it had been reassigned to No. 37 Squadron at RAAF Base Schofields.

In February 1949, it was sold to Commercial Aviation Co., trading as MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co. Pty. Ltd., of Perth, Western Australia and registered VH-MMF. The aircraft had four names while in service with this airline: 'Fortescue', 'Durach', 'Mustar' and 'Ashburton'. In 1963, MMA became a subsidiary of Ansett-Mandated Airlines Ltd. (also known as Ansett-MAL) of Lae, Papua New Guinea, and was styled as MacRobertson Miller Airline Services Pty Ltd. In June 1968, Ansett-Mandated Airlines was renamed Ansett (P&NG) Pty Ltd and the aircraft was registered to them.

From July 8, 1973 to February 12, 1974, the DC-3 was leased to Air Tasmania of Hobart, Tasmania for service on the island. The aircraft was sold on September 26, 1977 to Forrestair Pty Ltd of Essendon Airport, Victoria, named 'Spirit of Port Arthur' and used for charter cargo service to Tasmania and Bass Straits islands. The registration was cancelled on November 14, 1978 with 54,255 hours on the airframe and stored Essendon Airport.

In May 1984, the aircraft was dismantled at the airport for use in the Australian film 'Sky Pirates' as '6903077' released in Australia in May 1986. The left side of the aircraft was painted as a USAAF C-47A with Normandy D-Day markings while the right side was painted as a RAAF Dakota Mk.III. The aircraft was then moved to Berwick Airport, Casey, Victoria and remained there derelict until moved to Camden Airport, New South Wales in April 1995.

It was moved to Bankstown Aerodrome, Sydney, New South Wales, by 2005 for restoration and was still there in 2009. It is being restored as the USAAF's C-47A-65-DL Skytrain, s/n 42-100550, c/n 19013 assigned to the 81st Troop Carrier Squadron, 436th Troop Carrier Group and in Normandy D-Day markings."


Created September 30, 2007