Dates

Event

1947

Constructed as a Dove 1.
Built at Hatfield by De Havilland Aircraft Co Ltd. Production Dove Mk.1

Converted to a Dove 5.

Civil registration OO-CBM reserved but not taken up.

January 1948

To Airlines (India) Ltd with new c/r VT-CQY.

13 July 1949

Involved in an incident.
Struck by machine gun bullets from insurgents on the ground at Chau River airfield, Burma. - On arrival Rangoon a total of 21 bullet holes were found in the airframe. The starboard wing and engine were replaced at Rangoon by Union of Burma Airways.

February 1953

Photographer: Geoff Goodall Collection
Notes: Handover of VT-CQY to Captain Nelson Hill and engineer Frank Follett at Calcutta in February 1953

10 April 1953

To Airlines (WA) Ltd, Perth WA with new c/r VH-AWA.

23 June 1955

Airlines (WA) Ltd merged with MacRobertson Miller Aviation Co to form a joint operation under the name MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd, based at Perth.

4 November 1955

To MacRobertson Miller Airlines Ltd, Perth WA with new c/r VH-MMN.
Operated with markings: RMA Nullagine

From 15 December 1967 to 19 December 1975

To Commonwealth Department of Health, Canberra ACT, Operated by Northern Territory Medical Service, Darwin NT with new c/r VH-DHD.
Cabin fitted out with specialised ambulance equipment -Operated by NTMS on regular clinic runs and medical evacuations from remote locations across NT.

19 January 1977

To Jim Garroway (and) Len Watkins, Sydney T/A Ized Pty Ltd keeping c/r VH-DHD.

June 1977

To MacArthur Airways, Sydney NSW C/-Len Watkins keeping c/r VH-DHD.

28 July 1977

Photographer: Danny Tanner
Notes: At Bankstown Airport, New South Wales, Australia

From 1982 to 1987

Withdrawn from use.
Parked in open at Wedderburn airstrip, pending sale.

4 March 1988

To E. M. (Ted) Rudge, Essendon Airport Vic T/A Rudge Air with new c/r VH-DHD.
Operated with markings: Desis Dove

October 1988

Photographer: Arthur Scarf
Notes: At Australian Bicentennial Air Show held at Richmond, October 1988

3 December 1993

Destroyed in a crash.
Crashed into the roof of a house after takeoff from Essendon Vic. The investigation found that the right Gipsy Queen engine had failed due fuel starvation because the fuel pump had suffered an internal structural failure.

4 December 1993

Photographer: Geoff Goodall Collection / Bureau of Air Safety Investigation
Notes: VH-DHDs unfortunate end, crashing into a house soon after takeoff from Essendon Airport on 4 December 1993

2001

Wreck of VH-DHD had been acquired from a Melbourne scrap metal yard by Graham White t/a Whiteblast Sandblasting, Melbourne Vic.

Photographer: Unknown

By 2007

By now acquired by Ron Schneider, Rupanyup Vic. Moved to his farm aircraft collection.- Most of the rebuild parts are from VH-CTS. The only parts identified as from VH-DHD were the right wing, wrecked horizontal tailplane, fin control column, and, confusingly, the DH construction plate at the cabin entry door.