VH-ACD (1)   Short S.33 Empire Flying Boat            (c/n  S.1025)

                              

                                  These two historic Qantas photos are courtesy of the John Hopton collection.  They depict
                                  'Clifton' at Sydney's Rose Bay seaplane base following an accident in Sydney Harbor on
                                  18 January 1944.   Note RAAF Dornier Do24 in background right.  Five examples of the
                                  Short S.23 and S.33 Empire Flying Boats saw service with the RAAF (A18-10 to A18-14)
                                  only two of which were returned to civil operation, viz:
   
                                                                     A18-10 was ex G-ADUT  'Centaurus'
                                                                     A18-11        ex G-AEUA  'Calypso'
                                                                     A18-12        ex VH-ABC  'Coogee'
                                                                     A18-13        ex VH-ABB  'Coolangatta'     Reverted to VH-ABB  July 1943
                                                                     A18-14        ex G-AFPZ   'Clifton'                    Became VH-ACD July 1943.
   
                                 The others were either destroyed in accidents or by the Japanese. 
                                 The wing tip damage and holing of the hull sustained by VH-ACD evidently made repairing it
                                  uneconomically viabble and it was stricken from the register and presumably reduced to produce.