VH-UAS de Havilland D.H.60 Moth
(c/n 367)
The tail on the right is that of
VH-UAS. This newspaper clipping was unearthed by Graeme Parsons.
On
20 July 1937 this Moth, along with VH-UHP was leading in an air race
held by the Victorian Aero
Club on a closed circuit course from
Essendon. VH-UAS was being flown by William
H. Zacher,
owner of a ladies'
hairdressing salon in Melbourne, whilst -UHP's pilot was Theodore
H.B. Allen of
South Yarra. On the final turn,
some mile and a half west of the Commonwealth munitions factory at
Maribyrnong, Zacher dived to obviate
'cutting the corner' and came up under -UHP whose prop
severed his tail plane causing it to
crash. Allen was able to force land, but Zacher
unfortunately lost
his
life. The Argus newspaper report of the 22nd of that month
reports that souvenir hunters virtually
stripped the remains of -UAS after the
crash . I suspect that the photo of the tail above was taken
back at
Essendon where both machine had been taken. -UHP's prop can be
seen to be cropped.