VH-UJC  de Havilland D.H.61 Giant Moth               (c/n    333)

                                                                        

                                        Imported in May of 1929 for QANTAS and named "Diana", this Giant Moth was sold to W.R.
                                        Carpenter at Salamaua, New Guinea in July 1935 who renamed it "Wings of Gold". .  It is seen
                                        above at Salamaua in 1935 in this rare photo from the Geoff Goodall collection.        The top two
                                        images below show it when with its original owner, Qantas.   The upper, from the CAHS archives
                                        it is seen taxying for departure at Archerfield on 10 December 1934 with the first mail of the new
                                        Australia-England service aboard.   Actually, this initial load proved to be too much for the Giant
                                        Moth and the overflow followed in the DH.50J VH-ULG  ("Hippomenes").        It is thought the
                                        pilots were Lester Brain in -UJC and Rusell Tapp in -ULG.   The lower image is via the John Oxley
                                        Library, State Library of Queensland collection showing -UJC in Qantas markings.   Its service with
                                        Carpenter was very short lived since it crashed at Salamaua in October 1935.  The foot of the page
                                        photograph, also via Geoff Goodall shows the sad remains.