VH-URW  de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon II                      (c/n  6080)  

                            

                                  The three photographs on this page are all from the Geoff Goodall collection.  This aircraft was
                                  delivered new to MacRobertson Miller Aviation of Perth in August 1934.   It is seen in the shot
                                  above at Port Hedland, and a close up of this reveals that it was named 'Pilbarra', for the district
                                  of that name around Port Hedland.    In actual fact, and unless that is an old spelling (which I
                                  could not corroborate), the name should have been 'Pilbara'!      The photo immediately below
                                  shows it in smart original dark royal blue with silver trim MacRobertson Miller livery along with
                                  VH-URY (I use the same image for that rego).          The gentlemen next to -URY are pilots
                                  G. McCausland and Bert Hussey.   In 1939 -URW was sold to W.R. Carpenter and Co Ltd,
                                  dba Mandated Airlines in New Guinea.   On 30 January 1940, the Dragon crashed into Little
                                  Wau Creek during a misjudged approach and attempted go-around to Wau Airport.  The
                                  photo at the foot of the page shows the wreckage in the thick jungle typical of the area.   The
                                  aircraft had been on a Salamaua to Wau freight flight.  Pilot R.E.Doyle and two native cargo
                                  handlers were killed.  The wreck was purchased from the insurance company by aviation pioneer
                                  Ray Parer of Parers Air Transport Co at Wewak, to provide spares for his Dragon VH-AEA. 
                                  He moved much of the crashed aircraft by air to Salamaua, then by boat to Wewak, then barge
                                  ashore at Wewak.  Parer decided that -URW could be rebuilt and had done considerable work
                                  on it (for possible sale to the Australian Government) when Wewak aerodrome was attacked
                                  by Japanese aircraft in February 1942 and the partially rebuilt Dragon was destroyed .  Sadly,
                                  Kevin Parer also lost his life in this same action.