VH-USF  de Havilland D.H.86A                                    (c/n 2310)

                                 

                                      Two cropped images of this D.H.86.  Above is an historic shot is from the "family album' of Bob
                                      Livingston.  Venue unknown, possibly Coolangatta, circa 1938.  The lower shot is from the John
                                      Oxley Library, State Library of Queensland collection.  VH-USF was delivered to Qantas Empire
                                      Airways in January 1935 and given the name "R.M.A. Melbourne".  It was impressed into RAAF
                                      service in1940 as A31-6.   Although in military uniform it was operated by Qantas throughout the
                                      war.  It crashed during take off at Blackall, Qld on 9 July 1944.  The wreckage was acquired by
                                      MacRobertson Miller Aviation in February 1945 who restored it to health, only to prang the bloody
                                      thing again some four months later at Geraldton, WA.  This time it stayed off the register.