VH-USM  de Havilland D.H.85 Leopard Moth                  (c/n  7086)

                                    
                                         
                                        Shots of VH-USM are rare.  The above cropped example is from the Ray Vuillerman
                                        collection (via Ian McDonell) taken at Mascot in the early 1930s.  And, as will be seen
                                        below, I will go to almost any lengths to obtain an image of an aircraft!   This latter shot
                                        was published in the Brisbane Courier-Mail for 19 July 1935 and the caption read:
                                        "Looking through the undercarriage of a Fox Moth towards a Leopard Moth, two aircraft
                                         ready for use at the busy Archerfield aerodrome".    VH-USM was delivered in January
                                        1935 to J.W.F. Collins of Beaudesert, Queensland.    .  Two years later it went to C.A.
                                        Knudson of Bundaberg who apparently held it through the war years, selling it in 1948 to
                                        R. Lauder of Cunnamulla, Qld.   Inasmuch as it was not withdrawn from use until August
                                        of 1955, I am amazed that these are the only images I have been able to glean of it.
                                        Many thanks to Graeme Parsons for his diligent digging through newspaper files!