VH-UQM de
Havilland
D.H. 83 Fox Moth
(c/n 4010)
Above is a nice shot from the Neil Follett collection (via Geoff
Goodall) of -UQM flying off Cape
Barren Island, Tasmania in 1933. Note
original Tasmanian Aerial Services flag on the rudder.
Photo #2 from the
Kevin OReilly collection is a nice shot of Miss Currie” at Belmont Common.
The poor image #3 was, for a long time,
the only shot I had of -UQM and was gleaned from
ANA in 1948! I've always thought the registration on this photo
looks "doctored". It was
possibly taken at de Havilland Aircraft Pty.
Ltd. at Mascot when the Fox Moth was new in
1932. -UQM had been registered to Holyman Brothers in September
1932 and then, a
month
later, the registered owner was changed to Tasmanian Aerial
Services, the name under which
Holyman's first operated. A year later (October 1932) the
ownershipwas again changed to
Holyman's Airways Pty
Ltd. Head office was in
my old home town of Launceston, Tasmania.
In November 1936 the Fox
Moth was transferred to Australian National Airways . Photo #4
courtesy of the State
Library of
South Australia shows the Fox Moth with the ANA pennant
on the
rudder, and named 'Dromana'
(just love those hats!). In the final image at the foot of
the page (from the Mac Job collection) the machine appears to have no
pennant on the rudder
at all, but carrier
the titling 'de Havilland Fox Moth' on the cowling. Possibly when
it was used
by DHA as a demo
before going to Holymans. VH-UQM was
destroyed in a hangar
fire at
Broken Hill, NSW in September 1939.