Medical vehicles

[Keith Webb]

Originally Posted by simon king

I think the ambulance plane is a DH84 Dragon, not a DH89 Dragon Rapide. Built in Jan 43 and sold off in 1946 for £50....

Interesting to see above the No2 Mk 1/L ambulance body mounted on the back of a Bedford WL chassis cab- or even flatbed. The painted over headboard suggests an impressed vehicle. Very much a lash up reeking of panic, but there is a picture in the Beaulieu archives of a row of these so a batch must have been made.

You are correct, the DH84 was a twin engine and DH86 a four engine. Here's the full history for that aircraft courtesy of ADF Serials. 34-54 2043
RAAF History:

Jan43 Manufactured by De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot Airport, Sydney NSW.

Jan43 1st Flight at Mascot.

04Feb43 Received by No 2 Aircraft Park (2AP) at Bankstown airport, NSW and bought on charge.

12Feb43 Allocated to ANA Essendon Airport, Melbourne for transport/air ambulance conversion.

15Feb43 Received by ANA at Essendon Airport.

21Mar43 Received by 1 Aircraft Depot RAAF Laverton VIC for weight and post conversion checks.

22Mar43 Allocated to No 2 Air Ambulance Unit at RAAF Station Kingaroy QLD.

25Mar43 Received by 2AAU.

03Apr43 Ferried to Townsville by O404361 FLGOFF C.D. Nicholls and crew for duty with the 2AAU Detachment Townsville.

12May44 Received by 2AAU HQ at Kingaroy, QLD for Air Ambulance duties.

07Sep44 Ferried to Archerfield by when 2AAU HQ at Kingaroy closed on this day and moved to Archerfield Airfield, Brisbane for Air Ambulance duties.

09Nov44 Allocated to No 5 Aircraft Depot (5AD) at RAAF Base Wagga Wagga NSW for storage.

16Nov44 Received by 5AD and placed in storage.

19Sep45 Survey report to Commonwealth Disposal Commission (CDC) recommended disposal.

12Feb46 Sold by CDC to Royal Aero Club of NSW for 50 pounds. RAAF Markings to be removed before issue. CDC Sales Advice No G (Vic) 261 dated 08February 1946 refers.

09Apr46 Issued to purchaser.



Post RAAF History

11Mar46 Allocated registration VH-API.

1946 Sold to Captain Costa of Portuguese Government Air Force, Portuguese Timor.

11Jun46 RAAF Care & Maintenance Unit, Tamworth Operations Record Book 11.6.46:

“Captain Costa and another pilot of the Portuguese Government Air Force arrived this morning from Mascot in DH.84 A34-54. They tested A34-54 and Tiger Moth A17-43 which has also been purchased by the Portuguese Government and later both machines were flown to Williamtown enroute to Sydney.”

14Dec46 Registered as CR-ABT to Transportes Aereos de Timor.

No further information.