ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 300380
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| Date: | Wednesday 21 January 1942 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: | de Havilland DH-84A Dragon II |
| Owner/operator: | Mandated Airlines Ltd |
| Registration: | VH-UVB |
| MSN: | 6102 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe -
 Papua New Guinea
|
| Phase: | Standing |
| Nature: | Cargo |
| Departure airport: | Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea |
| Wau, Papua New Guinea |
mid-1935: Built Hatfield as production Dragon II with c/no 6102. C of A quotes DH.84 Series II
28.10.35: First flight at Hatfield, Hertfordshire, UK
10.35: Civil Aviation Branch allocated registration VH-UVB to De Havilland Aircraft Pty Ltd, Mascot, Sydney, NSW for DH.84 being shipped to Australia. Allocation ledger notated 29.1.36 that VH-UVB was sold to W.R.Carpenters.
29.10.35: British C of A issued as VH-UVB to W. R. Carpenter & Co, Salamaua, New Guinea. Shipped to New Guinea 11-35-2.36
2.36: Assembled at W. R. Carpenter & Co hangar at Salamaua, New Guinea
17.2.36: Registration application: W. R. Carpenter & Co, Salamaua, New Guinea. Application signed by M.A.Taylor
18.2.36: Test flown after assembly at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, pilot R. O. Mant
24.2.36: Registered VH-UVB and CofA issued at Salamaua, New Guinea, same day. Aircraft based in New Guinea, fitted for 7 passengers or freight, Named "Helen"
6.10.36: Change of owner name: Mandated Airlines Ltd, Wau (subsidiary company of W.R. Carpenter & Co Ltd)
23.2.37: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown that day by R.O.Mant at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
24.2.38: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown that day S.E.Sutcliffe at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
2.5.39: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown that day by E. Derek Crisp at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
16.4.40: Damaged at Alexishafen, New Guinea when undercarriage collapsed while taxiing, pilot H.D.L. MacGilvery
30.4.40: Temporary repairs completed on site at Alexishafen then flown to Salamaua workshop for permanent repairs
1.7.40: C of A renewed at Salamaua, test flown that day by S.E.Sutcliffe at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea
6.10.40: Forced landing at Madang due to engine trouble. no damage sustained. Cargo/Mail flight (no passengers_ pilot A. T. Collins.
6.2.41: Minor damage when wind storm wrecked the Mandated Airlines hangar at Wau, Papua New Guinea. Photo shows Dragon VH-UVB with name (changed to) 'Betty Ann'
7.2.41: Department of Air advises Director of Civil Aviation of the need for impressment of a further 3 DH.84 Dragons to offset the loss of 3 DH.86 aircraft being sent to Middle East
11.2.41: Director General of Civil Aviation replies to Department of Air that 3 Dragons of Mandated Airlines, including VH-UVB have been selected for impressment and should be delivered to ANA at Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria for modifications.
24.2.41: Impressment Requisition No.8197 issued for VH-UVB. Mandated Airlines Ltd advised that the aircraft is to be delivered to No.3 EFTS RAAF at Essendon, Melbourne, Victoria
24.2.41: RAAF serial A34-12 allocated. Not taken up. Originally A34-1 to A34-12 were allocated to impressed aircraft and the first local production DH.84 Dragon was allocated A34-13. However as A34-12 was not impressed, the serial was re-allocated to a later production aircraft (c/no.2001) and construction numbers adjusted.
25.2.41: W. R. Carpenter & Co Ltd acknowledge receipt of the Impressment notification and complain about the effect on their New Guinea operations. They state that VH-UVB is at present undergoing overhaul for C of A renewal
9.5.41: Department of Air write to Director General of Civil Aviation advising that Carpenters have now landed two Lockheed 14 aircraft which will make DH.86 VH-UYU available for impressment. "The need for taking the third DH.84 VH-UVB at this stage no longer exists. It is, therefore, not intended to proceed with the impressment of this aircraft."
23.6.41: Withdrawn from Service at Salamaua for complete overhaul and C of A renewal.
27.11.41: C of A renewed
21.1.42: Destroyed by Enemy Action at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province, New Guinea. Kevin Parer was killed at 12 noon by Japanese fighter strafing attack which also destroyed Mandated Airlines Dragon VH-USA. Pilot William Ernest Clarke, pilot of Mandated Airlines' Dragon VH-USA also destroyed at Salamaua that day, later wrote that he and Kevin Parer were both getting ready to take off for Wau at noon. Parer was in his cockpit but having trouble getting an engine started and called Clarke over to help swing the propeller: "I had just got hold of the propeller when Japanese fighters roared in about 50 feet overhead. A burst of machine gun fire from another sprayed around us. I dropped under the shelter of the engine. I got up and saw Kevin get out of his seat and dash to the back of the cabin where he was hit and fell. The Japs were still coming. I covered Kevin with a blanket and made for a shelter. When the Japs were clear I ran out to the plane, which was now on fire. I tried to get Kevin out but I couldn't manage it. The Japs saw me and back and let me have it. A couple of bullets ripped across my legs above the knees but they were nothing - only shallow flesh wounds. But for Kevin's engine not starting, we would both have been shot down in the air."
William Ernest Clarke also received severe burns to his hands from his attempt to drag Kevin Parer from his burning Dragon. William Ernest Clarke was awarded the George Medal for his valor and bravery. Natives evacuated him to Kokoda and then flown to hospital in Australia.
On 21.1.42 (same day) DCA inspector V.W. Burgess sent a cable to DCA Head Office from Salamaua, listing civil aircraft damaged by a Japanese air raid on Salamaua aerodrome that day. His assessment of Dragons was:
VH-USA repairable
VH-UVB destroyed
VH-AEA destroyed
On 20.2.42, DH.84 Dragon VH-UVB was Struck-off Register as "destroyed". However, as quoted in Director of Civil Aviation file: Civil Register ledger gives Struck-off date as 11.3.42.
Sources:
1. https://air-britain.com/pdfs/production-lists/DH84.pdf
2. http://www.airhistory.org.uk/dh/p060.html
3. https://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh84-pt1/dh84-dragon-pt1.htm
4. https://www.martinwilkinson.co.uk/v_dragon.htm
5. https://www.edcoatescollection.com/ac1/austu/VH-USA.html
6. https://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/Jan42.html
7. https://www.orpheusweb.co.uk/vicsmith/Accidents/Jan42.html
8. https://www.airhistory.net/photo/130417/VH-UVB [photo of VH-UVB at Salamaua Airfield, Salamaua, Morobe Province 21.1.42]
9. http://www.adf-serials.com.au/2a34.htm
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salamaua
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 01-Nov-2022 02:39 | Dr. John Smith | Added |
| 26-Jun-2023 02:57 | Ron Averes | Updated |
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