Delivered to Central African Airways of Rhodesia in October 1948 as VP-YHZ. To West African Airways Corporation in 1949 as VR-NAA, supposedly named Niger. Arrived at Southend on 31 March 1957 to become G-AIFO of Channel Airways, who adopted WAAC's green and gold livery without the elephant logo. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Another rare photograph of a BOAC Hermes in Lagos. In the background is a Bristol Freighter of West African Airways Corporation. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Ex 42-23546, FD862. To BOAC as G-AGHP in August 1943. Reported ferried to Tripoli, Libya on 11 October 1943. Listed as based at Bristol - Whitchurch at the end of 1945. The logo with the word Speedbird is thought to be postwar. Dakotas carried out the UK - Lagos route, via Lisbon and Bathurst, until July 1947. G-AGHP was seriously damaged at Croydon in August 1947, which thwarted a transfer to Hong Kong Airways - VR-HDO not taken up. To BEA in December 1948. Converted to Leopard class freighter in 1953. Crashed in France in 1958 carrying a Formula 1 car engine for the Vanwall team to Nice for the Monaco Grand Prix. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

The Hermes 4 entered BOAC service in 1950 and proving flights on the West Africa route to Kano, Lagos and Accra began in June. The type was already replaced two years later by the Canadair C-4 Argonaut, although it made a brief comeback with BOAC in 1954 after the grounding of the DH Comet. We made a different crop of the same original photo for the West African Airways Corporation Dove, VR-NIB. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Sir Hubert crashed on landing at Port Harcourt on 26 September 1958. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

We made another crop of the same original photo for the BOAC Hermes 4, G-ALDE, which dates the picture between 1950 and probably 1952, or 1954 at the latest. Dove VR-NIB was delivered in early 1948. To Channel Airways as G-APAG in 1957. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Maintenance in a hangar at Ikeja. VR-NIX to VR-NBA at an unknown date. To 5N-AAA after Nigerian independence in 1960. Aircraft still carries the Union Jack here as well as the De Havilland logo. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Certificate of airworthiness for VR-NOB issued on 9 November 1948. To G-AROG in 1961. Withdrawn from use at Biggin Hill in 1964. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

Crashed at Kaduna on November 14, 1950. Photo from: Abilene Christian University / University of Southern California

Forced landed in the Sahara in Mauritania after becoming lost and low on fuel. Copilot died of exhaustion but the other 17 on board were rescued. Photo from: Abilene Christian University / University of South California