Provided by the RAF during World War II for Qantas to operate non-stop flights between Australia and Sri Lanka (Ceylon). At the end of the war, the RAF ordered G-AGFM scuttled, not scrapped. A bridge over the Swan River prevented it being towed to sea. So the RAF ordered the aircraft by made airworthy again. On February 26, 1946 it was flown to the sea near Rottnest Island where it was sunk with explosives. Except for a wingtip float which had detached and drifted off. It had to be dispatched with a tomahawk. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Operated to Japan in support of the Australian occupation troops. Roundel a requirement. Scrapped c1952.

VH-ABF over Brisbane where Qantas was headquartered at the time. When air services between Australia on the one side and the UK and Africa on the other were cut during World War II, Cooee was unable to get home. Likewise, BOAC's G-AFPZ was trapped on the Australian side, so a swap was arranged. -ABF became G-AFBL in July 1942 and continued with BOAC until scrapped in 1947. Photo from: State Library of Queensland

VH-USG was being delivered to Qantas when it crashed soon after departing Longreach killing the three crew and one passenger. As can be seen in the photo, the fin had failed. The problem was a defective fin-trim mechanism and similar faults were found in the rest of the Qantas DH86 fleet. Poor quality control at DH to blame. -USG was neither registered in the UK nor Australia at the time but was being ferried on a UK Certificate of Airworthiness. Photo from: State Library of Queensland

Written off when it ran off the runway on take-off at Sydney airport on November 17, 1951. Despite being on a cargo flight, there were seven people on board. All were unharmed.

Crashed on take-off from Schofields, New South Wales, on January 22, 1947 and destroyed by fire. Photo from: State Library of Queensland

Withdrawn from use in 1958 at Goroka, Papua New Guinea.

Sold in India as VT-AKZ in March 1939. Photo from: State Library of Queensland

VH-USE was the only DH86 in the Qantas fleet when its tail failed near Belmont, nine miles from Brisbane on February 20, 1942. Nine lives lost. When the RAAF returned impressed DH86s to Qantas their fins were strengthened before entering service. The loss of -USE added to the unease over the integrity of the DH86 airframe after earlier structural failures. Photo from: State Library of Queensland

In 1944, Liberators replaced Catalinas on the long wartime route from Western Australia to Ceylon (Sri Lanka). The aircraft came from BOAC but were operated by Qantas. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Blown on to the shore during a storm on 11 December 1938. Dismantled and shipped back the UK for repairs. Swapped with an aircraft from the Imperial Airways fleet and became G-AEUI after being repaired. Remained in service with Imperial until 1947 when it was scrapped. Coorong is a lagoon in South Australia. Qantas retained Imperial's "C" Class naming conventions for its S.23 fleet. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

VH-EAA arrives at Sydney at the end of its delivery flight. Converted to an L-749A in 1952 and sold to BOAC in February 1955. QEA had been lined up to take Avro Tudor IIs alongside BOAC and South African Airways. The Avro's poor hot and high performance saw QEA (with relief) switch to the superior Constellation. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Delivered in January 1938 but retained by Imperial Airways to cover aircraft losses. Finally delivered to QEA in September that year. Operated alongside Imperial's S.30s on the Sydney-Southampton route, with Qantas crews as far as Singapore. Impressed by the RAAF in June 1940 as A18-12. While in RAAF service it crashed on landing at Townsville during a test flight. RMS Queen Mary is the ship in the background. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

VH-EAS burns after a training accident. All on board escaped unharmed. This aircraft had been part of the Qantas fleet since July 1947 and had been used to survey a route to South Africa. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

When VH-USC arrived at Darwin in October 1934 work was proceeding at full speed to finish the new Qantas hangar in time for the Mildenhall-Melbourne air race later that month. VH-USC was sold to MMA in July 1938, then went to the RAAF in 1940 as A31-5. It returned to the register and Qantas in March 1942. Crashed Darwin October 9, 1944. Parap airport closed in 1946 when civil operations were transferred to the RAAF base. Hangar now a car museum in MacDonald Street. The runway became Ross Smith Avenue. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

The QEA DH.89 fleet was used to connect at Singapore with Imperial Airways flights from the UK. Empire flying boats replaced the DH.89s and Qantas sold -USD to MMA in Western Australia in July 1938. In January 1939 it was sold to Tata and Sons, India, as VT-AKZ. It would be impressed into the RAF as AX800. Soon after returning to civil operations it was struck off the Indian register. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Ex Dutch East Indies Air Force Lockheed 18 impressed by the USAAF after it was flown to Australia to escape the Japanese advance. Given the callsign VHCAA and flown by QEA crews on transport missions into Papua New Guinea. This photo believed to be taken when QEA chief Hudson Fysh travelled on one of those missions. Supplies were flown in and wounded flown out. VHCAA became VH-APZ after the war. The location of this photo is difficult to establish as there were at least 15 runways and airfields around Dobodura. It is thought that this photo is at Horanda, also known as Dobodura No 4, which was the most important one and the transport base. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Ex RAAF A24-378. Bought by Qantas for use on services to Lord Howe Island, Noumea and Suva. Sunk by a bomb placed in the cockpit while -EAW moored in Rose Bay August 27, 1949. Rival flying boat operator charged but acquitted. Crime remains unsolved. Photo from: Hudson Fysh Collection/State Library of New South Wales

Operated by Qantas on behalf of the RAAF when Japan was still under Allied occupation. The Lancastrians were replaced by DC-4s in 1949 and Australia formally ceased to be part of the occupation in 1951. VH-EAU withdrawn from use in 1952 and scrapped. Photo from: State Library of Victoria

Delivered in 1941, VH-AEC was camouflaged for its service in World War II which included flights into war zones. After the war it was briefly flown on scheduled services but was mainly used for charters and joy flights. Crashed at Condamine, Queensland, on February 12, 1948. Only minor injuries to those on board but -AEC was a write-off. Photo from: State Library of Queensland