VH-AHM  de Havilland D.H.82A Tiger Moth                  (c/n  DHA208)

                                 

                                    This John M. Smith photograph (above, via the Geoff Goodall collection) was taken at Maylands
                                    Aerodrome, Perth in 1953 and shows a Tiger Moth converted to an air ambulance.  First registered
                                    in 1947 from its A17-207 conversion, by this time the old lady was looking decidedly tired and worn
                                    out.    The "razor back" with cabin conversion had been done by Chart Air Services at Meekatharra,
                                    West Australia and used for many years on a Royal Flying Doctor Service contract.  The aircraft later
                                    had a succession of private owners in WA, but retained the odd ambulance configuration until retired,
                                    whereupon it was dismantled and stored in a hangar at Bunbury WA.     A truly horrible presentation
                                    of it is seen at the foot of the page which was exhumed by Graeme Parsons out of the Perth Western
                                    Mail for 10 August 1950.  The caption stated it was a converted Tiger Moth owned by Chart-Air at
                                    Meekatharra.    The personages were Mr. John Collins, who inaugurated the RFDS service, and Dr.
                                    Dr. Minton-Connell.    In September 1973 it was trucked to new quarters at Jandakot where Geoff
                                    took the photograph below.  A restoration back to a stock Tiger Moth was commenced although the
                                    rebuild project moved between various owners in different locations of West Australia.   It has now
                                    emerged and is flying as VH-USB all decked out in its former RAAF serial of 17-207.   Personally,
                                    I think the re-allocation of such an historic rego as VH-USB is nothing short of sacrilegious and
                                    should never have been condoned by CASA, but then, I always was conservative.  Lachlan Brendon
                                    has a nice contemporary shot of DHA208 at:
                                                             http://www.jetphotos.net/viewphoto.php?id=6044094