VH-UPH  Badgery Biplane                                             (c/n  2)

                                   

                                        VH-UPH was a rebuilt Caudron C.2 first imported into Autsralia in 1913 by pioneer Australian
                                        aviator Andrew Delfosse Badgery.  It was registered in November 1930 (with c/n 2) just in time
                                        for its appearance at an Air Show at Mascot.  Although alloted the registration VH-UPH by the
                                        DCA, I am not sure whether this marking was ever painted on the ancient aircraft.  The scratchy
                                        image above (via the AHSA) shows it at Mascot.  Below is a photo of the original 1914 aircraft.
                                        Badgery had learned to fly in England in the 1900s, and had the Caudron shipped out to Australia.
                                        It was, in fact, the first aeroplane to fly in Tasmania, being demonstrated at the Elwick Show Grounds
                                        at Hobart in 1914. (Now the Royal Hobart Showgrounds)       During WW I the fledgling aviator
                                        became a Lieutenant in the Australian Flying Corps, spending time in the Eastern Theatre in Meso-
                                        potamia.    Returning to Australia after the war, Badgery appears to have been more of an engineer
                                        than an aviator   Around 1926 he once again became interested in aviation, renewed his pilot's licence
                                        and drasgged the old Caudron out and rebuilt it   . In the event, following the show, he sold it off but
                                        the new owner did not use it and in August of 1931 (the month and year I was born) it was struck
                                        off the register.              

                                                               .