VH-USY  Douglas DC-2                                 (c/n 1580)

                        
              
                             The Douglas DC-2 VH-USY "Bungana" was the first "modern" all metal airliner to be delivered in
                             Australia.  It was originally ordered by Holyman's Airways, Ltd (a forerunner of Australian National
                             Airways) in 1935 and delivered to that company's Launceston, Tasmania headquarters on April 29,
                             1936.  When ANA took over in November of that year, VH-USY passed to the newly formed airline.
                             It served ANA well for ten years, and was finally scrapped at Essendon in 1947.   The upper photo-
                             graph was taken at Essendon in 1935 and shows the machine with Holyman's insignia on the fin.  The
                             # 2 shot below is very poor (even though it came from Australian National Airways) but does show
                             "Bungana" with the now modified "ANA Star" flag on the fin.     Following that (# 3)  is an image from
                             the Ivan Hodder collection (courtesy of the CAHS collection via Phil Vabre) was taken in the hangar
                             at Forrest, South Australia in February of 1942 (dark days, those, for those of us who were alive and
                             remember those times). VH-USY apparently needed a (port) wing replacement.  Some reports indicate
                             that a spare was flown up from Melbourne underneath a DC-3.  Sounds like a hairy operation, if true.
                             Reports also indicate that a USAAF ground crew who happened to be on hand at Forrest gave the
                             ANA fitters a hand in the work.  Don't forget that at that time every aircraft was critically needed.  A
                             Japanese invasion of the northern regions of Australia was quite on the cards and every available air-
                             craft was desperately needed in the air.  You do what you gotta do, mates.   Finally, at the foot of the
                             page is a nice shot (# 4) of "Bungana" from the Sam Hood Aviation collection (via the State Library of
                             New South Wales) taken at an unknown location.
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