Aircraft History
Constructor Number 27. RAF Serial Number AH534. Original A24-1 was to be DP202 Model 28-5MA VH-AFA. per Aus 58 Contract. However this aircraft was not ready and was substituted by a Model 28-5ME per part of original 40 aircraft the French order taken over by BPC.

Wartime History
Departed San Diego on January 25, 1941 and arrived in Australia, traveling 2,025 miles in 17 hours and 19 minutes. Assigned to the RAAF on February 1 and delivered to Qantas as VH-AFB February 2. Assigned to 11 Squadron on March 19, 1942. Then assigned to 20 Squadron on August 14, 1941. Went to Canada during November 1941 and returned to Australia. Returned to 11 Squadron on December 13, 1941.

On February 19, 1943 this Catalina was piloted by S/Ldr Hodgkinson, departing Cairns at 08:02 on a mission to bomb Ballale. It returned at 00:03 (on February 20).

Next assigned to 3OTU based at Rathmines on April 4, 1943.

Mission History
On August 28, 1945 it departed Rathmines via Darwin for the evacuation of liberated prisoners of war at for Singapore. On August 30, 1945 it crashed during take off at Darwin Harbor. The plane was a total loss, but the crew was uninjured. On October 18, 1945 it was officially conversion to components.

Wreckage
Wreckage is exposed at low tide on a muddy bank of the East Arm of Darwin Harbor.

During the 1990s, the exhaust stacks were recovered from this wreckage by the RAAF and were used in the restoration of PBV-1A Canso CV369.

References
Thanks to Wynnum Graham and Daniel Leahy for information.

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Last Updated
October 6, 2009