Aircraft History
Built by Douglas. Manufacture Number 428. This aircraft was sold to Royal Dutch Airlines / Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) and registered as PH-AXE. Next, assigned to Royal Netherlands Indian Airways / Koninklijke Nederlandsch-Indische Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KNILM) as PK-ADB.

Wartime History
After escaping Java, this aircraft was turned over to the Allied Directorate of Air Transport (ADAT), and leased to Australian National Airways (ANA) with registration VH-CXA. Assigned to the 374th Troop Carrier Group, 21st Troop Carrier Squadron and began flying supplies from Queensland, Australia to Port Moresby. No known nickname or nose art. Later, it was administratively assigned U. S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as C-110 serial number 44-83230.

On August 17, 1942 parked at 7 Mile Drome near Port Moresby. There was no advanced warning of a Japanese air raid against 7 Mile Drome by G4M1 Betty bombers from the 4th Kokutai and Misawa Kokutai escorted by A6M2 Zeros from the Tainan Kokutai. Destroyed on the ground by Japanese bombs. Afterwards, the wreckage was photographed by Australian war correspondent Damien Parer.

References
USAF Serial Number Search Results - DC-5 44-83230
Allied Air Transport Operations SWPA in WWII, Volume 1 page 329
Thanks to William Bartsch for additional information

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Last Updated
June 29, 2019