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| Pacific Aerial Transport Company Ltd Former Assignments KLM |
Aircraft History Built by Fokker as F.III (Model III, Model 3). Constructors Number 1663. In late 1925, delivered to Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) and registered as H-NABV with a Gnome-Rhône air-cooled 6 cylinder radial engine and used for flying freight and aerial photography. During 1928, equipped with a Gnome-Rhône Titan radial engine with a metal Curtiss Reed propeller. In 1929, re-registered as PH-ABV in black block letters atop a white rectangle and lower side of the wing with "PH-" on the right wing and "ABV" on the left wing. During November 1930, sold for £ 300 without an engine to Australian Raymond "Ray" J. P. Parer owner of Bulolo Goldfields & Co, and disassembled and shipped for a total cost of £ 700. Registered in Australia to Pacific Aerial Transport Company Ltd. with registration VH-UQF in large black block letters on the rear fuselage. To power the plane, Parer purchased two Hadley Page Hampstead Bristol Jupiter 9 cylinder radial engines salvaged from a wrecked plane by Otto Rossiter for a cost of £ 1,000. This plane was never officially issued a certificate of registration in Australia. During February 1931 arrived aboard a steam in New Guinea and was made airworthy with the new engines by Ray Parer with the help of his younger brother Kevin Parer with help from engineer Downham. The plane was outfitted with seating for six passengers in cane chairs. During March 1931 took off from Lae Airfield piloted by Ray Parer on a flight to Salamaua Airfield (Logui) while airborne, the plane experienced engine trouble but landed safely. Mission History On March 18, 1931 took off from Salamaua Airfield (Logui) piloted by Ray J. Parer with passenger Mrs. Weston and suffered an engine failure on take off due to faulty maintenance of the fuel system and crashed into trees at the end of the runway and flipped over with minor injury to passenger Mrs. Weston. Afterwards, the plane was likely recovered and used for spare parts. Ultimate fate unknown, likely scrapped or otherwise disappeared. The financial hardship of the crash depleted Ray Parer's funds and left him broke. Miners in the gold fields who he served as a pilot offered to buy shares in his company allowing him to have the funds to purchase a replacement plane. This plane's registration was reassigned to another aircraft, Fokker VII VH-UQF. Memorials Parer enlisted July 13, 1942 in the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) with service number 6369 until discharge on July 1, 1947 with the rank of Flying Officer. On July 5, 1967 he died at age 73 in Queensland, Australia. He is buried at Pinnaroo Lawn Cemetery and Crematorium in plot 2F-6-309. He is also memorialized in the Queensland Garden of Remembrance in Bridgeman Downs, QLD on wall 5, row O. References Note some sources refer to this plane as VH-UQF (1) to distinguish it from the later aircraft Fokker VII VH-UQF (2). NAA Civil aircraft accident and incident register for Australia and Papua New Guinea - 1928 to 1945, Section 1, Accidents 1931–1945 (NAA: A8324, 1) PDF page 6 (VH-UQF) "Parer, R.J.P / 18.3.31 / Login [sic Logui] Drome Salamoa [sic Salamaua], New Guinea / Other Flying (Commercial) / Fokker III / Owner: Pacific Aerial Transport Co. Ltd. / Mrs. Weston / Engine was fading out when taking off believed to be air [?] pressure failure. Unable to overfly blockage gravity [?] tankair and stoppage owing to damage of same. / write off." NAA Aircraft accident and incident registers for Australia and Papua New Guinea 1929–1933, Section 2, (NAA: A8324, 2) PDF page 25 (VH-UQF) Golden Years of Aviation - Civil Aircraft Register - Netherlands H-NABV PH-ABV (VH-UQF(1)) Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives - Crash of a Fokker F3 in Salamaua Vic's Aviation History Site - March 1931 reported accidents (VH-UQF) Ed Coates Collection - VH-UQF (1) Fokker F.III (photos) WW2 Nominal Roll - Parer, Raymond John Paul, 6369 FindAGrave - Raymond John Paul “Ray” Parer (grave photo) FindAGrave - Raymond John Paul “Ray” Parer (photos, memorial marker photo) Thanks to Robert Parer for additional information Contribute
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