VH-ABC Short S-23 Empire Boat

This aircraft was the twenty-eighth Empire boat to be completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

The order was placed by Imperial Airways, London - September 02, 1935

It was built as a standard Mk.1 S-23 Empire Class flying boat with 920 h.p. Bristol Pegasus Xc radial engines

The standard fuel capacity was 650 gallons

It had an all-up weight of 40,500 lbs (18,380 kg) which was later increased to 53,000 lbs (24,200 kg)

The cruising speed was 164 m.p.h. with a standard range of 760 miles / 1,245 km

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AEUG (CofR 7681) - March 01, 1937

Registered to Imperial Airways Limited, London

It was allocated the Fleet Number '26' which was used in all operational records to identify this aircraft

This aircraft was re-allocated to Qantas Empire Airways by Imperial Airways during its construction

Launched as 'VH-ABC' onto the Medway River at the Short Bros Seaplane Works, Rochester - January 03, 1938

First flown as 'VH-ABC' - January 03, 1938

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA 6166) Issued - January 08, 1938

Delivered to Imperial Airways Limited - January 19, 1938

It was issued a new Certificate of Registration (CofR 8328) when the Civil Aviation Administration commenced

using the new Aircraft Register - January 31, 1938

The aircraft was named 'Coogee' (mist rising from the heart of the water)

Had this aircraft remained in the fleet of Imperial Airways it was to have been named 'Cheviot'

However Qantas Empire Airways wanted their aircraft to be named after locations in the individual states of Australia

'Coogee' is a suburb of Sydney in the State of New South Wales

This aircraft was initially retained by Imperial to cover its Empire boat losses

It was the third Empire Class flying boat to be specifically intended for operations over the Singapore - Brisbane

sector of the Empire mail route from England to Australia

Photographic evidence shows that the British registration 'G-AEUG' was carried during this period

It was operated by Imperial Airways as 'G-AEUG' until it was delivered to Qantas Empire Airways

All Imperial Airways and Qantas Empire Airways aircraft operating on the Eastern Route were initially

given service numbers prefixed with '2 letters' as follows:

'IE' - India Eastbound; 'IW' - India Westbound

'CE' - Calcutta Eastbound; 'CW' - Calcutta Westbound

'SE' - Sydney Eastbound; 'SW' - Sydney Westbound

Operated its maiden service Southampton - Karachi as IE627 - February 13 - 18, 1938

It was the first Empire flying boat to operate the Karachi - Singapore service as IE628 - February 22 - 24, 1938

It was the first Empire boat to operate the Singapore - Karachi service as IW630 - February 28 - March 02, 1938

Cancelled from the British Aircraft Register - July 1938

It arrived at Sydney (Rose Bay) on delivery to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd - September 24, 1938

It was the fifth 'Empire Class' flying boat delivered to Qantas Empire Airways

Officially entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABC (CofR 716) - September 26, 1938

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Brisbane

This aircraft remained part of the aircraft pool operated by Imperial Airways and Qantas Empire Airways

on services between Southampton, England and Sydney, Australia

Qantas Empire Airways crews flew the aircraft on the Sydney - Singapore - Sydney sector of this route

between July 1938 and October 1941

Qantas Empire Airways crews then took over the Singapore - Karachi - Singapore sector of the route

from October 1941 to February 1942 when operations ceased due to Japanese war activities in South-East Asia

It operated its final commercial service Karachi - Sydney (Rose Bay) as SE250 - June 07, 1940

Due to the war emergency it was commandeered by the Royal Australian Air Force - June 08, 1940

Impressed by the R.A.A.F. as 'A18-12' - June 29, 1940

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 28, 1940

Together with 'A18-10' this aircraft was ferried Port Moresby - Darwin (Flt Lt Norman Fader) - December 06, 1941

The two aircraft picked up an advance party from No 2 and No 13 Squadrons R.A.A.F.

Some 90 men were then transported to Koepang in West Timor, Laha on the Island of Ambon, Halong on Ambon

and Namlea on Buru Island

This aircraft assisted with the evacuation of Rabaul - January 1942

It was destroyed in a landing accident at Townsville during a test flight - February 27, 1942

At the time it was under the command of Flt Lt Love (No 33 Squadron)

The entire crew were killed

The total hours flown by this aircraft have not been uncovered