Construction completed at the Long Beach plant - November 30, 1942

Built as a Douglas C-47-DL

Delivered to the USAAF - December 1942

Allocated U.S. serial number 41-38676

Arrived Amberley for use by 5th Air Force - November 11, 1943

Operated by the 21st Troop Carrier Squadron using the radio callsign 'VHCFL'

Operated by the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron using the radio callsign 'VHCCY'

Aircraft was named 'Swamp Rat II'

Acquired by the Commonwealth of Australia / D.C.A. for use by airlines - July 10, 1944

Aircraft had flown only 1,980 hours 10 minutes

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AEX - July 11, 1944

Registered to the Commonwealth of Australia

Leased to Guinea Airways Pty Ltd for use as a freighter - July 11, 1944

Converted to passenger configuration - November 17, 1944

Returned to Commonwealth of Australia - March 14, 1947

Registered to Australian National Airlines Commission for T.A.A. - March 28, 1947

Aircraft had now flown 8,125 hours 30 minutes

Aircraft was named 'Phillip'

Operated its first service with T.A.A. - March 28, 1947

Withdrawn from service and placed in storage at Melbourne - June 12, 1957

Had now flown 33,522 hours

Sold to Aero Equipment, Sydney - August 7, 1957

Sold to West African Airways Corporation - August 9, 1957

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 19, 1957

Registered VR-NCM - September 5, 1957

Aircraft was named 'Calabar'

Registered to W.A.A. (Nigeria) Ltd - October 1, 1958

Reregistered 5N-AAM in 1960

Transferred to Nigerian Air Force - becoming AAM - August 28, 1967

Withdrawn from use in 1972

Believed to have been broken-up at Lagos Airport, Nigeria - 1977 - 1978

VH-AEX. Trans Australia Airlines - silver tail colors at Melbourne's Essendon Airport, date unknown.

(Image 0250-567. E. Coates Collection)