Construction completed at Long Beach, California - June 1943

Built as a Douglas C-47A-35-DL

Delivered to the United States Army Air Force - June 22, 1943

Allocated U.S. serial number 42-23887

Arrived Brisbane on delivery to 5th Air Force - August 29, 1943

Allocated to 69th T.C.S, with the radio call-sign 'VHCBZ'

Aircraft was given the nick-name 'Michelle'

Transferred to Tacloban, Philippines - date unknown

Sold by U.S. Foreign Disposals Commission to the Commonwealth Bank of Australia - May 2, 1946

Sale price was 9,600 Australian Pounds

Arrived Sydney on delivery flight - May 1946

Flight crew: Group Capt C.R. Caldwell and Qantas crew

Overhauled and converted to executive interior by Qantas engineers at Sydney Airport

Work took over 30,000 man hours to complete and was supervised by Capt P.G. Taylor

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-AXT - September 10, 1946

Registered to Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Sydney

Reregistered as VH-CBA - September 22, 1946

Aircraft was normally crewed by Capt R.C. Godsell; F/Os M.O. Clark, M. Horne

Aircraft was nick-named 'Old Ship'

Sold to New Guinea Company t/a Mandated Airlines Ltd - April 1957

Sale price was 65,000 Australian Pounds which was then a record figure for a second hand DC-3

Registered to Manated Airlines Ltd - April 23, 1957

Reregistered as VH-MAM - June 3, 1957

Aircraft was converted to a freighter by Fairey Aviation at Bankstown Airport

Arrived at Lae, Papua New Guinea as a freighter - December 2, 1957

Reregistered as VH-MAB - June 26, 1959

Registered to Mandated Airlines Ltd

Registered to Ansett-M.A.L. - June 12, 1961

Aircraft had now been converted back to passenger configuration with 28 seats

Registered to Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - May 9, 1968

Registered to Ansett (P&NG) Ltd - May 23, 1973

Sold to Air Niugini for $AUD 15,000 - November 1, 1973

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - May 15, 1974

Entered onto the Papua New Guinea Aircraft Register as P2-MAB - May 15, 1974

Registered to Air Niugini

Reregistered as P2-ANX - December 8, 1975

Withdrawn from service and stored at Port Moresby Airport - March 31, 1977

Sold to Insured Aircraft Title Service Corporation - February 5, 1979

Entered onto the U.S. Aircraft Register as N55894 - March 13, 1980

Sold to J.J. Ford, San Francisco, California - June 30, 1981

Aircraft remained stored at Port Moresby Airport

Sold to Bush Pilots Airways for spares - 1981

Aircraft was stripped of useful parts with the hulk remaining at Port Morseby

Remains reportedly still in existance at Port Moresby - 2002

VH-CBA. Commonwealth Bank - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, April 1954.

VH-CBA. Commonwealth Bank - in the full livery at Sydney Airport, April 1954.

VH-MAB. Ansett-MAL - in the full livery, location and date unknown.

VH-MAB. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in a modified 'delta' livery at Wabag, February 1972.

VH-MAB. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in the 'delta' livery at Madang Airport, July 1972.

VH-MAB. Ansett Airlines of Papua New Guinea - in the 'delta' livery at Lae Airport, January 1973.