Construction completed at Oklahoma City plant - April 1944

Built as a Douglas C-47A-20-DK

Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force as 42-93199 - April 21, 1944

Transferred to the Royal Australian Air Force under lend / lease agreement - May 5, 1944

Allocated RAAF Serial A65-49 with radio call sign 'VHCIE'

Allocated to No 38 Squadron - May 17, 1944

Allocated to No 34 Squadron - January 15, 1945

Withdrawn from use and prepared for sale - 1946

Sold to Qantas Empire Airways for 24,679 Australian Pounds - December 6, 1946

Delivered to Qantas Airways - January 27, 1947

Registration VH-BAK was used for delivery flight but was not taken up

Entered onto the Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EAL - March 27, 1947

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd, Sydney

Transferred to Papua New Guinea for service

Used to locate crew of missing Department of Civil Aviation DHA-3 Drover - April 16, 1952

The crew were located in a life raft 100 miles south-west of Manus Island

Flight crew: Capt I.D. Ralfe; F/O R. Cuthbertson

Badly damaged whilst attempting to land at Kavieng, Papua New Guinea - July 23, 1952

With flaps fully extended aircraft encountered water on the runway resulting to extensive flap system damage

Reregistered as VH-EBH - August 19, 1954

Reregistered as VH-EBW - March 12, 1958

Sold to Brain & Brown Air Freighters Pty Ltd, Melbourne for 25,000 Aus Pounds - October 21, 1960

Reregistered as VH-BAA - October 21, 1960

Registered to Brain & Brown Ltd, Melbourne

Commenced operations in basic Qantas livery with Brain & Brown Air Freighter titles

Brain & Brown Air Freighters renamed BBA Cargo - January 1972

Registered to Brain & Brown Air Freighting Ltd - June 22, 1972

Withdrawn from use at Melbourne's Essendon Airport - March 19, 1975

Returned to service - April 10, 1975

Operated final revenue service Launceston-Melbourne (Essendon) - April 23, 1977

Placed in open storage at Melbourne's Essendon Airport

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - April 24, 1979

Aircraft had flown 38,024 hours

Moved to the grass area in the 'graveyard' at Essendon Airport - June 1979

Sold to Mildura Aviation Restoration Group, Mildura - July 1979

Dismantled on site and moved by road to Warbird Air Museum, Mildura - October 27, 1979

Partial restoration undertaken by the Museum

Sold to Central Australian Aviation Museum, Alice Springs - October 14, 1995

Restored to display condition at Alice Springs

Repainted in full Connellan Airways livery to represent their DC-3 VH-EWE

On display as 'VH-EWE' at Alice Springs Airport - 2010

Current

VH-EAL. Qantas Empire Airways - in the all-metal livery, location and date unknown.

VH-EBW. Qantas - in the white cabin roof livery, location and date unknown.

VH-BBA. Brain & Brown Airfreighters - in basic Qantas livery at Bankstown Airport, January 1962.

VH-BAA. Brain & Brown Airfreighters - in the new livery at Essendon Airport, date unknown.

VH-BAA. BBA Cargo - in the new livery at Essendon Airport, August 1972.

VH-BAA. BBA Cargo - in the new livery at Essendon Airport, August 1972.

VH-BAA. BBA Cargo - in the new livery at Launceston Airport, date unknown.

VH-BAA. BBA Cargo - in the new livery at Essendon Airport, January 1974.

VH-BAA. BBA Cargo - in the new livery at Essendon Airport, February 1976.