Twenty-third Empire boat completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

Order placed by Imperial Airways, London

Completed as a S-23 Empire Class boat having 920 h.p. Bristol Pegasus Xc engines

It had an all-up weight of 40,500 lb, cruised at 164 m.p.h. with a range of 760 miles

First flown as G-AEUD - October 8, 1937

Certificate of Registration Issued - October 9, 1937

Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - October 9, 1937

Aircraft named 'Cordelia'

Acquired by British Airways when Imperial Airways merged

Commandeered by the Royal Air Force and impressed as AX-660 - July 1940

Allotted to No.119 Squadron where it took part in depth charge trials and reconnaissance duties

Returned to British Airways - September 19, 1941

Utilised on the Horseshoe Route until it was cut due to Japanese invasion of Malaya

Withdrawn from service - February 5, 1947

Broken up for scrap at Hythe - March 6, 1947

Aircraft had flown some 11,665 hours

G-AEUD. Imperial Airways - in the original livery at Bima, Dutch East Indies, March 1939.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-271.)