Built by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent as a Sunderland Mk V - 1944

Delivered to Royal Air Force as NJ255 at Wig Bay, Stranraer, Scotland

Received by No. 57 Maintenance Unit, Wig Bay - September 22, 1944

Issued to No 10 Squadron R.A.A.F. at Mountbatten - November 21, 1944

Converted to Sunderland GR 5 - June 15, 1945

Transferred to Short Bros & Harland as surplus to requirements - April 1946

Converted to Sandringham Mk IV Tasman Class by Short Bros & Harland, Belfast

Conversion included seating for 30 passengers

Transferred to UK Ministry of Transport & Civil Aviation

Entered onto New Zealand Aircraft Register as ZK-AMD - July 5, 1946

Leased to Tasman Empire Airways Ltd (TEAL) - July 13, 1946

Aircraft was named ' RMA Australia'

Delivered to TEAL at Auckland - August 5, 1946

Operated its first Auckland-Sydney-Auckland service - August 25, 1946

Flight crew: Capt A.V. Jury; F/O J.H. McGrane

Withdrawn from use due to engine overheating problems - February 23, 1948

Returned to service following rectification of engine problems - June 17, 1948

Operated its final TEAL service - December 1949

Stored at Hobsonville, Auckland having flown 4,409 hours

Sold to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd for 4,000 pounds - April 13, 1950

Entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-EBX - April 24, 1950

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

Aircraft was named 'Pacific Chieftain'

Operated 19 return trips to Lord Howe Island whilst with Qantas

Sold to Ansett Flying Boat Services to replace its sister-ship VH-BRD - December 17, 1954

Reregistered as VH-BRE - December 22, 1954

Registered to Ansett Airways Pty Ltd

Commenced services in the early red-white livery

Operated 5 charter tourist flights to New Zealand between October 25, 1955 and March 1957

Chartered to T.E.A.L. to operate Pacific Island services - September 18 to 29, 1958

Registered to Ansett Flying Boat services Pty Ltd - 1960

Underwent a complete overhaul & refurbishment prior to commencing a charter to Polynesia - 1963

On first leg of the charter the aircraft overnighted at Lord Howe Island - July 3, 1963

Broke its moorings during a storm that night - was washed ashore damaging starboard wingtip float

Was returned to a new mooring with the port wing weighted down with sandbags

Unable to withstand the buffeting, the damaged starboard float collapsed, submerging that wing

Towed ashore and declared a write-off following a detailed inspection

Stripped of useful parts before being scuttled 5 km off shore - December 1963

Requests by the Islanders to retain the fuselage for use as a museum were rejected

Cancelled from Australian Aircraft Register - December 5, 1963

Had flown 15,308 hours - including 424 trips to Lord Howe Island

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Auckland Harbour, September 1946.

(P. Sheehan Collection via Whites Aviation. 2545-328.)

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Auckland Harbour, September 1946.

(P. Sheehan Collection via Whites Aviation. 2545-329.)

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Auckland Harbour, September 1946.

(R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett. 2545-299.)

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Sydney Harbour, November 1946.

(R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett. 2545-218.)

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Sydney Harbour, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-219.)

ZK-AMD. Tasman Empire Airways - in the original livery at Sydney Harbour, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-220.)

VH-EBX. Qantas Airways - in the white livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection via Qantas. 2545-203.)

VH-BRE. Ansett Airways - in the first red-tail livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-360.)

VH-BRE. Ansett Airways - in the second red-tail livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, date unknown.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-359.)

VH-BRE. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the full livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, 1962.

(A. Fraser Photograph. 2545-357.)

VH-BRE. Ansett Flying Boat Services - in the full livery at Rose Bay, Sydney, November 1962.

(R. N. Smith Collection via Ansett. 2545-361.)

VH-BRE. Ansett F.B.S. - wing down in the water at her mooring at Lord Howe Island, July 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-358.)

VH-BRE. Ansett F.B.S. - on the beach at Lord Howe Island, July 1963.

(J. Wilson Collection. 2545-312.)

VH-BRE. Ansett F.B.S. - being broken-up on the beach at Lord Howe Island, August 1963.

(J. Wilson Collection. 2545-313.)

VH-BRE. Ansett F.B.S. - being broken-up on the beach at Lord Howe Island, October 1963.

(R. N. Smith Collection. 2545-362.)