VH-ABA Short S-23 Empire Boat

This was the twenty-sixth Empire boat to be completed and flown by Short Bros at Rochester, Kent

The order was placed by Imperial Airways, London - April 27, 1937

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

The standard fuel capacity was 650 gallons

It had an all-up weight of 40,500 lbs (18,380 kg) which was later increased to 53,000 lbs (24,200 kg)

The cruising speed was 164 m.p.h. with a standard range of 760 miles / 1,245 km

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AFBJ (CofR 8326) - August 26, 1937

Registered to Imperial Airways Limited, London

It was launched as 'VH-ABA' at the Short Bros Seaplane Works, Medway River, Rochester - November 23, 1937

This aircraft did not have the British registration marks 'G-AFBJ' applied to it until 1942

First flown as 'VH-ABA' - November 25, 1937

Certificate of Airworthiness (CofA 6128) Issued - November 25, 1937

Delivered to Imperial Airways, London - December 03, 1937

The aircraft was named 'Carpentaria'

It was earmarked for delivery to Qantas from the outset but was retained by Imperial to cover its Empire boat losses

This aircraft was the first Empire boat to be specifically intended for operations over the Singapore -

Brisbane sector of the Empire Air Mail route from England To Australia

Entered service Southampton - Karachi (Capt F. D. Travers) as IE607 - December 05, 1937

All Imperial Airways and Qantas Empire Airways aircraft operating on the Eastern Route were initially

given service numbers prefixed with '2 letters' as follows:

'IE' - India Eastbound; 'IW' - India Westbound

'CE' - Calcutta Eastbound; 'CW' - Calcutta Westbound

'SE' - Sydney Eastbound; 'SW' - Sydney Westbound

Twelve passengers were carried on this flight including Mr Hubert Scott-Paine

He was the Director of Imperial Airways and was travelling to Baghdad on company business

Operated its inaugural return service Karachi - Southampton as IW608 - December 16, 1937

This aircraft was operated by Imperial Airways until delivered to Qantas Empire Airways - June 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as IE613 - December 27, 1937 - January 01, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as IW614 - January 06 - 10, 1938

It operated the Alexandria - Karachi service as IE614 - January 19 - 21, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as IW620 - January 27 - February 01, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as IE630 - February 24 - March 01, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as CW1 - March 02 - 05, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as CE5 - March 09 - 14, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Singapore service as IE634 - March 15 - 18, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Karachi service as IW637 - March 23 - 26, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as CW8 - March 27 - 30, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Singapore service as IE641 - April 03 - 11, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Southampton service as IW644 - April 15 - 21, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as CE19 - April 27 - 29, 1938

It operated the Karach - Singapore service as IE648 - May 01 - 04, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Southampton service as IW651 - May 09 - 15, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Singapore service as IE656 - May 26 - 31, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Karachi service as IW659 - June 07 - 08, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as CW30 - June 11 - 14, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as CE35 - June 22 - 25, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Singapore service as IE644 - June 26 - 28, 1938

'Carpentaria' was officially sold to Qantas Empire Airways - June 1938

This change of ownership is recorded in the British Aircraft Register but a cancellation date was not recorded

This aircraft remained part of the aircraft pool operated by Imperial Airways and Qantas Empire Airways

on services between Southampton, England and Sydney, Australia

Qantas Empire Airways crews flew the aircraft on the Sydney - Singapore - Sydney sector of this route

between July 1938 and October 1941

It operated the Singapore - Karachi service as IW667 - July 04 - 08, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service as CW38 - July 09 - 11, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as CE42 - July 15 - 17, 1938

It opertated the Karachi - Sydney service as IE671 - July 20 - 26, 1938

On arrival at Sydney (Rose Bay) it was officially handed over the Qantas Empire Airways Ltd

It was the third 'Empire Class' flying boat delivered to Qantas Empire Airways

It operated the Sydney - Singapore service as IW676 - August 02 - 05, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Southampton service as IW677 - August 08 - 14, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Athens - Basra service as CE52 - August 19 - 21, 1938

It operated the Basra - Southampton service as CW50 - August 22 - 23, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as SE15 - August 27 - 31, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Singapore service as SE16 - September 04 - 06, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Sydney service as SE17 - September 09 - 12, 1938

It was officially entered onto Australian Aircraft Register as VH-ABA (CofR 713) - September 13, 1938

Registered to Qantas Empire Airways, Ltd, Brisbane

It operated the Sydney - Singapore service as SW18 - September 17 - 20, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Southampton service as SW19 - September 23 - 29, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Basra service as CE64 - October 01 - 02, 1938

It operated the Basra - Karachi service as SE30 - October 04, 1938

It operated an unsheduled Karachi - Singapore service - October 08 - 11, 1938

It operated the Singapore - Sydney service as SE31 - October 12 - 15, 1938

It operated the Sydney - Southampton service as SW32 - October 20 - 29, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Alexandria service as CE73 - November 02 - 03, 1938

It operated the Alexandria - Southampton service as CW71 - November 05 - 06, 1938

It operated the Southampton - Alexandia service as CE76 - November 11 - 13, 1938

It operated the Alexandria - Southampton service - dates not recorded

It operated the Southampton - Sydney service as SE53 - November 26 - December 07, 1938

It operated the Sydney - Southampton service as SW54 - December 10 - 21, 1938

It operated the Southampoton - Karachi service as CE88 - December 22 - 27, 1938

It operated the Karachi - Sydney service as SE65 - December 30, 1938 - January 04, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Singapore service as SW65 - January 05 - 09, 1939

It operated the Singapore - Alexandria service as SW66 - January 10 - 15, 1939

It operated the Alexandria - Southampton service as CW94 - January 25 - 26, 1939

It operated the Southampton - Alexandria service as SE80 - January 28 - 31, 1939

It operated the Alexandria - Sydney service as SE81 - February 03 - 10, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Singapore service as SW82 - February 14 - 17, 1939

It operated the Singapore - Southampton service as SW83 - February 19 - 25, 1939

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as SE94 - March 02 - 06, 1939

It operated the Karachi - Bangkok service as SE95 - March 08 - 09, 1939

The aircraft was badly damaged after arriving at Bangkok which was a transit stop enroute to Singapore

The aircraft was accidently rammed by a Chinese junk whilst moored and deemed to be non-airworthy

Temporary repairs were made to the starboard wing, float and airscrew before the aircraft was returned

to England for the damage to be properly repaired

The Singapore bound passengers were transported to their destination the following day by 'Cooee'

It operated the Southampton - Sydney service as SE105 - March 26 - April 05, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Southampton service as SW106 - April 11 - 26, 1939

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as SE117 - April 23 - 26, 1939

It operated the Karachi - Sydney service as SE119 - May 02 - 09, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Southampton service as SW120 - May 13 - 22, 1939

It operated the Southampton - Karachi service as SE131 - May 27 - 30, 1939

It operated the Karachi - Sydney service as SE132 - May 31 - June 06, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Southampton service as SW133 - June 13 - 22, 1939

It operated the Southampton - Sydney service as SE148 - July 05 - 14, 1939

It operated the Sydney - Darwin service as SW148 - July 18 - 20, 1939

It operated the Darwin - Karachi service as SW149 - July 21 - 26, 1939

It operated the Karachi - Southampton service - dates not recorded

It operated the Southampton - Sydney service as SE166 - August 16 - 25, 1939

With the outbreak of World War II individual flight records were no longer published by 'The Times' newspaper

Qantas Empire Airways crews then took over the Singapore - Karachi - Singapore sector of the route

from October 1941 to February 1942 when operations ceased due to Japanese war activities in South-East Asia

'VH-ABA' was isolated in the western sector of the Horseshoe Route when Japan occupied Malaya - February 1942

The 'Horseshoe Route' connected Sydney and Durban, South Africa via East Africa, India and Malaya

VH-ABA 'Carpentaria' and VH-ABF 'Cooee' were transferred to B.O.A.C. in exchange for

G-AETV 'Coriolanus' and G-AEUB 'Camilla' that had been stranded in the eastern sector of the

'Horseshoe' route when operations were disrupted due to hostile military activities

Entered onto the British Aircraft Register as G-AFBJ (CofR 8326/2) - July 13, 1942

Registered to British Overseas Airways Corporation, Bristol

Ownership was officially transferred to British Overseas Airways Corporation - August 11, 1942

Cancelled from the Australian Aircraft Register - August 11, 1942

A B.O.A.C. fleet report shows that 'Carpentaria' was based in Durban - December 31, 1945

It arrived at Hythe and was then withdrawn from service - January 19, 1947

Broken up for scrap by R. J. Coley & Sons at Hythe, Southampton - February 03, 1947

The aircraft had flown some 14,989 hours