MILES MESSENGER and MERCURY IN AUSTRALIA
A listing compiled by Geoff Goodall
Miles Messenger VH-BJH (c/n 6372) at Murwillumbah NSW, August 1993. Photo by David C. Eyre
The Miles Mercury and Messenger line of 4-seater touring aeroplanes
began in the wartime days of 1941 when George Miles resurrected a
shelved prewar civil design to meet an Air Ministry military
specification. Designated the M.28 Mark 1, the prototype was designed
and built at the Miles Experimental Department in a small sub-factory
at Liverpool Road, Reading and first flown at nearby Woodley Aerodrome,
Reading on 11 July 1941 by George Miles.
The second aircraft, designated M.28 Mark II, was delivered to RAF as
HB583 for evaluation fitted with a variety of DH Gipsy Major engines
then a 140hp Blackburn Cirrus Major II. Sold by military disposals
postwar, it became a civil M.28 Mercury and was later exported to
Australia as VH-BBK. Advertising using the name "Mercury" was dropped
after a complaint from Bristol Aeroplane Co because of its Mercury
radial engine, however the Miles company records continued to refer to
the M.28 as Mercury, and the name was used by DCA in Australia.
Four more M.28s were built, initially planned for use by the Air
Transport Auxilliary, but not delivered and marketed as Miles' first
postwar civil design. They were designated Mercury 2, 3, 4 & 5 with
different models of Gipsy Major and Blackburn Cirrus Major engines.
The Air Ministry showed no enthusiasm for the M.28 during its trials,
however the evolution of its successor, the M.38 Messenger is described
from an insider's point of view by Don L. Brown in his book Miles
Aircraft since 1925. Brown had worked for the Miles companies from the
early days and became personal assistant to George Miles and company
pilot.
"In June 1942 certain Army officers who had seen the performance of the
M.28 approached George Miles and asked if he could design and build for
them at short notice a specialised aeroplane which was urgently needed
for Air Observation post duties. as their existing aircraft did not meet
the exacting requirements of the job. This direct approach to a manufacturer
was, of course, highly irregular: the approved procedure would have been
to make their requirements known to the War Office, who, if they thought
fit, would pass them on to the Ministry of Aircraft Production, who, again
if they thought fit, would approach one or more manufacturers. All this
would have taken months, if not years, and these Army officers were more
concerned with winning the war than with the observance of protocol. George
Miles shared this view and agreed, unofficially, to produce a prototype,
although he pointed out that production, if required, would have to to
be organized through official channels.
Three months after the initial visit the prototype M.38 was flown by George
Miles on 12 September 1942 and then handed over to an AOP Squadron for
test. Everyone flew it and their verdict was unanimous "How soon can you
let us have a hundred of these?"
Then started an inter-Ministerial war between the War Office and the Ministry
of Aircraft Production, a war of such bitterness that the real war paled
to insignificance. The Ministry were outraged that, once again, Miles
had built and flown an aeroplane without their knowledge and authority.
The final outcome of this private war was that the Army instigator was
posted to North Africa, the AOP units were told firmly that they would
not receive the aeroplane that so perfectly fulfilled their specification
and the Messenger finally went into limited production as a VIP communications
aircraft, one being allotted to Field Marshal Montgomery and another to
Marshal of the RAF Lord Tedder."
The prototype Messenger was built at the same small sub-factory at
Liverpool Road, Reading by the same design team under George Miles. The
Ministry order for RAF, when finally received, was for 250 aircraft,
but with V-E Day, the order was cancelled after only 21 Messengers were
delivered to the military.
Because of workload of other military aircraft production at Woodley,
the Messenger production was transferred to an associate company Miles
Aircraft (NI) Ltd at Newtownards, Belfast, Northern Ireland. Here the
production changed to Messengers to civil standards for the postwar
civil market, using the Blackburn Cirrus Major engine and a
coarser-pitch propeller giving a higher cruising speed, and the large
square rear windows replaced by more stylish oval rear windows. As
production rate increased in Northern Ireland, the bare aircraft were
flown unpainted to Woodley for final painting, upholstering and sale.
A total of 81 Miles Messengers had been built when production ceased in
January 1948. By then Miles Aircraft Ltd had run into a serious
financial crisis at the Woodley factory, and despite orders for
Geminis, Aerovans and the new 4 engined Marathon, and 6,000 employees,
the company was forced to cease production and its assets were taken
over by Handley Page.
F. G. Miles set up a new maintenance company F. G. Miles Ltd at Redhill
Aerodrome near London, and his brother George Miles joined Airspeed as
a designer. In 1951 F. G. Miles Ltd moved to Shoreham to produce new
designs such as the Sparrowjet, Student and others, before the business
was taken over by the newly formed Beagle Aircraft Ltd in 1961 and one
of the Miles designs was developed into the Beagle 206.
Messengers were of wooden construction. The fuselage was built up from
longerons, stringers and U frames, covered with a plastic -bonded
plywood skin, through which passed the twin-box spares pf the one-piece
plywood covered mainplane. The single strut undercarriage legs were
designed to withstand rough landing fields and retracted with the
wheels protruding through the lower wing surface to assist in gear-up
forced landings.
DCA Grounding Orders for Messengers
On 21 September 1962 the Minister for Civil Aviation announced restrictions
on certain wooden construction aircraft types because of deterioration
of the glued joints which used synthetic resin glues. Effective immediately,
these aircraft types were restricted to Private Category operations only,
pilot must be the owner and no passengers carried. Their Certificates
of Airworthiness would be permanently withdrawn on 31 December 1963. The
decision had been taken following the investigation into the structural
failure in flight of Proctor 5 VH-AIE and the evidence that this aircraft
had been well-maintained and hangared most of its life. A total of 28
aircraft on the current Australian Civil Register were affected:
- DH.94 and DHA Moth Minor
- Miles Messenger, Mercury, Gemini, Aries,
- Mraz Sokol M1C
- Percival Proctor V
The 1963 DCA Annual Report refers to the airworthiness investigation of
stressed ply shell wooden aeroplanes of late wartime and early postwar
manufacture. One of several incidents which confirmed the desirability
of restrictions occurred on 14 November 1962: Miles Messenger VH-AVD was
being flown on a routine flight on a sheep station near Cunnamulla Queensland
when the aileron controls jammed in a left hand medium turn. The pilot
tried thumping the control stick with his hand and finally moved it far
enough to straighten the aircraft and permit it to be flown back to a
safe landing at the owner's airstrip, except that the Messenger veered
sharply to the left off the strip. On opening an inspection hole, the
pilot saw that a timber block carrying the aileron control arm had broken
from its normal position, apparently due glue failure. In the owner's
words "I decided that the best thing to do with my aircraft was to make
it so unserviceable that I would not be tempted to fly it again".
The owner invited the DCA aircraft surveyor to cut the wings open to the
point of destruction to allow unhindered inspection. The initial diagnosis
was confirmed and there was alarming evidence of adhesion breakdown in
the spars and skin-to-rib bonding. This aircraft had been hangared and
maintained throughout its life and all recommended inspections to detect
deterioration had been performed.
The following listing is presented in order of apperance on the Australian Register:
c/n untraced Miles M.28 Mercury 2 Wing Wom II VH-BBK, VH-PMG, VH-KCH
| .42 | Designed and built by Miles Experimental Department sub-factory at Liverpool Road, Reading. |
| Second prototype M.28 Mercury and the only Mercury Series 2: side
by side dual control trainer with a third seat behind with a curved
rear cabin window on each side. Fitted with 130hp DH Gipsy Major I, then 140hp Gipsy Major Mk.II, and 145hp Gipsy Major Mk IIA, all with fixed propeller |
|
| Class B registration U-0237 for flight tests. Type recorded as M.28B | |
| 13.9.42 | First flown at Woodley by Flt Lt Hugh V. Kennedy as U-0237 |
| allotted Air Ministry serial HM583 | |
| 15.1.43 | HM583 tested by Aircraft Experimental Establishment, AAEE, Boscombe Down as HM583 painted in camouflage with "P" prototype symbol |
| 17.3.43 | HM583 flown by Flt Lt Hugh Kennedy |
| 1.9.43 | last recorded test flight by AAEE with Gipsy Major |
| 25.4.44 | flown by AAEE fitted with 140hp Blackburn Cirrus Major II |
| 26.7.44 | ferried to Heston by Miles pilot Don Brown. Then based at Heston |
| 13.5.45 | service test flight at Woodley by Flt Lt Hugh Kennedy |
| 26.9.46 | HM583 test flight at Woody by Don Brown, now fitted 150hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III |
| .46 | ferried to No.5 Maintenance Unit, Kemble for storage |
| .47 | Listed for military disposal in the 6th Sale of Light Aircraft |
| 5.6.47 | Registered G-AJVX Hulland Gravel Co Ltd, Derby. Based at Burneston |
| 47 | converted for civil use, engine 150hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III |
| 11.12.47 | CofA issued |
| 10.8.48 | Change of ownership: John E. Nicholson, Houghton le Spring, County Durham, later Bedale, Yorks. Based at Croft. |
| 2.2.50 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| Sold to F.S.Burt, Australia through agents W. S. Shackleton Ltd, London | |
| 23.2.50 | Australian Registration application: Francis
S. Burt, "Yinnietharra" Station, via Carnarvon, Western
Australia. Requested registration VH-YIN be allotted |
| 27.2.50 | DCA refuse VH-YIN due being too far ahead of the current registration allocation sequence and instead allocate VH-BBK |
| 2.6.50 | Registered VH-BBK |
| Australian registration painted on aircraft during overhaul by F.G.Miles Ltd at Redhill. | |
| 7.50 |
Frank Burt has sold his Tiger Moth VH-BBA and sailed from Fremantle for
England on MV Orion to collect his Miles Mercury. He was accompanied by
his wife and neighbour, ex RAAF wartime bomber pilot Lachlan McTaggert
from "Bidgemia" Station, Gascoyne Junction WA (owner of Auster VH-KSN) to share the flying on the delivery flight to Australia. |
| On arrival in London they immediately took delivery of the Miles Mercury from Shackletons and commenced flight testing. On a flight from Redhill, Surrey to Ireland, taking Winsome Burt and Janet Williams (later to be Lachlan’s wife), the engine failed and a forced landing was made in a field near Cambridge, with no airframe damage. | |
| 21.8.50 | DCA approve first Australian landing at Wyndham WA rather than the usual Darwin NT to give a shorter crossing distance of the Timor Sea. |
| 10.50 | Redhill report: Mercury VH-BBK ex G-AJVK among recent visitors, owned by F. S. Burt, Carnarvon WA. Aircraft is named Wing Wom II |
| 30.11.50 | VH-BBK departed Lympne, England on delivery flight to Australia, flown by Frank Burt. First landing was at Le Tourquet, France where the tailwheel was fractured. It was repaired by Ian Forbes from Miles Aircraft at Redhill. |
| Flew Le Tourquet-Dijon-Marseilles-Cannes, where they stayed for 3 weeks | |
| Leisurely delivery flight continued with stopovers at Rome and Avazos in Greece. Delayed at Beirut a week waiting for engine parts from England, which Frank installed. A dust storm over Iran forced them to land at Jaska, where they were interned by the Iranian Army and held in the Army barracks for a week. Further stopovers at Lahore and Pashawar, Pakistan. Then Akyab, Rangoon, Penang, Singapore where extra fuel tanks were installed for the Timor Sea crossing. Then refuelled at Djakarta, Bali. | |
| 13.1.51 | VH-BBK arrived Darwin from Dili, Portuguese Timor |
| 17.1.51 | VH-BBK arrived Perth, WA at end of the 64 day delivery flight |
| 30.1.51 | Australian CofA issued after inspection at Maylands Aerodrome,
Perth WA Blackburn Cirrus Major III engine |
| 20.7.51 | Change of address: Francis S. Burt, "Glengarry" Station via Geraldton WA |
| Frank Burt was from a pioneer pastoralist family in the WA Gascoyne district, which owned a number of station properties. He was killed 2.12.71 in crash of a Cessna 172 on a stock mustering flight on "Brickhouse" Station near Carnarvon WA. | |
| 31.1.52 | Frank Burt flew BBK for two days with 7 other aircraft in a search for missing Auster VH-ASP, which was found crashed on "Cardabia" Station near Carnarvon WA. |
| 22.2.52 | port undercarriage leg collapsed during landing at Lancelin WA |
| 24.9.52 | CofA renewed after repair at Maylands Aerodrome, Perth |
| 17.12.53 | CofA lapsed. Burt advises DCA that the aircraft is dismantled and he will have the CofA renewed next year |
| 18.2.54 | ferried to Perth for CofA renewal at Maylands Aerodrome |
| 24.5.54 | CofA renewed at Maylands |
| 10.6.55 | Change of ownership: Gordon Greig, 218G Hunter Street, Newcastle NSW |
| 28.6.55 | Change of registration to VH-PMG Greig used this registration (his wife's initials) on four different aircraft he owned |
| 21.5.56 | Change of ownership: Kingsford
Smith Aviation Service Pty Ltd, Bankstown Airport, Sydney NSW
|
| Greig traded the Mercury to KSAS on the D.H.87 Hornet Moth VH-UUD. DCA approved transfer of Greig's preferred registration VH-PMG to the Hornet Moth and for KSAS to use one of their VH-K.. reserved registrations blocks on the Mercury. | |
| 7.8.56 | Change of registration to VH-KCH |
| 30.10.56 | Change of ownership: W. Gall, "Langawirra" Station, via Broken Hill NSW |
| This change of ownership was not recorded
in DCA Register Ledger: DCA was not notified of the change of this
ownership change until 24.5.58 in a letter from KSAS: presumably it
was a hire purchase arrangement. |
|
| 20.11.58 | Struck-off Register as "reduced to spares" |
HM583 in camouflage and Prototype markings. Miles photograph
Mercury 2 G-AJVX during 1947. Air Britain Archive
VH-BBK at Redhill, Surrey 1950. Ed Coates Collection
Re-registered VH-PMG, at Bankstown 1956. Ed Coates Collection
c/n 6372 Miles M.38 Messenger 2A VH-BJM, VH-BJH, VH-ZMM, ZK-CMM
| .47 | Built by Miles Aircraft (Northern Ireland) Ltd at
Newtownards, Belfast, Northern Ireland as a production Messenger 2A,
c/n 6372. 155hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III. Oval rear cabin windows each side of cabin |
| 30.5.47 | Registered G-AJVL Geoffrey O. Lawton, Manor House, Overseal, Burton-on-Trent, Staffs |
| First flight Newtownards under Class B registration U-9, ferried to Woodley as U-9 for painting and fit out | |
| 2.7.47 | CofA issued |
| 10.7.47 | Change of ownership: Tyne Taxis Ltd, Woolsington, Newcastle-on-Tyne |
| 1.12.49 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| 28.12.50 | Registered VH-BJM Hecker & Co Pty Ltd, Maryborough Qld |
| 20.10.63 | Struck-off Register due DCA Policy |
| 63-75 | stored complete in Hecker's small hangar at Maryborough
Airport Qld. Noted there 6.1.72, 11.5.73, 6.8.74 |
| 11.5.73 |
VH-BJM noted Maryborough in its hangar: good condition apart from
minor damage to central rudder. Main undercarriage is jacked off the
ground and tail tied to rafters of hangar. Aircraft painted brown and
red with blue registration markings. Cockpit interior complete. Owner S. W. "Jack" Hecker, Manager of Hecker Motors, Marybough advises that the engine has been turned over regularly and that the aircraft is available for sale at $A3000. |
| by 78 | Purchased by Ken E. Orrman, Shepparton Vic. Orrman also purchased Jack Hecker's airworthy PA-22 Tripacer 150 VH-SDJ |
| moved by road from Maryborough to Shepparton by Orrman, stored for planned restoration | |
| rebuild commenced by H. E. (Bill) Thompson at Frankston, Melbourne, for Orrman | |
| 11.79 | Advertised for sale by Orrman as a rebuild project, asking $A5000 |
| .80 | Purchased by Sid Lemair, Burleigh Heads Qld |
| 4.80 | arrived by road at Burleigh Heads from Victoria |
| restoration to airworthy at Caloundra Qld commenced, reportedly with help from British Miles experts, but discontinued, stored Caloundra | |
| 6.87 | Advertised for sale: "dismantled, very restorable with many
spares". Also Auster J5G VH-BYV restoration project. |
| Purchased by H.E. (Bill) Thompson, Brisbane Qld | |
| 30.12.88 | Thompson commenced the restoration to airworthy when Departmental authorisation was obtained for the rebuild method he proposed using modern synthetic glues. Thompson was a retired motor mechanic who had previously restored Auster 5 VH-BYM in Melbourne |
| 90 | Thompson wrote in 9.90 Rag and Tube magazine of Antique
Aeroplane Association of Australia: his rebuild of the Messenger officially
commenced on 30.12.88 and since then he has constructed a jig to support
the fuselage. His enquiries have revealed that there are no surviving
drawings in Britain from Messenger construction. "I started the cleaning, repairing and painting of hundreds of metal components in this so-called wooden aircraft. The time came for a start of the woodwork, so with the forward fuselage set up in the jig, I was able to remove each of the six frames and rebuild each one in turn. Now all the frames and floor sections have been rebuilt and are awaiting the scrutiny of the Engineer who is overseeing my work. The forward part of the fuselage (the fore and aft sections bolt together at the rear main spar) will be completed to the final upholstery stage before the aft section is commenced." |
| 6.8.93 | Restored to Register VH-BJH: H.
E. Thompson, Brisbane Qld Orginal registration had been reallocated to another aircraft |
| .93 |
Final asembly and painting at Archerfield Airport, Brisbane |
| .93 | First test flight at Archerfield |
| 22.8.93 | VH-BJH noted at Murwillumbah NSW, flying, dapple camouflage, invasion stripes, no serial |
| 19.9.93 | VH-BJH visited Oakey Qld airshow, camouflaged |
| 25.8.96 | VH-BJH visited Caboolture Qld airshow |
| 10.10.96 | Change of ownership: G. E. Ireland, Capalaba Qld |
| 10.10.97 | Change of ownership: Michael C. S. Apps,Canberra ACT. |
| 15.10.97 | Re-registered VH-ZMM |
| .97 | Repainted by the new owners in RAF green & brown camouflage, yellow undersides, invasion stripes, serial "RG383". Based Goulburn NSW. |
| 15.1.04 | Struck-off Register, sold to NZ |
| 22.1.04 | Registered ZK-CMM David J. Cowie, Auckland-Dairy Flat |
| .04 | Participated in NZ Cape to Bluff Air Rally, camouflaged with D Day stripes, owned David Cowie |
| 05 | Aircraft repainted aircraft as RAF "RH368" with D Day stripes to represent Monty’s first Messenger and the only one to have D-Day stripes. |
| David Cowie died.13.9.07, aircraft ownership transferred to a Cowie Family Trust. Operated by NZ Warbirds, Auckland-Ardmore, by agreement with David Cowie’s family |
|
| 24.4.11 | flying at airshow Omaka NZ, "RH368" RAF camouflage, D Day stripes |
| Current |
VH-BJH at Caboolture Qld 1993, soon after its extensive rebuild. Nigel Daw collection
ZK-CMM "RH368" at Omaka NZ in April 2011. Photo by Dave Eyre
C/n 6340 Miles M.38 Messenger 2A VH-ALN
| .46 | Built by Miles Aircraft (Northern Ireland) Ltd at
Newtownards, Belfast, Northern Ireland as a production Messenger 2A,
c/n 6340. Blackburn Cirrus Major III engine. Oval rear cabin windows |
| 27.8.46 | Registered G-AIDH William A. Rollason, Croydon Aerodrome, London |
| First flight Newtownards under Class B registration U-9, ferried to Woodley as U-9 for painting and fit out |
|
| 5.9.46 | Application for CofA made by Miles Aircraft Ltd |
| 10.1.47 | CofA issued W. A. Rollason Ltd, Croydon Aerodrome, London |
| 11.1.47 | Miles office records quote delivery date 11.1.47, Messenger No.13, purchase price £2208 13 shillings paid on 10.1.47 |
| 11.1.47 |
Leased by Rollason to Prince Birabongse of Siam, based London. Prince Bira replaced it with a Miles Gemini |
| 2.6.47 | Change of ownership: David Brown & Sons (Huddersfield) Ltd, Huddlesfield |
| 2.11.48 | Change of ownership: Whitehouse Industries Ltd, Yeadon |
| 19.10.49 | Change of ownership: Mrs. Lorna Kathleen King,
Monk Fryston, Yorkshire. Based Sherburn-in-Elmet |
| 25.9.51 | Change of ownership: W. S. Shackleton Ltd,
London (World-wide aircraft brokers) |
| 5.11.51 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| Shipped to Australia | |
| 29.2.52 | Registered VH-ALN Kirby Brothers, Brisbane Qld |
| 15.7.55 | Change of ownership: Richard F. Condon, Roma Qld |
| 21.5.56 | Change of ownership: Airwork Co, Archerfield Aerodrome, Brisbane Qld |
| 24.5.56 | Change of ownership: Fred Purdie, "Rocky Ponds" Station, Wookala Siding via Home Hill Qld |
| Purdie flew VH-ALN regularly. Painted white with navy blue trim. | |
| 2.59 | Blown on to back by a tropical cyclone at "Rocky Ponds" Station, wrecked. The aircraft was pulled from its hangar by the high winds, burying the port wingtip deep into the ground, snapping it off and smashing the rest of the aircraft on to its back. |
| Messenger was declared an insurance write-off: inspected by aircraft engineer Ivan Unwin from Mackay QLD. | |
| 4.60 | Struck-off Register due damaged in 1959 |
VH-ALN wrecked by a cyclone. Photo Chris Emerson
c/n 6376 Miles M.38 Messenger 2A VH-AVD
| .47 | Built by Miles Aircraft (Northern Ireland) Ltd at
Newtownards, Northern Ireland as a production Messenger 2A. 155hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III. Oval rear windows on each side of cabin |
| 24.6.47 | Registered G-AKAI Harben Aviation Ltd, Airport, Wolverhampton |
| First flight Newtownards under Class B registration U-9, ferried to Woodley as U-9 for painting and fit out | |
| 16.9.47 | British CofA issued |
| 11.8.48 | Change of ownership: William G. Pearson, Harvest Hartlepool, County Durham |
| 26.7.51 | Change of ownership: W. S. Shackleton Ltd,
London (World-wide aircraft brokers) |
| 19.2.52 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| Shipped to Australia | |
| 24.7.52 | Registered VH-AVD Royal Queensland Aero Club, Archerfield Aerodrome, Brisbane Qld |
| 24.7.52 | CofA issued at Archerfield |
| 19.8.55 | Change of ownership: Clifton H. Parsons, St George Qld |
| 24.6.60 | Change of ownership: R. W. Goss, Cunamulla Qld |
| 29.1.62 | Change of ownership: P. J. Clarke, "Camden" Station, via Cunamulla Qld |
| 14.11.62 | Last flight on property near Cunamulla QLD: loss of control due
woodwork deterioration, but landed safely. The owner reported to DCA that he was on a routine flight on a sheep station near Cunamulla Queensland when the aileron controls jammed in a left hand medium turn. He tried thumping the control stick with his hand and finally moved it far enough to straighten the aircraft and permit it to be flown back to a safe landing at the owner's airstrip, except that the Messenger veered sharply to the left off the strip. On opening an inspection hole, the pilot saw that a timber block carrying the aileron control arm had broken from its normal position due glue failure. He advised DCA that he had rendered the aircraft unserviceable so he would not be tempted to fly it again. See introduction above
|
| 14.11.62 | Struck-off register, owner's request. |
Archerfield 1954. Photo by Eddie Coates
c/n 4685 Miles M.28 Mercury 4 VH-AKH, VH-AKC
| .44 | Designed and built by Miles Experimental Department
sub-factory, Liverpool Road, Woodley 145hp DH Gipsy Major IIA driving a constant speed propeller. |
| Prototype and only Mercury Series IV, four-seat light transport, oval rear window on each side of cabin. Originally intended for use by RAF Air Transport Auxilliary. Painted in PR blue with red & blue roundels. | |
| Class B registration U-0243 for flight tests | |
| 10.7.44 | First flight at Woodley by Flt Lt Hugh V. Kennedy as U-0243 |
| 10.11.45 | U-0243 testflown by Miles pilot Don Brown, engine now 150hp DH Gipsy Major III |
| 16.11.45 | Registered G-AGVX Miles Aircraft Ltd, Reading Aerodrome, Berks |
| 28.11.45 | first test flight Woodley as G-AGVX, pilot Don Brown |
| 26.4.46 | British CofA issued |
| 16.4.46 | G-AGVX testflight at Woodley by Don Brown |
| 17.4.47 | Struck-off Register, sold to Switzerland |
| 6.6.47 | Swiss CofA issued |
| 1.7.47 | Registered HB-EED Aerotaxi A.G., Zurich |
| 17.2.48 | Struck-off Swiss Register, sold to Great Britain |
| 8.3.48 | Restored to British Register G-AGVX Harry W. H. Moore, London |
| 14.6.48 | British CofA renewed |
| 20.6.49 | Change of ownership: William S. Shackleton, The Willows, Bisley, Surrey |
| 31.1.50 | Change of ownership: David C. Maxwell, Bosworth Hall, Husbands Bosworth |
| 14.7.50 | Change of ownership: Ind Coope & Allsopp Ltd, Burton-upon-Trent |
| 7.51 | visited airshow at RAF Hendon |
| 28.4.52 | Change of ownership: Iain M. Erskine, Edinburgh, Scotland. Based at White Waltham |
| 23.6.52 | Change of ownership: W. S. Shackleton Ltd, London |
| 18.10.52 | noted at Old Warden in a hangar with G-AGVX painted over |
| 31.12.52 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| Shipped to Australia, assembled at Archerfield Aerodrome, Brisbane Qld | |
| 12.3.53 | DCA Australian Import Permit issued to applicant J. Hewson |
| 15.5.53 | Registered VH-AKH John Hewson, "Laguna" Station, via Charleville Qld |
| 15.5.53 | Australian CofA issued at Archerfield |
| 27.12.55 | Change of registration VH-AKC, same owner |
| 6.11.56 | Change of ownership: Dave P. Griffiths, Toowoomba Qld |
| 25.1.57 | Change of ownership: Park Pty Ltd, Toowoomba Qld |
| 10.57 | Advertisement in Aircraft magazine: Miles Mercury for sale by Airwork Company Pty Ltd, Archerfield Qld: 4 seat cabin, retractable undercarriage, CS airscrew, TT 700 hrs, 12 months CofA |
| 2.58 | Advertisement in Aircraft magazine: Airwork Co Pty Ltd. Archerfield offer for sale: DH.85, DH.89, Mk.5 Auster, Lockheed and Miles Mercury. |
| 31.12.63 | Struck-off Register "due DCA Policy" |
| 10.64 | VH-AKC noted Archerfield in hangar, all silver, complete, parked with a grounded Gemini |
G-AGVX in November 1945, just after it was civil registered. Miles photograph
HB-EED in 1947 with Aerotaxi. Photo: Air Britain Archive
c/n 6373 Miles M.38 Messenger 2A VH-AVQ
| 5.47 | Built by Miles Aircraft (Northern Ireland) Ltd at
Newtownards, Northern Ireland as a production Messenger 2A, c/n 6373.
Oval rear windows on each side of cabin. 155hp Blackburn Cirrus Major III. |
| First flight Newtownards under Class B registration U-9, ferried to Miles Aircraft Co at Woodley as U-9, for painting and fit out | |
| 30.4.47 | CofA application: Miles Aircraft (Northern Ireland) Ltd |
| 30.5.47 | Registered G-AJKG Charles E. Heckman, Ackleton Manor, near Wolverhampton, Staffs |
| 8.7.47 | CofA issued |
| 24.9.47 | Change of ownership: Ductile Steels Ltd, Willenhall Staffs. Based Wolverhampton |
| 31.5.48 | Change of ownership: Norman B. Williams, Willenhall Staffs |
| 4.3.51 | Change of ownership: William F. Stephenson,
Longton Farm, Blandford, Dorset. Based Thruxton |
| 17.5.52 | visited Wolverhampton for air show |
| 21.6.52 | Change of ownership: Robert C. Cox, Chobham, Surrey. Based Fairoaks |
| 11.52 | noted at Fairoaks |
| 5.5.53 | Rt Hon R. G. Casey, Minister for External Affairs, wrote to DCA advising them that he had purchased a Messenger G-AJKG in England through W.S.Shackleton Ltd, London and that he believed that Royal Queensland Aero Club had experience in assembly of Messengers. DCA replied that there were 3 Messengers in Australia and that RQAeC had carried out all airworthy inspections on these aircraft. |
| 5.53 | DCA allocated reg VH-BLC but Casey requested VH-AVQ “Able Victor
Queen” to celebrate the Queen’s coronation year. |
| 3.6.53 | British CofA renewed for export: Miles Aircraft (Northern Island)Ltd, Newtownards NI |
| 17.8.53 | Struck-off British Register, sold to Australia |
| 24.8.53 | Casey wrote to DCA advising that he had arranged with Mr. A. S. Luckman, Manager of RAQAeC to have the aircraft collected from the ship Port Wyndham on its arrival in Brisbane and have the aircraft assembled at Archerfield aerodrome, Brisbane. |
| 9.53 | Shipped from England to Brisbane on the ship Port Wyndham |
| 22.10.53 | Port Wyndham docked in Brisbane |
| 23.10.53 | DCA Import Permit No.431 issued to applicant Royal Queensland Aero
Club on behalf of Rt Hon R. G. Casey |
| .53 | Assembled at Archerfield by RQAeC |
| 1.12.53 | Weighed on DCA scales at Eagle Farm after CofA inspection |
| 2.12.53 | Australian CofA issued |
| 2.12.53 | Registered VH-AVQ The
Right Honorable Lord Casey of Berwick, Berwick, Vic Casey was a career politician who later became Governor General of Australia |
| Flown extensively by Lord Casey and his wife Maie, along with their
Cessna 180 VH-RGC. Both aircraft were regular visitors to Moorabbin to refuel, Messenger usually flown by Casey, and the 180 by his wife. |
|
| 11.54 | Casey writes to DCA requesting CofA be extended due delays with Schutt Aircraft at Moorabbin. The aircraft has only flown 67 hours in Australia and has been continuously hangared. DCA approve extension. |
| 24.2.61 | Departed Moorabbin in the 3 day "The Sun" Air Trial around Victoria, flown by Mr & Mrs R. Murphy |
| 25.2.62 | arrived Moorabbin from Berwick with Lord & Lady Casey to open an airshow, all silver |
| 31.3.62 | Last flight, then retired in hangar at Moorabbin |
| 1.4.62 | Struck-off Register |
| 5.62 | noted Moorabbin in back of hangar |
| 23.1.64 | noted Moorabbin in back of hangar |
| 24.1.64 | Removed from hangar at Moorabbin and moved by road to Dobby Brothers Car Wreckers, Ringwood, Melbourne Vic. |
| 28.1.64 | Reassembly at car yard began, completed 31.1.64 as a display at front of yard, engine removed but free spinning propeller. |
| 12.2.64 | noted Ringwood at car wreckers yard, allover silver |
| 31.8.65 | Purchased for £30 by Gil
Johnston, Mount Waverly, Melbourne on behalf of the Moorabbin Air Museum. All silver and white, registration in blue, aircraft in poor condition due exposure to weather and some vandalism. Purchased less engine, propeller and wheels. |
| 25.9.65 | Fuselage moved by road to Gil Johnston's home by Moorabbin Air Museum members and stored pending restoration. |
| 26.9.65 | Wings moved from car yard to Moorabbin Air Museum compound at Moorabbin Airport, for storage. |
| 66 | Restoration work on fuselage ceased due Johnston's family commitments, stored |
| .82 | Donated to Moorabbin Air Museum. Stored |
| 21.6.87 | Removed from storage at Moorabbin Air Museum. Restoration to static display standard commenced by member Ashley Briggs, an aircraft engineer, inside the museum workshop at Moorabbin Airport |
| 19.7.87 | rolled-out of museum workshop, completed in RAF camouflage with Invasion stripes, no serial. |
| .87 | loaned to Pipe Works Market, Campbellfield, Melbourne VIC where hung from roof of The Landing Strip Bar. Loaned while waiting for Moorabbin Air Museum's display hangar to be completed |
| 9.87 | noted inside Pipeworks building suspended from roof: camouflage with yellow underside |
| Moorabbin Air Museum changed its operating name to The Australian National Aviation Museum, Moorabbin Airport | |
| .00/10 | returned to Moorabbin, stored by the museum off-site pending final
restoration. Condition deteriorated during moves and storage. |
| 10 | VH-AVQ
moved to the ANAM compound for storage. It was planned to be displayed inside Lord Casey's small
hangar from the Berwick
airfield where he had previously kept his Messenger. When Berwick airfield was
sold for housing, ANAM acquired the original hangar. |
| 21 |
ANAM changed its name back to Moorabbin Air Museum. The Messenger remains in storage at the museum, in many sections, awaiting a new restoration before it can be displsyed |
VH-AVQ at Moorabbin
c1955.
Photo by Eddie Coates
Moorabbin 1957. Photo by Neil Follett
VH-AVQ at the car yard in the Melbourne suburb of Ringwood, January 1964. Photo by Peter Limon
Moorabbin Air Museum team moving VH-AVQ's mainplane from the Ringwood yard 26 September 1965. via Joe Vella
These two pictures of VH-AVQ during its 1980s rebuild in Melbourne show
the magnitude of the task.
Photos: Bob Livingstone
VH-AVQ
at Moorabbin July 1987, after restoration.
Photo by John Hopton
c/n 4702 Miles M.38 Messenger 4A VH-WYN
| .45 | Built by Miles Aircraft Ltd at Woodley Aerodrome,
Reading Built for as Messenger Mk.1 RH376. 145hp DH Gipsy Major 1D |
| Eighth production Messenger, to Air Ministry order for 150 M.38 Messengers, of which all but 21 were subsequently cancelled due improving war situation. | |
| 26.5.45 | First flight at Woodley by Flt Ltd H.V.Kennedy |
| 7.6.45 | delivered to RAF at 2nd Tactical Air Force Communications Squadron at airfield B56, near Evere, Belgium |
| 15.7.45 | Assigned to Air Chief Marshal Sir W. Sholto-Douglas, AOC-in-C, British Air Forces of Occupation, Germany. Has rank flag symbol was painted on forward fuselage. |
| 2.8.45 | BAFO Communications Squadron. |
| 46 | BAFO Communications Wing |
| 11.2.48 | No. 51 Maintenance Unit, Litchfield for storage |
| .48 | Sold to J. E. Nicholson, Croft |
| .48 | RH376 was one of 18 RAF Messengers offered for disposal |
| 18.6.48 | Registered as Messenger 4A G-ALBP John
E. Nicholson, Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham
|
| 29.7.48 | RH376 struck-off RAF charge |
| 24.10.50 | Change of ownership: Cyril G. Wheatley trading as The York Aero Club, York aerodrome |
| 10.12.50 | Change of ownership: John P. Gunner, London. Based Redhill aerodrome |
| 3.51 | Redhill Aerodrome report: The F. G. Miles Ltd hangar housed Messengers RH375 dismantled and RH376 which is undergoing overhaul. |
| 13.4.51 | CofA issued as a Messenger 4A with 145hp Gipsy Major 1D |
| 22.4.51 | G-ALBP noted at Redhill |
| 25.4.52 | Change of ownership: Phillip A. H. Wood, London |
| 6.5.52 | Change of ownership: Dennis B. Munro, Brighton, Sussex. Based Shoreham |
| 14.3.53 | Port undercarriage damaged when aircraft hit the ground heavily during takeoff at Croydon Aerodome, London when the pilot attempted to close the cabin door which had sprung open. Repaired. |
| 25.3.54 | Change of ownership: John C. Rice, Cosby, Leicester |
| 23.12.54 | British CofA renewed for export |
| 31.12.54 | Australian DCA Import Permit No.474 issued to applicant Wynne Bros |
| 3.3.55 | Change of ownership: Wynne Bros, Yarram Victoria, Australia |
| 25.4.55 | G-ALBP departed Gatwick on delivery flight to Australia, flown by Australians Arthur & Nancy Leebold, reached Australia 5.55 |
| 5.55 | Australian landfall for the Timor Sea crossing from Koepang, was Drysdale River Mission WA, which they circled then continued to land at Wyndham WA to clear customs. |
| 5.55 | Delivery flight continued Wyndham, Darwin, Daly Waters, Tennant Creek, Cloncurry, Longreach, Charleville, Bourke, Dubbo, Bankstown, Moruya, Mallacoota, Yarram where handed over to Cliff Wynne. |
| 7.7.55 | Struck-off British Register as sold to Australia |
| 7.7.55 | Australian Registration application: Clifford J. Wynne, Yarram Vic |
| 22.8.55 | Registered VH-WYN |
| 22.8.55 | Australian CofA issued |
| 5.5.59 | Cliff Wynn killed when CA-6 Wackett Trainer VH-BCP crashed on takeoff from Parkside Aerodrome, Yarram. Also killed was his passenger, Yarram grazair Herb Nicol, on whose property Parkside aerodrome had been established. |
| 14.10.60 | Change of ownership: J. W. Fleming, Melbourne VIC |
| 6.8.61 | VH-WYN noted Moorabbin, pale blue and white, silver wings |
| 28.6.62 | Change of ownership: L. R. Hodgson & Co, Balranald NSW |
| 30.9.62 | VH-WYN visited airshow at Mildura Vic, pale blue and white fuselage, silver wings |
| 6.6.63 | Struck-off Register due DCA Policy |
| 63-75 | Stored complete in shed on "Galan" Station, 80 miles north east of Balranald NSW |
| 6.66 |
Inspected in the shed by Dick Hourigan and Neil Follett from the Moorabbin Air Museum. Neil recalls: "Dick Hourigan and myself chased up the Messenger's owner with the idea of possibly acquiring it for the museum. When we got to the owner's farm near Balranald, he told us it was at his other property about 30 miles or so away. He offered to fly us over there in his PA-22 Tripacer VH-ELK. He pushed the Tripacer out of the hangar, four of us pile in, and away we went. On approaching his other property where the Messenger was stored we made a long low approach to the the claypan landing strip, the landing roll sending sheep scattering. VH-WYN was inside a shed and was complete except for the engine and propeller. The owner explained that the tailwheel had broken away from the wooden fuselage so he had reattached it using hoop iron. Then one day when taking off he lost aileron control when one aileron became a little detached from the rear spar due to glue deterioration. After that he said his mates took the engine out to stop him flying it." |
| 12.67 | VH-WYN noted in shed at "Galan". Nobody lived at the
station at that time |
| 86/04 | Loaned to Airworld Museum, Wangaratta VIC: displayed without engine but fitted with cowling and propeller, original blue & white scheme. |
| 17.3.88 | noted on display inside at Airworld,
Wangaratta, pale blue & white scheme, silver wings. Also 2.89, 4.98, |
| 1.02 | Airworld closed in late January due falling visitor numbers and costs |
| 8.2.02 | VH-WYN noted at Airworld, complete, awaiting removal, owner Barry Hodgson, Balranald NSW |
| .12 | Acquired by Brett and Len Redway |
| Displayed
at Benalla Aviation Museum at Benalla Airport Vic while work proceeds
on its restoration. The airframe has been repainted in wartime RAF markings |
Redhill Aerodrome, London 1952. Photo by Dave Freeman
Yarram, Victoria May 1955, the day of G-ALBF's arrival at the end of the delivery flight from England. Ferry pilot Nancy Leebold
and owner Cliff Wynne are at centre front. This and the next two pictures are courtesy Rob Wynn,Clifford Wynne's son
Now registered VH-WYN, parked on the sand at Wilsons Promontory, Victoria while Cliff and friends were fishing off the beach
VH-WYN at Yarram Parkside Aerodrome after it was repainted in a striking blue, white and turquoise scheme. Herb Nicol by the nose.
VH-WYN
visiting an airshow at Mildura Vic, September
1962.
Photo by John Hopton
VH-WYN stored on "Gallan" Sation, out of Balrandlad NSW in June 1966. The engine has been removed. Photo by Neil Follett
VH-WYN was among the many displayed aircraft at Drage Air World, Wangaratta Vic in January 1990. Photo by Geoff Goodall
Footnote:
DCA Import Permits were issued for two other M.38 Messengers, which apparently did not reach Australia:
3.5.54 Permit No.445 issued to applicant D.T.F. Preston, Perth WA
28.7.54 Permit No.454 issued to applicant W. G. Allen, Sydney NSW
Perth aircraft dealer
Dudley Preston had imported a Miles Gemini G-AKEN (6486) which arrived
Perth on delivery flight from England in January 1954.
It had already by on-sold and was registered VH-BTP 9.2.54 to G. B. Brandon-Brown
of Perth.
References:
- Australian Civil Aircraft Register, Department of Civil Aviation and its successors
- DCA Annual Accident Reports: 1956-1970
- DCA aircraft files, National Archives of Australia, Melbourne
- DCA Import Permit register, extracted by Melvyn Davis
- National Library of Australia - Trove newspaper archive website
- Journal, Aviation Historical Society of Australia, various 1960-1965
- British Civil Aircraft Since 1919, Vol 3 second edition, Putnam & Co Ltd, London 1974
- British Military Aircraft Serials 1911-1979, Bruce Robertson, Patrick Stephens, Cambridge 1979
- Miles Aircraft since 1925, Don L. Brown, Putnam & Co Ltd, London 1970
- Flypast, Neville Parnell & Trevor Boughton, Civil Aviation Authority, Canberra 1988
- Winged Messenger, G. J. R. Skillen, Air Britain Digest 12.74
- The Whole Truth - Miles Messenger, Air Britain Archive quarterly editions 2000-2003
- Thirty Years On, Arthur Leebold, Vintage Aircraft magazine No.34 Summer 1985
- London-Yarram Delivery Flight, Nancy Leebold, Aircraft magazine, October 1955
- The McTaggart Story, Ruth Anderson ISBN 0 646 25534 7
- Classic Wings Downunder magazine, renamed Classic Wings: reports on Messengers
- Bill Thompson's Miles Messenger, Graham Orphan, Classic Wings Downunder, April-June 1994
- Miles Aircraft-The Post-War Years, Peter Amos, Air Britain 2016
With thanks to Melvyn Davis, Tony Arbon, David Prossor for information supplied.
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