Presented by Australian Government to Netherlands Navy
In 1952 the Australian Government announced that it would present six Catalinas to the Dutch Goverment, for use by their Navy (MLD) in Dutch New Guinea. All were PBY-5A amphibians, in open storage at RAAF Rathmines. Their weathered condition required complete overhauls, which the RAAF no longer had the capacity to carry out, so a contract was awarded to Bristol Aviation Services at Bankstown Airport, Sydney.
The overhauls took place over the next 18 months. A Sydney newspaper report on 27.6.54 stated that so far only one Catalina had been completed and flown to Biak and that the overhaul cost which was estimated to be £192,000 would be closer to £300,000.
Each aircraft was collected by Dutch crews and ferried to Biak, Netherland New Guinea. There they were only operated for several years before replaced by MLD Martin Mariners:
A24-92 to MLD 16-223, spares recovery only
A24-99 to MLD 16-224, scrapped at Biak 1.57
A24-104 to MLD 16-220, scrapped at Biak 11.56
A24-110 to MLD 16-221, delivered via Brisbane 20.7.54, scrapped at Biak 8.56
A24-111 to MLD 16-222, scrapped at Biak 4.58
A24-112 to MLD 16-225, scrapped at Biak 1.57