The first Junkers G31 delivered to Lufthansa at Croydon after the type's first international flight, via Amsterdam. From a Dutch newspaper I gather that the date should be 1 May 1928. The G31de was powered by Gnome-Rhône-built Bristol Jupiter engines. Aircraft named after the pilot of the Junkers W33 D-1167 Bremen. Later, D-1310 was converted to G31ho with lengthened fuselage and Pratt & Whitney Hornet engines. To D-ADIN in 1934. To German Air Ministry in 1935.

The last of eight G31s for Lufthansa, built in 1930. Fitted with Hornet engines in 1931. Later D-ADUR. On the left is Rohrbach Ro VIIIa Roland D-1327 Hohentwiel, also of Lufthansa. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

Loading a steam boiler for the Bulolo gold mine through the G31's top hatch, see other photo of this airframe. Photo from: Leiden University Libraries

Impressed into the RAAF as A44-1 in 1942. Peter N Johnson photo.

The prototype of the Junkers G31, clearly at Tempelhof. The G24 in the background is D-946 which dates the photo before September 1928. It looks like the G31 has three BMW VI engines at this point. This airframe eventually went to New Guinea as a G31go freighter, VH-URQ, fitted with P&W Hornet engines and strengthened with a second horizontal tailplane. Photo from: ETH-Bibliothek Zürich

The G31 was a large airliner seating 16 passengers. Only 13 examples were built. The unusual tail configuration here reveals the dual national flags to be carried by German aircraft from 6 July 1933 - the black-white-red flag on the starboard side and the swastika flag on the port side. The swastika flag became the only German flag in September 1935. Photo by: Willem van de Poll / Nationaal Archief (Netherlands)

Stinson SR-7 VH-URC is loaded into VH-URQ after an accident at Wau. -URC never flew again and is presumed destroyed when the Japanese occupied Lae. -URQ was destroyed in a Japanese raid on Bulolo on January 21, 1942.

Three of Guinea's G31s, with VH-UOV (Bulolo 2 Peter) to the left and VH-URQ (Bulolo 3 Pat) to the right. Waco 10T VH-ULV in the background. -UOU has its cabin roof removed which allowed the loading of cargo too big for the door, such as vehicles and a dismantled gold dredge. -UOU was destroyed by enemy action at Bulolo on January 21, 1942.

Three of Guinea Airways four G31s receiving attention . The fleet comprised VH-URQ (c/n 3000), VH-UOU (3011), VH-UOV (3012) and VH-UOW (3010). Those not destroyed by Japanese bombing in World War II were impressed by the RAAF. Photo from George Cannon, a former G31 pilot with Guinea AW.

Photo taken from a Ford Trimotor over the Snake River Valley en route Bulolo to Lae. The Junkers were used to haul cargo to gold mines at Bulolo and Wau. The roof could be removed to allow large objects such as cars to be loaded. Former Guinea Airways Junkers G31 pilot George Cannon supplied the photo.