VH-UFW "Western Star" or "Perseus":- Early QANTAS aircraft name overlaps

[John Werner]

There appears to be a common naming overlap in early Qantas records. While some historical sources associate the name "Western Star" with VH-UFW, Qantas records frequently identify VH-UFW by the name "Perseus." 
Role: Like many DH.50s in the Qantas fleet, VH-UFW was used for mail, passenger services, and aerial ambulance work during the 1920s and 30s.
Fate: It was part of the early "mantle of safety" fleet but was written off after a crash in Capella, Queensland, on 19 July 1936.

Attached photo is of a DH-50 on the main beach at Yeppoon taken by my mother whilst on her honeymoon there in June 1936.  This aircraft clearly bears the identifications VH-UFW and "Western Star" together when QANTAS records state that VH-UFW was named "Perseus".  The QANTAS DH-50 with registration VH-UER was the first Royal Flying Doctor Service (RFDS) aircraft, a  de Havilland DH-50 named "Victory".  On 17 May 1928, "Victory" performed the first official flight for the Australian Inland Mission Aerial Medical Service (now the RFDS) from Cloncurry to Julia Creek.  The aircraft was leased from QANTAS for two shillings per mile.  VH-UER is famously depicted on the Australian $20 note alongside RFDS founder Reverend John Flynn.

In the background of the photo, there is a second DH-50 on the beach behind VH-UFW "Western Star" which I suspect was another QANTAS DH-50 with the name "Perseus" but that aircraft cannot be VH-UFW because it is clearly the DH-50 in the foreground.  In conclusion, I think QANTAS made a mistake in their record keeping and inadvertantly switched names.

Edited 10 hours ago by John Werner
Typo of "mstake"