The Fokker D.VII in Australia

After the war, a number of German aircraft were sent to Australia as war booty. Among these was Fokker D.VII ‘8371/18’, one of seven D.VII’s collected in France. Of all these captured aircraft, only a few D.VII’s were fit to fly.

After arrival in Australia, it was exposed in the Exhibition Building in Melbourne from 18 june 1920 until 3 july 1920.

Part of the aeroplane display in the Melbourne Exhibition Building, in the foreground a Fokker D.VII, probably the ‘8371/18’ (picture: Australian War Memorial)

When the De Havilland DH-9 with Parer and McIntosh arrived in Melbourne in august 1920, they were greeted by an aerial escort of different aircraft, among which was a Fokker D.VII that could have been the ‘8371/18’.

Part of the article from the newspaper Argus of 1 september 1920 (source: http://trove.nla.gov.au)

On 23 february 1925 there was a fire at the Exhibition Buildings in Melbourne where several war trophys were stored. These were waiting for transfer to Sydney to be displayed in an exhibtion. In this fire, six German war trophy aircraft were destroyed. When the exhibition was opened in Sydney, only a German Albatros was on display. So propably the Fokker D.VII was destroyed in this fire.

Part of the article from The Sydney Morning Herald of 24 february 1925 (source: http://trove.nla.gov.au)