G-AAEV Youth of Britain
Peter, the aircraft is a de Havilland DH.61 Giant Moth G-EEAV (Youth of Britain) c/n 335 used by Sir Alan Cobham on his Africa tour in 1929/1930. It crashed at Broken Hill, N.Rhodesia on 19 January 1930.
From May to October Sir Alan Cobham flew to cities and towns throughout Britain in his De Haviland Giant Moth G-AAEV, ‘Youth of Britain’, in a campaign to convince local authorities of the need for municipal airports. It was a tour of heroic proportions in which 3,500 mayors and councillors and 10,000 scholl children were given free flights, sponsored by Lord Wakefield of Hythe, and 250,000 other joy flights were made. (Lord Wakefield of Hythe. A former Lord Mayor of London and Proprietor of Castrol Oil. A man with a large fortune and a zealous commitment to public service and upholding the prestige of the City.)
I have a great image of the aircraft at Nairobi in early January 1930 prior to leaving for the Cape. I am writing a book on the history of aviation in East Africa and would be also interested in any images you may have of this aircraft and other relevant aircraft. Email me and I will send you what I have.
Steve