FZ647, serial number 12205, was built as a C-47A-1-DK as part of a batch of 360 constructed for the USAAF at Douglas’ Oklahoma City Plant. Many of these C-47s were supplied to British and Empire countries as well as Russia under the Lend/ Lease scheme. 12205 was delivered to the USAAF as 42-92405 on January 5th 1944 and ferried to RAF Dorval, Montreal, Canada, on January 27th. The RAF commissioned the transport as Dakota III FZ647. In view of the winter weather, the first C-47s ferried to Britain may have followed the southerly route via the Azores (see photo above) rather than the northerly route through Greenland and Iceland. FZ647 is recorded as joining 512 Squadron on February 9th 1944 (1), probably at Hendon, the London airfield where 512 had been formed in June 1943 to operate Dakotas to and from North Africa. A few days later, the Squadron moved to a new home at Broadwell in Oxfordshire between 11th and 14th February. Broadwell, Blakehill Farm and Down Ampney were three new airfields that had been constructed in the Chiltern Hills and optimised for C-47 operation ahead of the Normandy landings. Each airfield had three concrete runways and was designed to accommodate two RAF Dakota squadrons. 575 Squadron shared Broadwell with 512 Squadron while 48 Squadron and 271 Squadron RAF were at Down Ampney and 233 Squadron RAF and 437 Squadron RCAF lived at Blakehill Farm. Many of 512’s Dakotas had been built in the same 360-aircraft batch as FZ647 and, upon arrival at Broadwell, commenced intensive parachute and glider-towing training in preparation for Operation Overlord. The Dakotas returned periodically to Hendon and it was here that they were fitted with the early radio navigation systems Rebecca and GEE.
Ten Dakotas, which didn’t include FZ647, began day and night-time training flights on February 15th and the programme continued right up to D-Day. Rapid, efficient take-offs by the entire complement of thirty Dakotas was practiced along with the more complex process of mobilising a full mission of Dakotas, each towing a glider. All available aircraft were employed on formation flying exercises on March 19th, 24 Dakotas carried-out glider towing training on March 21st and sixteen crews took part in an exercise to drop paratroopers of the 3rd Parachute Brigade on 25th. FX647 is not mentioned by name until the actual D-Day operation commenced on the night of June 5th/ 6th 1944.
Airborne forces mobilised to Broadwell and similar bases and, on June 2nd, the camp was sealed while the briefing of the thirty-two crews took lace on June 3rd and 4th. The hot weather of late May broke-down into stormy conditions and D-Day was postponed 24 hours until June 6th. 512’s participation began before midnight on June 5th with the Commanding Officer, Wing Commander Coventry, taking-off at 23:15 in Dakota KG392. A further thirty-one aircraft followed, carrying troops of the 9th (Essex) Parachute Battalion, 3rd Parachute Brigade of the 6th Airborne Division. FZ647, identity letter ‘H’ , was the fourth Dakota in the air, taking-off at 23:20, piloted by F/O George, his crew comprising Sgt Burgess, F/O Hemming and F/O Hicks (2). The Dakotas flew in 3-aircraft ‘vics’ traveling at 30-second intervals to the first waypoint at Enstone and, subsequently, Fair Oaks before crossing the coast at Worthing. Ten-tenths cloud tested navigational abilities and the maintenance of safe separation following the switching-off of navigation lights demanded alert piloting. The black-and-white ‘Invasion Stripes’ on the Dakota wings and fuselages improved visibility as the Squadron headed for a dead-reckoned waypoint to the NW of Cap d’Antifer, NW of Le Havre. From here, the Dakotas headed south to cross the French coast between Ouistreham and Cabourg, their drop zone ‘V’ being some 3 miles inland. Most of the aircraft were able to drop their troops on schedule at what was considered to be the marked drop zone. Following the drop, most aircraft broke out of formation and proceeded homewards via Fecamp, a point to the north of Le Havre. Some flak was observed from the French port but none that troubled the Dakotas. The first 512 Squadron aircraft were back at Broadwell around 02:30, FZ647 at 02:50 and some which had encountered problems not until 03:35 to 03:40.
(1) From the Air Britain publication: The DC-3 – The first Seventy Years by Jennifer Gradidge.
(2) Details are from RAF documentation ‘Operation Record Books’.
Operation Tonga was a great success from the Squadron point of view: all aircraft returned safely, no aircrew were injured and all 568 paratroopers had successfully jumped over France. From the operational aspect, the mission was less spectacular: the Lancaster formation designated to hit the Paras objective, the Merville gun battery, in advance of the raid had overshot and bombed too far south; the Pathfinder’s had arrived on location but many of their radio beacons had been damaged upon landing. This had led to a reliance upon light signals and the operation of some of these was obscured by smoke from the Lancasters’ bombs. Seventeen of the Dakotas can be considered to have dropped the paratroops close to the intended DZ. The others were dropped over a wider area than anticipated. Many of the Airborne troops landed in flooded marsh and river areas and, heavily laden with equipment, some were swept away and drowned. Lt. Colonel Terry Otway, leading the 9th Para Battalion had experienced his own problems, smashing into the side of a building used as a German regiment’s HQ upon landing. Realising that he might have lost 40% of his force during the landing, Otway decided to proceed to the rendezvous point at Merville and continue with the attack. Gathering 150 of the 568 paratroops, Otway’s force attacked through minefields and were able to destroy many of the guns without fully taking the battery. Allied intelligence had indicated that the guns would have been capable of seriously compromising the landings at Sword Beach but they turned out to be older and less advanced than expected, unlikely to be a serious threat. Over half of the 150-strong British force that remained was lost during the attack and a couple of the guns were later returned to service by the Germans.
FZ647 was in action again on the evening of June 6th; Operation Mallard involved towing Airspeed Horsa gliders on a re-supply mission to Landing Zone ‘N’ for the 6th Airborne Division. Squadron Leader Rae led the mission which comprised eighteen Dakota/ glider pairs with the Horsas flown by 512’s long-time associates, ‘F’ Squadron of the Glider Pilot Regiment. Their cargo included jeeps, ordnance and troops. Buffeted by a strong crosswind, the lead Dakota was airborne at 18:40, followed a few seconds later by FZ647. The third Dakota/ glider suffered from a tow rope break which led to a slight delay but all aircraft were soon line astern heading back over Broadwell en route to cross the coast at Littlehampton. The force again routed to the eastern side of the Overlord Landings and crossed the coast at Ouistreham. The gliders were released over the Landing Zone around 21:00 and the Dakotas broke to port to return home individually. This time the flak was more sustained and Squadron Leader Rae’s Dakota, FZ690, was severely damaged. With two injured crew, one dead engine and one erratic engine, the Dakota nonetheless ditched successfully and the crew were rescued by an Air Sea rescue launch 12 miles off the coast of France. Flying Officer Chatfield, beginning his long association with FZ647, was more fortunate and he landed back at Broadwell at 22:15, the first Dakota to return. All gliders had been ‘delivered’ to the required Landing Zone and all the glider pilots returned safely to Broadwell by June 9th.
512 Squadron had completed all three D-Day missions encompassing parachute operations, glider operations and pannier dropping. The results had ranged from the very successful glider operation to the disastrous pannier drop which had left two crews missing and two Dakotas lost. The days following D-Day featured no operational flying until June 17th. Aircraft maintenance was carried-out, crew training implemented and the airmen had time to enjoy a visit to Broadwell by the Gang Show on June 7th-9th. By the second half of June, the Allies had established a beach head and bull-dozed the first Advanced Landing Grounds (ALGs) which would enable resupply and casualty evacuation. Casualty Operation E1 featured seven 512 Squadron and seven 575 Squadron aircraft. Wing Commander Coventry led the mission for 512 and made the Squadron’s first landing on French soil at ALG B5/ Le Fresne-Camilly, a mere 3 miles from German lines. Enemy shelling led to a hasty departure to a more secure B2/ Bazenville to embark casualties. Subsequent trips in June visited B6/ Coulombs and B4/ Beny-sur-Mer but, with no flying on June 26th-30th, it wasn’t until July 1st that FZ647 was operational again.
On July 1st 1944, fifteen 512 Squadron Dakotas took part in Operation Casualty E4 carrying 161 personnel and 27,500 lbs of freight to Normandy, returning with 55 evacuated casualties. FZ647, now coded ‘AH’, was piloted by F/O Chatfield with his regular crew of F/O Craske, F/O Munson and Flt Sgt Carson. For much of the rest of the month, 512 Dakotas took part in glider-tugging and pannier-dropping exercises with a handful of aircraft occupied each day on ordnance deliveries and casualty evacuation. FZ647 isn’t mentioned again in Oeprational Records until July 22nd when F/O Chatfield’s crew was one of three taking part in Operation Casualty E15. On these flights, in addition to RAF aircrew, WAAF female nurses known as the ‘Flying Nightingales’ were carried to attend to the wounded personnel. A more detailed description of the Flying Nightingale flights appears in the RAF 233 Squadron – European Operations thread.
On August 13th, ‘KG647’ is recorded as flying to Manston to collect Tactical Air Force personnel destined for B6/ Coulombs. Although KG647 did fly from Broadwell, it operated with 575 Squadron and, on this flight, the Dakota was crewed by F/O Chatfield’s team suggesting that it was, in fact, FZ647. From B6, the Dakota positioned to B14/ Amblie to collect casualties. Operation Casualty E33 followed on 21st with F/O Chatfield’s crew departing Broadwell in FZ647 at 09:15 and returning safely at 15:35. One week later, on August 28th, F/O Chatfield and FZ647 were part of a 20-Dakota operation delivering jeeps and trailers to Orleans for the SAS as the allies advanced from Normandy. A repeat mission to Orleans, this time with 18 aircraft, followed on August 30th.
September followed a regular operational pattern for F/O Chatfield’s crew in FZ647. A 14:20 lift from Broadwell on 4th carried Tactical Air Force personnel to Douai as the allied army rumbled through northern France. By 10th, 11th and 12th September, FZ647 was operating morning supply flights to destinations in Belgium and France, including Brussels, in advance of Operation Market Garden. On 16th September, Broadwell Camp was sealed while aircraft and gliders were marshalled for Market I the following day. 512 supplied 22 Dakota/ Horsa glider pairs for the Sunday afternoon landings close to Arnhem in the Netherlands. FZ647 didn’t take part in the initial phase of this overly-ambitious operation but was involved in Operation Market II on September 18th. FZ647 was airborne at 11:15 as the last of twenty four 512 Squadron Dakotas flying on this Monday morning mission. For some reason, F/O Chatfield’s crew lifted-off fifteen minutes after the main force but completed the mission safely, returning home at 17:30. Different crews flew FZ647 for the next week’s missions, all of which were resupply flights to Brussels. The Dakota was captained by Flt.Lt Clarke on 20th September, F/O McNicol on 23rd, Flt.Sgt Dawson on 25th and Sgt R.Noake on 26th. F/O Chatfield’s crew returned to FZ647 on September 27th for an 07:45, part of a 12-Dakota operation taking supplies to the newly-opened airstrip at A82/ Verdun. The Dakota was back at Broadwell at 17:35. The next day the Chatfield crew flew FZ647 to RAF Matlaske in Norfolk to collect supplies bound for B60/ Grimberghen. The return flight to Broadwell was also via Matlaske. September 29th saw Flt Lt Chew piloting FZ647 as one of fourteen 512 Dakotas taking supplies to B6/ Coulombs and returning from B43/ St.Omer with casualties. The following day, F/O Chatfield flew 647 to Brussels with supplies before returning with a load of casualties from the newly-opened front across the Netherlands.
The first two days of October 1944 saw F/O J.Parker’s crew taking FZ647 on near-identical missions: supplies to B6/ Coulombs with casualties carried on the return flight. FZ647 then disappears from the Operations Records until the end of the month. The Chatfield crew continues with operational flying but is rostered to a different Dakota for virtually every mission. FZ647 returns on 30th for a supply flight from Blakehill Farm to B70/ Antwerp in the hands of F/O F. Wright. The next day, it was P/O J.Proctors turn to fly FZ647 ‘AH’ to B58/ Brussels Melsbroek with supplies before returning with casualties uplifted from B70/ Antwerp.
On November 1st, normal service was resumed with F/O Chatfield flying FZ647 with supplies to B78/ Eindhoven, returning with casualties on a 4 hour 30 minute operation. F/O Benson’s crew took supplies to Brussels Nivelles in FZ647 on 4th while F/O Wright and F/O Chatfield repeated the operation on, respectively, November 5th and 6th. The Chatfield crew remained with FZ647 for a supply flight to Antwerp on November 7th, an 8-aircraft operation to Eindhoven on 18th and a flight from Blackbushe to B72/ Cambrai on 19th. F/O Inman departed base at 06:15 on 21st for a flight carrying supplies from the grass airfield at Warmwell in Dorset to Eindhoven and, subsequently, Brussels. Nine aircraft lifted from Broadwell at 10:00 on 29th November, outbound for B77 Gilze-Rijen with army stores. FZ647’s captain was RNZAF officer Flt.Lt Buchanan.
December was a relatively quiet month for FZ647 with supply flights to Gilze-Rijen on 17th and 18th. Casualties were evacuated on the return sectors with the Dakota captained by Flt.Lt Marshall and Flt.Lt Carpenter respectively. F/O Flax’s crew delivered army food to Eindhoven on a pre-Christmas flight on December 22nd. In 1944, the peace of Christmas was severely disrupted in Belgium by the Wehrmacht’s Ardennes offensive, the Battle of the Bulge. FZ647 was one of ten 512 Squadron Dakotas sent to RAF Beaulieu in the New Forest to collect US troops bound for A83/ Denain (although this was some way from the Ardennes).
Operational flying in 1945 only began for FZ647 on January 26th when a 3-man crew headed by F/O Benson was part of a 7-Dakota supply mission to Brussels-Melsbroek. After another quiet spell, the same crew were part of a 10-aircraft mission taking army personnel to B75/ Brussels-Nivelles on 13th February 1945. The operation was repeated the following day with Flt.Lt Buchanan RNZAF in command of FZ647. On 24th/ 25th and 26th February, F/O Chatfield returned to command FZ647 with a series of double lifts carrying general freight to B75/ Brussels, returning with 6th Airborne personnel. Each day’s operation totaled around seven and a half hours. FZ647’s last flight in February was as part of a 3-aircraft operation taking supplies to B50/ Vitry-en-Artois.
From March 14th onwards, 512 Squadron was involved in exercises immediately prior to the Rhine Crossing. Flt.Lt Thomas flew FZ647 on the Vulture IV exercise on 14th with 38 Group and 46 Group aircraft towing gliders to a pre-arranged rendezvous followed by a formation flight to a specified release location. Other aircraft had spent much of March practicing pannier drops. The fifteen Dakotas on Vulture IV included FZ647 and spent a successful two hours and forty minutes on the glider exercise. On the following day, the Commanding Officers of 512 Squadron and 575 Squadron each flew much of the planned route for the Rhine Crossing, Operation Varsity. They departed Gosfield in Essex, crossed the North Sea and flew as far as Bethune in Northern France, towing gliders as would be the case on the actual operation. Returning to Broadwell, the senior officers briefed the crews of their respective Squadrons. In the meantime, 512 Squadron Dakotas continued with logistics flights on March 15th, 16th and 17th, mostly to B75/ Brussels-Nivelles. FZ647 was in action on March 18th with F/O Dight’s crew and three others positioning to Warmwell to collect 15 members of 41 Squadron and their kit for delivery to B78/ Eindhoven. The return flight to Warmwell carried eleven passengers from 350 Squadron. On March 21st, twenty-four 512 squadron Dakotas, including FZ647 flown by F/O Dight, and five further ‘spare’ aircraft departed from Broadwell at 16:47 for the 45 minute flight to Gosfield. 575 Squadron accompanied them and fellow Transport Command squadrons 233 and 437 (RCAF) also moved to Essex prior to Operation Varsity. Although the Squadron was initially expecting an operation called Meteor, they were subsequently fully briefed for ‘Varsity’. 512 Squadron, led by Wing Commander Dutton, was to have the big responsibility of being at the head of the British stream.
At 06:00 on March 24th 1945, Wing Commander Dutton took off from Gosfield in KG590 at the start of Operation Varsity, the largest airborne invasion in World history. The twenty-four Dakotas of 512 Squadron each towed a Horsa Glider flown by the Glider Pilot Regiment and carrying troops from the Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry and the Royal Ulster Rifles. The Commanding Officer of 46 Group, L.Darvell, flew in the second Dakota as co-pilot to 512’s Squadron Leader Mostyn-Brown. FZ647, again flown by F/O Dight, was the eighth aircraft airborne at 06:07, the sky still dark and some light mist compromising formation flying. The aircraft and gliders flew south-east in loose pairs to Bethune, then north-east to Wavre and the Rhine. The sheer number of aircraft involved was potentially hazardous with the USAAF 9th Troop Carrier Command C-47s carrying paratroops flying closely below the RAF stream. The flight was, otherwise, routine until Weeze, just over the Dutch border, where 512 Squadron experienced heavy flak rising to 2500′. One glider was released just short of the Rhine, but the remaining 23 Dakotas successfully delivered their gliders to the designated Landing Zones to the east of the Rhine. As the Dakotas turned to port in preparation for dropping the now-redundant tow ropes, Dakota FZ649, flown by Flt.Lt Cliff Chew, was hit by flak. As the fuel tanks ruptured the aircraft caught fire and broke in two. Only one parachute was seen to open – this was later confirmed to be that of Radio Operator Warrant Officer P.Hughes. Captain Flt Lt. Chew, Second Pilot Flt.Sgt Harold Gravett and Navigator Warrant Officer Geoff Newman were all killed. The remaining Dakotas of the Squadron continued to land safely at B56/ Brussels-Evere although some were also hit by shrapnel. After a brief stand-by in Brussels, it was decided that no further resupply was necessary and the Squadron returned to Broadwell on March 26th. The advance was firmly established on the east bank of the Rhine and it was decided that, as from March 31st, nineteen 512 Squadron Dakotas and one Anson would move on-detachment to Brussels-Evere. FZ647 was one of the detached Dakotas along with the crew of F/O Chatfield.
Brussels Evere had been built by the Germans during WW1, operated as Brussels main airport in the inter-war period and re-occupied by Germany in May 1940. Although bombed by the Allies, it wasn’t in particularly bad shape when liberated by the British on September 3rd 1944. Designated Advanced Landing Ground B56, it was back in action as a key forward field for the allied C-47s within three days. Evere also had a ‘twin’ airfield just a few kilometres away: Melsbroek had been under consideration as a replacement site for the restricted Evere-Haren airfield since 1936 but the airfield had only been constructed by the Germans during WW2. Unusually, its proximity to Evere was exploited by the construction of a kilometres-long taxiway. Melsbroek, also liberated in September 1944, was designated B58 and also became a base for RAF Transport Command.
FZ647’s first ‘live’ mission from B56/ Evere involved F/O Chatfield’s crew. They lifted-off at 07:30 on April 2nd as the first of three Dakotas positioning to B61/ Sint Denijs to collect twenty-five RASC drivers. FZ647 was followed by the Squadron CO, Wing Commander Dutton, in KG590, at 10:00 and Flt.Lt Thomas in KG616 at 12:45. The three Dakotas then flew south to Y-14, the airport at Marseille Marignane, where they night-stopped. FZ647 departed Marseille the following morning en route to Northolt, via a stop at A54/ Le Bourget, with 3800 lbs of mail. From there, the Dakota hopped to Broadwell empty before heading on to B75/ Nivelles on April 4th carrying 2000 lbs of petrol tanks. Nivelles was, in many ways, Brussels’ third airport and the Dakota returned empty to Evere, a distance of only around 25 miles (40km). The following day F/O Dight and his crew transported twenty-six released Indian ex-POWs from Evere to Methwold in Norfolk.
On April 24th, Flt Lt.Ismay hopped FZ647 south to B75/ Nivelles with two passengers destined for B118/ Celle along with 5016 lbs of petrol. One passenger then flew on to B108/ Rheine where 1570 lbs of tents were uplifted for return to the Squadron at Evere. On 25th April, FZ647 was on the way to B114/ Diepholz again under the command of W/O Masini with 2300 lbs of supplies. Eighteen casualties were returned to Evere and the Dakota reloaded with 5040 lbs of jet fuel for 616 Squadron’s Gloster Meteors which had recently arrived at B152/ Fassberg from Gilze-Rijen via Nijmegen and B109/ Quackenbruch. Unfortunately, FZ647 burst a tyre upon landing at Fassberg and W/O Masini had to leave the Dak behind for the night. By the following evening, the tyre had been replaced and Flt.Lt Ismay delivered an empty FZ647 home to Evere. The next day, 27th April, FZ647, flown by F/O Harcus, set-off on the regular mission to collect 21 RASC drivers from B61/ Sint Denijs for transport to Y14/ Marseille. As usual, the Dakota night-stopped at the Mediterranean airport before heading north to A54/ Le Bourget with 3752 lbs of mail and one passenger. Three passengers were then transferred to Brussels-Evere. There was an attempt to repeat the operation the following morning but W/O Shedley’s crew was recalled to Brussels owing to poor weather and icing. They later made it to Sint Denijs to collect the 22 drivers bound for Marseille. The return flight carried two passengers and 1629 lbs of mail directly to B56/ Evere.
As WW2 drew to a close, the Brussels detachment of 512 Squadron continued their valuable work from B56/ Evere. FZ647’s operations can be summarised as follows:
May 1st: F/O Gill, 11:00 lift from Evere to B118/ Celle with 5177 lbs of petrol. return to Brussels with 29 casualties and one passenger.
May 2nd: Sqdn. Ldr H.McLeod flew the Dakota empty to Broadwell, possibly to enable maintenance.
May 6th: Flt.Lt Pearson returns FZ647 to B56/ Brussels with 24 Squadron passengers.
May 7th: P/O Garvin and FZ647 deliver 8 Naval personnel and kit to B111/ Ahlhorn, near the port of Bremen. Empty to Brussels after the no-show of planned complement of ex-POWs.
May 13th: Taking-off at 06:30, W/O Masini flew two missions from Evere to Dunsfold carrying ex-POWs: 30 on the first, 35 on the second. A third flight carried 35 ex-POWs from Brussels to RAF Wing.
May 15th: The Garvin crew returned to FZ647 for an 06:55 lift en route to B154/ Reinsehlen with 3500 lbs of stores. To B156/ Luneburg to collect 30 ex-POWs bound for Brussels. Onwards to Dunsfold with 35 ex-POWs before an empty leg to Evere.
May 19th: FZ647 returned from Broadwell, probably after maintenance. F/O Garvin’s crew plus three Squadron personnel.
May 20th: Evere to Luneburg with 4628 lbs of stores/ ordnance, 25 passengers on to Melsbroek, return to Luneburg to collect 30 ex-POWs bound for Evere.
May 21st: F/O Allen, Evere to Reinsehlen with 4200 lbs of rations. On to Luneburg to collect 30 ex-POWs bound for B56/ Evere. Next, a return to Netheravon carrying 21 troops outbound.
May 23rd: The Garvin crew took FZ647 on a shuttle to Luneburg via Lubeck carrying 2300 lbs of beer and passengers. Onwards to Vorst with 4500 lbs of equipment plus 14 passengers, 2500 lbs of freight back to Brussels.
May 25th: Returned to Broadwell with Squadron personnel.
May 29th: Traveled Broadwell to Brussels with Squadron personnel.
May 30th: F/O Chatfield’s crew traveled to Luneburg to collect 16 Provost Marshalls bound for Stavanger. Returned to Brussels.
May 31st: W/O Hildrew’s crew flew B56 to Luneburg to collect seven Provost Marshalls bound for Stavanger, Norway.
June 1945 operations for FZ647 from B56/ Brussels Evere:
Jun 1st: F/O Chatfield, 07:45 lift from Evere taking four Squadron maintenance personnel to Lille. Returned to Brussels carrying one passenger to Nivelles, empty to Evere, then empty to Ghent. Nineteen RAF personnel taken to Croydon before an empty leg back to Brussels.
Jun 2nd: Displaced Persons flights: P/O Garvin RNZAF departed Evere at 07:35 bound for Luneburg with 24 released POWs. The return to Brussels carried 25 ex-POWs. F/O Lewis then made an afternoon flight to Mengen, south of Stuttgart, in FZ647 to collect 26 British civilian internees destined for Hendon. Return to Brussels empty.
Jun 4th: P/O Don Shedley RAAF (now promoted from Warrant Officer) carried 21 RAMC drivers to Celle before flying to Luneburg empty and, oddly, via Oslo. Twenty-five ex-POWs were returned to Brussels.
Jun 5th: F/O Chatfield took seventeen ATS ladies to Luneburg. twenty-seven Displaced Persons were embarked for Brussels. The route was then repeated with twenty-one Welsh Guardsmen outbound and twenty-five DPs inbound.
Jun 7th: Flt.Lt Clarke , 07:42 lift to Wunstorf with 27 ATS personnel. Flying on to Luneburg, 25 ex-POWs were returned to Brussels before FZ647 headed back to Luneburg to collect another 25 released POWs
Jun 8th: F/O Chatfield took thirty ex-POWs from Brussels to Luneburg, 25 Displaced Persons back to Brussels. Returned to Luneburg to collect a further 23 DPs bound for Brussels.
Jun 9th: F/O Lewis RCAF had an 07:35 lift in FZ647 heading for Vorst. Twenty passengers were taken on to Wunstorf, the Dakota returning to Evere to collect a further 21 passengers for Wunstorf.
Jun 12th: F/O Wheater positioned to Fuhlsbuttel with five other aircraft to collect twenty troops from 1st Commando destined for Blackbushe. The return flight to Brussels was empty.
Jun 13th: F/O Wheater delivered 40 lbs of film to Fuhlsbuttel, collected 21 Displaced Persons and returned to Brussels-Melsbroek. The Dakota then transferred to Evere, possibly by air, possibly along the interconnecting taxiway. 1300 lbs of freight and one passenger were uplifted for an afternoon flight to Croydon and return to B56/ Evere.
Jun 14th: F/O Chatfield and two crew lifted at 07:10 en route to Stade to collect 1000 lbs of petrol destined for Oslo Fornebu. The return, empty, was via Copenhagen. A maintenance break in the UK may have followed before:
Jun 21st: F/O Chatfield’s 3-strong crew flew to Twente in the Netherlands to collect 20 WAAF personnel bound for Croydon. The return to Evere carried ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) freight.
Jun 23rd: F/O Chatfield flew FZ647 with 2200 lbs of 609 Squadron’s kit plus eighteen passengers to Fairwood Common in Wales. Taking-off, the Dakota headed for Munich via Wunstorf. Twenty-five DPs were picked-up and transferred to Luneburg before a return was made, empty, to Evere.
Jun 24th: F/O Chatfield and two crew flew from B56 to St Denijs to collect 2770 lbs of yeast bound for Diepholz. The Dakota returned via Luneburg to collect 24 Displaced Persons bound for Evere.
Jun 25th: F/O L.Hawdon flew to Wunstorf with 17 passengers, returned to Evere with 16 passengers before repeating the circuit with sixteen passengers out and eight back.
Jun 26th: F/O Chatfield: Brussels to Le Bourget with 23 passengers, back with nine.
Jun 27th: F/O Chatfield: Brussels to Wunstorf with 2016 lbs of freight and ten passengers. To Brussels with ten passengers before repeating the circuit with eleven passengers to Wunstorf, five to Evere.
Jun 30th: Flt Lt McNichol took seventeen passengers to Wunstorf, repositioned to Lubeck and took five passengers to Farnborough. After a night stop, FZ647 flew empty to Brussels on July 1st.
July 3rd: Flt.Lt Alder took off in FZ647 at 08:40 heading for Fuhrsbuttel with 3000 lbs of general freight. The next sector, to Hustedt, carried 2060 lbs of freight before a return was made, empty, to Brussels.
July 4th: Brussels to Croydon to collect twenty RAF personnel bound for Brussels.
July 6th: P/O Shedley RAAF flew FZ647 back to Broadwell with 4000 lbs of Squadron freight and thirteen passengers at the end of the 512 Squadron detachment to Brussels.
July 8th: P/O Shedley’s crew collected 4989 lbs of freight from Down Ampney for delivery to Gutersloh. After a night stop, the aircraft returned empty to Broadwell.
July 11th: P/O Shedley collected two passengers from Northolt, flew to Detmold, then on to Fuhrsbuttel where twenty passengers were embarked for Gatow, Berlin. Again, the aircraft night-stopped before returning empty to Broadwell the next day.
July 13th: F/O Winser, 07:45 lift to Boreham, Essex, where freight destined for Norway was consolidated. 5000 lbs of freight was loaded for Oslo. Night-stopping in Norway, FZ647 continued to Brussels with sixteen Displaced Persons on July 14th.
July 15th: F/O Winser, 13:25 departure from Evere for Detmold with 1980 lbs of mail, on to Lubeck with 2500 lbs of mail, back to Detmold with 2338 lbs of mail and, finally, to Evere with 1630 lbs of mail. Empty to Broadwell the following day.
During the second half of July the predominantly Belgium/ Germany oriented missions of 512 Squadron changed with the advent of Operation Chancery, the transfer of troops to and from the Middle and Near East. The first aircraft to depart on these flights, Dakota IV KN499, lifted-off from Broadwell bound for Elmas in Sardinia at 09:40 on July 18th. Flown by Sqdn Leader Mostyn-Brown, the aircraft carried Lt.Col. F.Murdoch, presumably the senior army representative, three further 512 Squadron aircrew and a reported twenty reserve crew members. The aircraft flew on to Lydda in Palestine the following day but its progress further east is not recorded. Four further Dakotas departed for Elmas on July 20th as the first wave and a further four on 21st. Each of these eight aircraft carried twenty 6th Airborne Division troops and proceeded to Lydda on the second day of their journey. The third wave, also four Dakotas, KG582/ KG371/ KG348/ KG368 departed on 22nd, the fourth wave on July 23rd. This fourth wave comprised KK193, KG330, KN253 and our subject, FZ647. On July 24th the ffifth and final wave departed from Broadwell while all the fourth wave Dakotas successfully traveled from Elmas to Lydda via El Adem.
The eventual destinations of the Dakotas would be Mauripur/ Karachi in present-day Pakistan and Poona in India. The first 512 Squadron Dakotas arrived in Mauripur on July 25th and some aircraft continued to Poona as from July 28th before beginning to retrace steps to the UK. The Squadron’s Operational Records seem to be missing some detail from July 25th and 26th and only two of the fourth wave Dakotas are noted flying between Lydda and Sh’aiba in Iraq on July 27th. KK193 and KG330 eventually reach Mauripur on 28th, five days after leaving Broadwell. KN523 disappears from the scanned logs until noted heading home to Broadwell between July 31st and August 3rd. Of FZ647 there appears to be no further trace in 512 Squadron logs. She may have run into difficulties somewhere in Palestine or Iraq – not an unusual concept in modern history- and been moved to her next recorded stop, a military disposal centre in Egypt. However, it should be noted that one 512 Dakota which did complete the round trip to India, KG322, also ended her RAF service alongside FZ647 at the Payne Field Disposal Centre near Cairo.
Meanwhile, 512 Squadron moved from Broadwell to Holme-on-Spalding Moor in Yorkshire on August 6th 1945 and any aircraft on the troop missions to India arriving home after that date proceeded directly to Holme after depositing the homeward-bound soldiers at Merryfield. The Squadron flew some flights around Britain and to the Middle East from Holme but, otherwise, most operations were linked to training. On October 8th 1945, the Squadron’s Dakotas moved to RAF Qastina in Palestine in order to maintain freight and postal services between Naples and the Persian Gulf. With tensions rising in Palestine, the Squadron soon moved to RAF Gianaclis in Egypt. Remaining in North Africa between 24th October and 2nd December 1945, 512 then moved to Bari in Italy where they were to remain until 23rd February 1946. Departure from Bari for the UK continued until March 1946 and, upon arrival in England, the Squadron was disbanded.
FZ647 remained on 512’s books until October 10th 1945 (1) and is recorded as being demobbed from the US Army & Navy Lquidation Commission’s Payne Field air base in Egypt during July 1946. The Dakota was sold to Turkey’s national airline, DHY on July 25th 1946 as one of a number of redundant allied C-47s. DHY acquired 33 ex-military Dakotas, not all from Egypt, and, of these, ten had an RAF (or South African Air Force) heritage. Six of the ten had served with 216 Squadron RAF, an organisation which had flown from Egyptian airfields during WW2. KG503 and KG704 had both served with 44 Squadron SAAF which operated in North Africa and, subsequently, Bari in Italy. 44 Squadron was disbanded while in Bari and replaced by 512 Squadron. KG322 had been with 512 Squadron on the UK to India troop flights and probably transferred to Palestine/ Egypt at the end of 1945. It is possible that both FZ647 and KG322 became unserviceable during operation from Palestinian/ Egyptian airfields and went for local disposal rather than return to the UK. It is also possible that these two RAF aircraft and the two SAAF Dakotas were flown to Payne Field from Bari. Either way, all ten of the ex-RAF/ SAAF Dakotas were sufficiently serviceable to be nominally sold to DHY on July 25th 1946 (KG704 actually on 26th) in the same deal.
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