KG441 was built as a C-47A-10-DK with construction number 12476 at the Oklahoma City plant during 1944. Delivered on 8th February 1944 with the USAAF serial 42-92652, the Dakota was transferred to the RAF under Lend/ Lease and flew to Dorval, Montreal, on February 14th. Ten days later, KG441 was recorded as arriving in the UK and, on February 29th, the Dakota was assigned to 233 Squadron. As part of the Squadron’s first batch of C-47s, KG441 was probably prepared for operations at RAF Gosport before briefly lodging at RAF Bircham Newton during the first few days of March 1944. 233 Squadron’s ground party arrived at their new-build airfield in Wiltshire, Blakehill Farm, on March 5th and the first dozen Dakotas arrived two days later. KG441 and the initial batch of aircraft commenced conversion training on March 8th and continued with glider towing and paratroop training throughout April and May 1944.
The training was in preparation for Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, D-Day June 6th 1944. KG441 wasn’t on the original Operation Tonga which took to the air late on June 5th, but was scheduled to fly on the subsequent re-supply mission, Operation Rob Roy, on the evening of June 6th. The Dakota was part of 21 aircraft heading to resupply the British 6th Airborne to the east of the River Orne and took-off from Blakehill Farm at 22:20 on June 6th. However, following electrical problems, Flt. Lt. Lestang had to pull out of the formation. Following a second attempt, the Dakota had to return to base. KG441’s next mission was on June 16th when, as one of five aircraft delivering bombs, the destination was the newly-established Advanced Landing Ground B2 at Bazenville. Once again, there were technical issues and Flt Sgt Curtis had to land early at B4/ Beny-sur-Mer, owing to engine failure. The cargo of eight 500 lb bombs was offloaded at B4. The same crew had a second chance on June 20th when KG441 lifted at 14:06 en route to B2 with ordnance and spares. The six aircraft on the operation returned with 97 stretcher-case casualties and 29 walking wounded. The Dakota was back on the ground at 21:05 ready for a repeat operation the following day when Flt Sgt Curtis’s crew was part of a three-aircraft flight taking bombs to B2 and returning to Down Ampney with 54 stretcher cases and nine walking wounded. 233 Squadron was the first unit to carry the ‘Flying Nightingale’ WAAF nursing auxiliaries on the operations which delivered munitions and subsequently evacuated wounded soldiers to Blakehill Farm, Broadwell and Down Ampney.
KG441 also flew on a 19-aircraft logistics mission at the end of June delivering troops and vehicles of 93 Forward Staging Post to B8/ Sommervieu. July, however, seems to have been a quiet month for KG441 with no flights recorded in the operations log. There were, however, training exercises with all available Dakotas taking part in formation flying and Eureka navigation practice on July 5th. A large 5-squadron exercise took place at the end of the month. Ninety aircraft of 46 Group RAF took part in the Rowanberry exercise which was designed to practice the fast unloading and loading of aircraft under enemy fire. The Blakehill Farm Dakotas joined formation with other 46 Group transports and flew, via the Isle of Man, to RAF Tealing, just north of Dundee. The army deplaning and reloading went relatively well and the airborne armada reversed the route to their home airfields.
The first couple of weeks of August 1944 saw KG441 delivering mail and freight to B14/ Amblie on 1st, 4th and 8th of the month. Mail, empty blood plasma boxes and walking wounded were carried on the return flights. Flight Sergeant Curtis remained the regular pilot in command although Warrant Officer Mills flew KG441 on 18th August for a flight transferring personnel from Northolt to B8/ Sommervieu prior to evacuating passengers from Amblie to Blakehill Farm. Indeed, much of the month was taken up by mail, freight and newspapers with runs to B14/ Amblie on 20th, 23rd, 26th and 30th. WO Green carried an interesting cargo of 20 motorcycles and six passengers to Amblie on 25th and there were emergency food aid flights to Paris at the end of the month. The German withdrawal from the French capital had created a critical shortage of food and the advancing allies had to fly large quantities of basic materials to Orleans airfield. FO Hyne captained KG441 on August 27th for a flight to Orleans as part of a 24-Dakota armada which delivered 120,000 lbs of staple foods. Orleans had only recently been liberated and the runways of the aerodrome had previously suffered greatly from allied bombing. The sappers had effected basic repairs but the surfaces remained rough and KG441 experienced hydraulic problems upon landing. US personnel quickly rectified the damage and the Dakota was back in the air four and a half hours later.
Flt.Sgt. Curtis was back in command of KG441 on September 4th as part of a 15-aircraft mission flying to B6/ Coulombs where petrol was loaded for transfer to B45/ Amiens and B50/ Vitry. A week later, KG441 was one of four aircraft carrying passengers and equipment to France with the Captain a newly-promoted Warrant Officer Curtis. Resupply missions to the rapidly-advancing Allies continued with KG441 carrying fuel from Lyneham to B60/ Grimbergen on 12th and to B58/ Brussels Melsbroek as part of a 10-aircraft operation on 13th. There was a pause while the Squadron prepared for Market Garden, the airborne operation to Arnhem. KG441 didn’t fly for 233 Squadron on the initial day of the campaign but was ‘lent’ to the new 437 Squadron RCAF which had just started operating from Blakehill Farm. Flying Officer Errol Semple, a Canadian who had flown KG441 in the past for 233 Squadron, was the Captain for 437’s first major operation and he made a safe return to Blakehill. KG441 returned to her original squadron the following day and was one of seventeen 233 Squadron Dakotas towing Horsa gliders to Arnhem on September 18th. WO Curtis was back in command and, following a 10:30 take-off, was safely back home at 16:35. While not flying to the battle zone on September 19th, WO Curtis did fly KG441 to B56/ Brussels-Evere with petrol supplies for the advancing army. The weather was poor and, as at the front line, this compromised plans; this led to KG441 landing early at B50/ Vitry-en-Artois and only proceeding to Brussels later in the day. Resupply missions for the beleaguered 1st Airborne at Arnhem were flown on 21st and 23rd September and a logistics flight to B56/ Evere followed on 25th. The movement of forces and weapons to Belgium continued even as the British and Polish advance at Arnhem ran into trouble. On September 27th, KG441 was part of an eleven Dakota mission flying to Matlaske in Norfolk to collect forces for transfer to B60/ Brussels Grimbergen. The next day PO Wright flew KG441, with a load of drop tanks, from Bicester to B56/ Evere. the return flight carried 1st Airborne troops back to Woodhall Spa. On the final day of September, KG441 delivered another load of petrol to B56/ Brussels.
October 1944 Operations
During October 1944 KG441, chiefly in the hands of WO Curtis, was mostly employed on freight runs to B56/ Brussels-Evere in support of the allied armies in Belgium and Holland.
Oct 1st: 4346 lbs of mail to Evere, mail & passenger to B6/ Coulomb.
Oct 2nd: One of seventeen aircraft taking petrol to Evere.
Oct 3rd: Along with KG410, carried drop tanks Bicester to B56/ Evere.
Oct 6th: 1 of 12 carrying ammo to Evere, return casevac to Broadwell.
Oct 7th: 1 of 10 Dakotas taking ammunition to B56/ Evere.
Oct 8th: 1 of 13 aircraft carrying ammunition to B56/ Evere.
Oct 9th: 1 of 9 aircraft carrying ammunition to B56/ Evere.
Oct 10th: PO Bailley in command for 6 Dakota ammunition run to Evere. Returned with two army personnel.
Oct 11th: PO Bailley flew KG441 on a 9 aircraft mission carrying Lub oil to B56/ Evere. Returned next day to Down Ampney with casualties.
Oct 13th: WO Curtis flew KG441 as 1 of 8 aircraft carrying army equipment to B58/ Brussels-Melsbroek. Returned to Blakehill after an overnight stay (the Ops Log also shows KG441 on an overlapping mission to Antwerp but this is probably KG341).
Oct 14th: WO Curtis Captain, 14:30 dep with ammunition to B17/ Caen.
Oct 15th: 14 Dakotas flew to Hartford Bridge (Blackbushe) to collect 194 personnel of 137 Wing for transport to B50/ Vitry-en-Artois.
Oct 17th: WO Curtis’s crew were one of seven flying ammunition to B58/ Melsbroek. Overnight stay before return to Blakehill.
Oct 19th: One of 15 aircraft delivering ammunition to B70/ Antwerp.
Oct 20th: WO Curtis repeated operation of the previous day as part of a ten aircraft operation.
Oct 21st: Another repeat of the Antwerp ammunition run. 15 aircraft.
Oct 22nd: Ten aircraft to Antwerp with ammunition, return empty.
Oct 6th: Eight aircraft take stores and ammunition to Antwerp. Overnight stay.
November 1944 Operations
November saw 233 Squadron delivering both stores and home comforts to the troops as the Allies consolidated their positions in Belgium and Holland. Typically, Flying Officer Hunter flew KG441 to B58/ Melsbroek on 4th carrying 3896 lbs of mail. From there, the flight continued to B17/ Caen with 1650 lbs of mail before returning to base with 600 lbs of letters. Two days later, WO Evered in KG441 delivered 2196 lbs of equipment and newspapers to B70/ Antwerp before cramming 27 passengers and their kit on board for the flight to Blakehill. On November 8th, it was WO Green delivering 5000 lbs of newspapers and freight to Melsbroek. November 12th saw a change in cargoes with KG441 carrying Pierced Steel Planking (PSP) to B51/ Lille. KG441 was in action almost every day of the third week in November:
Nov 13th: WO Austin was in command for an 09:35 lift to Warmwell to embark 18 passengers bound for Eindhoven.
Nov 14th: FO Menzies crew was one of eight flying PSP from Lyneham to B79/ Woensdrecht.
Nov 15th: WO Curtis was back in KG441 to take 12 passengers Northolt to B78/ Eindhoven and 5 on to Evere. Stayed overnight.
Nov 16th: Medical supplies taken from B56/ Evere to Eindhoven and 16 passengers back to Northolt.
Nov 19th: WO Holliday took-off at 10:47 as part of an eight aircraft operation making the short hop to Blackbushe. Arriving at 11:11, KG441 embarked some of the 99 138 Wing personnel making the journey to B72/ Cambrai-Epinoy. 138 Wing of the 2nd Tactical Air Force comprised Mosquito Mk 6 squadrons 613, 305 and 107.
Nov 20th: WO Curtis was 1 of 5 crews taking PSP to B77/ Gilze-Rijen.
Nov 21st: FO Menzies repeated the previous day’s mission as one of four Dakotas taking Pierced Steel Planking to B79/ Woensdrecht and returning empty.
Nov 23rd: FO Chesney played postman in KG441, taking 5100 lbs of mail to Melsbroek, remaining overnight before returning to Blakehill with another full load of mail.
Nov 25th: FO Clarkson’s crew delivered 5000 lbs of mail to A54/ Le Bourget, overnighted, but returned to base empty. Sounds like a night out in Paris was beckoning.
Nov 29th: WO Halliday flew KG441’s last operational flight of the month: seven Dakotas took munitions to B77/ Gilze-Rijen. The following day, 233 Squadron was practising glider towing.
December 1944 began with KG441 flying to B58/ Melsbroek as part of a 10-aircraft lift delivering ammunition. The Dakotas return sector took them to Perranporth in Cornwall with 133 personnel and their kit. There were fewer operations than usual for KG441 during the next week, the next operation being on December 10th. WO Curtis flew KG441, FO Dober FZ635, to Swanton Morley in Norfolk to collect 20 passengers bound for B58/ Brussels-Melsbroek. The next day, it was FO Chambers turn to take KG441 to Bicester as one of seven aircraft loading stores destined for B53/ Merville. The next two missions for KG441 were similar: WO Curtis flying ammunition to Gilze-Rijen as part of a 14-aircraft operation on 12th, WO Mills carrying ammunition to the same destination on a 2-aircraft trip on 15th. From B77/ Gilze-Rijen, KG441 traveled to B65/ Maldegem, remained overnight, then returned to base with passengers on December 16th. It was back to Gilze-Rijen with stores as part of a 10-aircraft operation on December 17th, PO White at the controls of KG441. WO Curtis returned to KG441 the following day for a 5-aircraft mission collecting RAF equipment from Bicester and delivering it to B78/ Eindhoven. As Christmas approached, Flt. Lt Chesney and KG441 were part of a 5-aircraft operation taking stores to B70/ Antwerp on 23rd. Flt.Sgt Butcher took stores from Bicester to B58/ Melsbroek on Christmas Eve. While Christmas Day was quiet, the Battle of the Bulge was raging in the Ardennes and KG441 was scheduled to take part in a 6-aircraft mission to deliver US troops from Beaulieu to A83/ Denain, near Valenciennes. For some reason, the RAF transports were unable to uplift the US forces and they returned to Blakehill – not directly, a 2-day stay at Holmesley in Hampshire was possibly prompted by poor weather. By 29th December, KG441 had returned to Blakehill and loaded-up with ordnance for delivery to B70/ Antwerp. F/ Sgt Ridley was at the controls on this 4-Dakota operation which returned to Ford in Sussex with passengers. The final operation of the year took place on New Year’s Eve with FO McGovern flying to Odiham to uplift five 604 Squadron passengers bound for B51/ Lille.
After a couple of missions in early 1945, KG441 disappeared for the rest of January. On Jan 4th, F/Sgt Ridley lifted at 09:40 with 5000 lbs of RAF freight for Melsbroek. The aircraft continued to B78/ Eindhoven for a casevac flight to Down Ampney carrying 18 stretcher patients and two sitting-wounded. The following day, PO Diamond flew KG441 as part of a flight of three Dakotas taking RAF freight from Bicester to B50/ Vitry-en-Artois. Although 233 Squadron did operate a small detachment at Brussels-Nivelles at the end of January 1945, KG441 doesn’t seem to have flown there either. She did, however, join the Nivelles detachment on February 2nd. F/ Sgt J.Ridley flew KG441 to B75/ Nivelles as part of a 13-Dakota mission carrying 50,000 lbs of freight to the Belgian airfield. The crew left KG441 with ‘B’ flight at Nivelles and returned to Blakehill in FZ665.441
Until mid-March 1945, KG441 would fly most of her missions with the ‘B’ detachment from Brussels- Nivelles with several trips to the South of France. On February 4th, FO A.Clark carried army freight on the 1 hour 25minute flight to B54/ Achiet. Departing Nivelles on Feb 7th, Flt. Lt Burden flew KG441 to Marseille -Istres with two passengers. The Dakota and crew remained in Marseille for two nights before returning to B75/ Nivelles with a single passenger. It was Pilot Officer Green’s turn to head south on February 10th, flying empty to Lyon. Following an overnight stay, a return was made to B78/ Eindhoven with 12 passengers. There was a short return to Blakehill Farm on Feb 13th, with Squadron Leader Daniels traveling empty. KG441 then took part in training exercises on 15th before loading 3100 lbs of freight and six passengers on February 17th for a flight to B56/ Brussels Evere. PO Green’s crew collected the Dakota on 19th and returned empty to Nivelles before departing for Eindhoven, again empty, the following morning. Fourteen passengers were collected at B78/ Eindhoven and taken to B56/ Evere on the morning of 20th. KG441 then remained on the ground until the next day when the fourteen were returned to Eindhoven before the Dakota headed back to Nivelles. The remainder of 21st involved local flying with PO J.Williams. On February 24th Flt. Sgt. Butcher flew the empty KG441 to Eindhoven, overnighted and departed for Lyon the next morning with 18 passengers. Following an overnight stay in France, the Dakota returned to B78/ Eindhoven with passengers on February 26th. Hopping back to Nivelles that same evening, KG441 was ready for an hour long session of local flying with Sqn Ldr Daniel on February 27th.
On the first day of March 1945, PO Wright lifted at 16:30 en route to Eindhoven with a single passenger. After a night stop, the Dakota flew to B56/ Brussels Evere the following morning with 9 stretcher cases and 14 walking wounded. Evere was generally used for the transfer of the wounded to the No.8 RAF General Hospital in Brussels. KG441 returned to Nivelles that evening before commencing a ’round-the-houses’ service the next day. PO Trigg flew the Dakota to B77/ Gilze-Rijen on March 3rd, then on to B67/ Ursel. Twelve stretcher cases and and six walking-wounded were uplifted and taken to B65/ Maldegem before KG441 returned to Nivelles. The afternoon of March 6th saw Flt. Sgt. Butcher taking KG441 to Eindhoven. The next morning, eighteen passengers were flown to Lyon, the aircraft night-stopped and then returned with eighteen passengers to Eindhoven. The final hop of March 8th took KG441 to B56/ Brussels-Evere which, during the day, had become ‘B’ Detachment’s new home. PO Wright was back in command on March 10th for a flight taking 14 passengers to Y14/ Marseille-Marignane. After a brief stay, fourteen passengers were embarked for the return sector to Evere – as with many of the flights from Holland to the South of France the passenger numbers were the same in both directions suggesting that, either both sectors carried the same personnel or the flights were one-for-one crew changes. This was KG441’s last flight from the Brussels base for a while and she was one of seven aircraft returned to Blakehill Farm, off- detachment on March 12th prior to the Rhine Crossing operation at the end of the month. The returning Dakotas carried a total load of 20,000 lbs of freight and 43 personnel.
Operation Varsity – The Rhine Crossing.
Prior to Operation Varsity, KG441 flew another couple of missions from Blakehill Farm. On March 17th, nine Dakotas collected equipment from Perranporth and transferred it to B56/ Evere and, on March 18th, PO Wright flew to Warmwell to collect RAF personnel destined for B86/ Helmond. Hopping to B78/ Eindhoven, passengers were collected for return to Warmwell.
233 Squadron positioned to RAF Birch in Essex on 21st March with the 26 Dakotas led by Wing Commander Mellor in KG313. After two days of briefings, preparations and marshaling of tugs and gliders, 24 aircraft took off on the morning of March 24th between 06:18 and 06:49. Each aircraft, KG441 included, towed a Horsa glider carrying a total of 357 troops from the 2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Regiment. Again, W/Cmdr Mellors led the Squadron and, after a steady flight to the target landing zone, near Wesel, the gliders were released between 10:17 and 10:21. All but one of the Dakotas then proceeded to B75/ Nivelles to refuel and remain on standby for a potential resupply mission. The supplementary operation was not necessary and the 233 Dakotas returned to Blakehill Farm on March 25th.
KG441 was back in the air on March 30th, departing Blakehill at 13:08 with 3080 lbs of spares destined for B75/ Nivelles. Continuing to B78/ Eindhoven, 2000 lbs of blankets were collected for delivery to B100/ Goch in Germany. The next leg saw KG441 transporting 19 stretchers and 10 walking wounded back to Brussels- Evere, before heading home to base. The next day involved KG441 collecting drop tanks from Bicester for delivery to B50/ Vitry-en-Artois. FO Dijkstra remained at the controls on April 1st for another drop tank mission, this time delivering the cargo from Broadwell to Nivelles. The same crew remained with 441 for an April 2nd flight from Fairwood Common to B85/ Schijndel as part of an 8-aircraft mission transferring personnel and their kit.
For KG441, the remainder of April 1945 involved routine logistics operations in support of the advancing allies with the same four or five pilots in command.
April 4: PO Wright’s crew took army freight to B78/ Eindhoven with three other 233 Dakotas.
April 8: PO Wright, again, carried 9 passengers and their kit from Gatwick to B73/ Moorseele, seven passengers on to B77/ Gilze-Rijen before returning to Gatwick with sixteen passengers.
April 9: PO Smith was in command of KG441 on a 12-aircraft mission carrying petrol from Greenham Common to Y85/ Ettinghausen, Germany.
April 14: FO Hall flew KG441 with 4916 lbs of petrol to B108/ Rheine. Stretcher cases were carried back to the Military Hospital via B56/ Evere and a further 6000 lbs of petrol loaded for transfer to Rheine. Eleven more stretcher cases were loaded and flown to Brussels before the Dakota returned to Blakehill Farm.
April 15: Five aircraft, with FO Tozer in command of KG441, carried petrol to B108/ Rheine, 100 French and Belgian ex-POWs from Rheine to B56/ Brussels and petrol back to Rheine again. The return flight to Blakehill required a fuel stop at B75/ Nivelles.
April 16: PO Wright flew KG441 as one of six Dakotas collecting army freight from Netheravon for delivery to B108/ Rheine. A total of 139 French ex-POWs were then transferred to B56/ Evere prior to a second fuel run to Rheine. The six aircraft then transited empty to R16/ Hildesheim to pick-up 183 ex-POWs bound for RAF Wing in Buckinghamshire.
April 17: Flt. Sgt Butcher was in command for this epic multi-sector operation. KG441 was one of eight Dakotas delivering petrol from Blakehill to B118/ Celle prior to positioning to B56/ Brussels to collect another load of fuel for Celle. The next leg, to the newly-liberated R16/ Hildesheim, was flown empty and a group of ex-POWs embarked for the flight back to Evere. Another empty leg was flown to B100/ Goch to collect ammunition bound for B114/ Diepholz. Transiting empty again to R16/ Hildesheim, another set of ex-POWs was embarked for transfer to RAF Wing before the Dakota finally made it home.
April 19: FO Dijkstra commanded KG441 for a 09:14 lift carrying 5016 lbs of fuel to B118/ Celle. Ex-POWs were then transferred back to Brussels-Evere prior to another fuel delivery flight, this time to B150/ Hustedt. The Dakota then flew back to base via two intermediate stops.
April 20: Flt. Sgt Butcher took KG441 on a massive 2-day mission to the Continent. Initially, 5016 lbs of petrol was transported from Blakehill Farm to B150/ Hustedt. Traveling empty to B100/ Goch, 4000 lbs of oil was uplifted for B114/ Diepholz before an empty leg was flown back to Goch to collect 5600 lbs of ammunition destined for B116/ Wunsdorf. The Dakota positioned back to B114/ Diepholz and remained there overnight. The first payload of April 21st comprised 5016 lbs of petrol bound for B150/ Hustedt. The Dakota flew on to B100/ Goch empty to collect 5600 lbs of freight for B114/ Diepholz. Returning empty to Goch, a cargo of 5600 lbs of ammunition was uplifted for Diepholz. Finally, the Dakotas flew home empty to Blakehill farm via B56/ Brussels Evere.
April 25: FO Dijkstra took off in KG441 at 07:55 with petrol for B114/ Diepholz. An empty leg was then flown to collect ex-POWs destined for RAF Wing. PO Wright flew a similar mission the following day: 09:00 lift with fuel for B118/ Celle, an empty leg to Diepholz, ex-POWs to B56/ Brussels-Evere, petrol back to Diepholz and, finally, ex-POWs to RAF Wing. The next day, April 27th, Flt.Lt. Fisher flew KG441 as part of a 12-Dakota operation taking fuel to B114/ Diepholz. Again, ex-POWs were carried on the return leg to Wing.
The end of the first week in May saw the end of WW2 in Europe and 233 Squadron’s operations altered with outbound logistics flights added to destinations in Norway and Denmark as well as Montgomery’s headquarters at Luneburg. A major part of KG441’s operations remained the repatriation of ex-POWs; British military to Ford, Wing and Dunsfold, French and Belgian to to Brussels and, sometimes, to Le Havre/ Octeville. On May 2nd 1945 PO Wright took-off from Blakehill at 06:30 outbound to B116/ Wunsdorf in Germany before continuing to another airfield to uplift 30 ex-POWs. After a stop at B56/ Evere, possibly for fuel, the flight continued to wing with 30 ex-POWs. FO White flew KG441 on a similar mission on May 3rd as part of a group of Dakotas delivering petrol to Nivelles, continuing with kerosene for B156/ Luneburg. A couple of empty stages were flown before another 3200 lbs of kerosene was transferred to Luneburg. KG441 then returned to Brussels Evere to collect ‘special freight’ destined for Croydon. May 7th & 8th saw Warrant Officer Wool departing Blakehill in KG441 with army freight for B75/ Nivelles. A short hop was made to B56/ Evere to collect Navy freight destined for B111/ Ahlhorn near Bremen. Transiting to B109/ Quackenbruck, 32 ex-POWs were collected for passage to B56/ Brussels. The circuit was then repeated: Navy freight to Ahlhorn, 30 ex-POWs picked up at B114/ Diepholz and flown to B56/ Evere, return to Blakehill. The War was officially over in Europe by the time FO Diamond made his 07:15 take-off on May 12th, carrying army freight to B56/ Brussels-Evere. Continuing to B154/ Reinsehlen, 30 ex-POWs were collected and returned to Evere. A further 30 ex-POWs were then collected from B58/ Melsbroek and flown to the UK reception centre at RAF Wing. On May 14th, FO Diamond flew a very similar operation in KG441: empty to Evere, 30 ex-POWs to Dunsfold, back to Evere, 30 ex-POWs to Dunsfold again, another empty leg to Evere and, finally, 30 ex-POWs to RAF Wing before heading back to Blakehill. PO Wright lifted from Blakehill at 07:20 on May 15th, empty as far as Matching where 21 troops and their kit were collected for transfer to B56/ Evere. Two circuits were then flown between B56 and Dunsfold with 32 ex-POWs on each return flight. May 16th saw KG441 heading for a new destination: Flt Lt Green flew the Dakota empty to Boreham where 25 RAF personnel were embarked for B56/ Evere. Possibly the same RAF personnel were then flown on to B160/ Copenhagen Kastrup, by now liberated from German control. Looping back to Lubeck, 31 French ex-POWs were embarked for a flight to Paris/ Le Bourget. Thirty-nine ex-POWs were then collected from the assembly camp at Y30/ Le Havre-Octeville and flown to Dunsfold.
It was back to cargo the following week with FO Carter taking-off at 09:35 with one jeep and three personnel heading for B56/ Brussels. Thirty passengers and their kit were shoe-horned-in for the return flight to Netheravon. It was a similar story the next day, May 19th, with KG441 heading empty to Evere to collect blankets bound for B156/ Luneburg. Thirty ex-POWs were then embarked for Dunsfold before the Dakota returned to Blakehill via Ford. On May 20th, FO Carter was at the controls for a petrol delivery direct to Luneburg. Twenty 6th Airborne troops were then conveyed to B56/ Brussels en route to Netheravon. The end of the month followed the same pattern: Flt Lt Fisher commanded KG441 on a flight taking 3500 lbs of freight from Warmwell to B152/ Fassberg, returning to Warmwell with 26 passengers before carrying freight outbound to B56/ Evere. There were then several stages around the Continent to and from Brussels Evere with ex-POWs. FO Dijkstra was the Captain on 27th May for a flight bringing casualties back to Down Ampney and, on 28th, Flt Lt Green flew empty to B56/ Brussels to uplift 5000 lbs of freight bound for Reinsehlen. Continuing empty to Luneburg, 25 French ex-POWs were collected and flown to B56/ Brussels. Finally, 15 ex-POWs were flown from Brussels to Dunsfold before a return to Blakehill Farm.
June 1945 saw 233 Squadron move from Blakehill Farm to join fellow 46 Group Dakota operator 271 Squadron at Odiham in Hampshire on June 8th and 9th. However, operations from June 1st were still from Blakehill and PO Wright took off with 4071 lbs of freight bound for B75/ Nivelles. After an empty leg to Copenhagen, 18 passengers were embarked for Saltby. Other Scandanavian trips followed for KG441 with Oslo on June 2nd, 5000 lbs of petrol to Copenhagen on June 4th. From the Danish capital, PO Wright flew empty to B158/ Lubeck to collect Displaced Persons bound for Brussels. From Evere, the Dakota carried 14 ex-POWs to Dunsfold. On June 5th FO Carter hopped to Croydon to collect 15 passengers and their kit destined for B156/ Luneburg. Thirty Belgian ex-POWs were then transported to B56/ Brussels Evere before KG441 shuttled across to B58/ Melsbroek (a distance of around 5 miles). This appears to have been to collect a 3500 lb Bomber Command shipment which was returned to Blakehill before KG441 moved it on to (Sand) ford Manor (log indistinct).
June 8th saw the start of the Squadron move from Blakehill Farm and KG441 was one of the Dakotas assigned to shuttling personnel and freight to Odiham over the next two days. FO White departed Odiham on KG441’s first operation from the new base on June 10th, collecting freight from Down Ampney before heading north to Oslo. After an overnight stay, the Dakota flew on to Kristiansund before returning to Down Ampney and Odiham. Passenger flights followed on 12th with a service from Croydon to the Continent and on 13th when PO Wright traveled empty to B58/ Melsbroek to collect passengers for Blackbushe. From there, it was back to B58 to collect another batch of passengers for Blackbushe before returning to base. It was passenger duties again on June 14th when KG441 made a 15:50 lift with 27 WAAFs heading for a new posting in Leicester (? log indistinct). Ten further WAAFs were returned to Broadwell and five to another station before the Dakota arrived back at Odiham. On June 15th PO Wright took off at 09:25 bound for Blackbushe, empty, to collect 24 passengers heading for the Continent. Twenty passengers were subsequently returned to Blackbushe.
Squadron Leader Blythe was at the controls on 17th June for a flight to Northolt to embark fifteen members of the RAF Staff College making a day trip to Hamburg with intermediate stops at B56/ Evere on both journeys. Warrant Officer Mapletoft and KG441 departed Odiham at 06:25 on June 18th, stopped briefly at Down Ampney before proceeding to B116/ Wunsdorf and then returning to base. After a brief respite, KG441 was hauling passengers from Croydon on June 23rd with PO Wright flying to the Continent to pick up 14 RCAF personnel bound for Warmwell. The following day, PO Wright was in command again for a flight to B56/ Brussels-Evere. Twenty-five Russian Displaced Persons were embarked for a flight to B156/ Luneburg. On the return flight, an intermediate stop was made to load publications destined for Bovingdon. A Merlin engine and accompanying mechanics made-up KG441’s payload on June 26th. Departing Odiham at 07:40, PO Green’s crew collected the engine and personnel at Blackbushe before heading north to Oslo Fornebu via B168/ Hamburg. The Dakota overnighted in Oslo before returning to Blackbushe with passengers on June 27th. 167 Squadron was in residence at Blackbushe at the time and they were having issues with their complement of Vickers Warwicks. They ‘borrowed’ some of 233 Squadron’s Dakotas and KG441 joined them briefly from June 29th. The Dakota seems to have been crewed by 167 personnel for a week until, on July 5th, 233’s FO Smith took the controls for a 10:40 lift from base, en route to Northolt. On July 8th, PO Wright flew KG441 to Oslo via Boreham in Essex. A return was made via B56/ Evere in time for a repeat flight on July 9th. PO Purley was in command for the second flight to Oslo, again via Boreham, and the service continued onwards to Trondheim and Bardufoss on July 10th before returning to Oslo on 11th and to Croydon via B56 on July 12th.
Training flights dominated the latter half of July before the Squadron went on embarkation leave in early August prior to traveling to India. The Squadron transited to Imphal with five groups of five Dakotas departing Odiham as from mid-August. KG441, piloted by FO Longhurst, was in the second group and departed for the first transit stop, Elmas in Sardinia, on July 17th. FO Smith, FO MacAinish and FO Ingram made-up the aircrew and the Dakota carried 20 Squadron personnel and 260 lbs of equipment. The epic transit continued from Elmas to Tobruk in North Africa, Lydda in Palestine, Habbaniya in Iraq, Drigh Road in Karachi and Bamrauli in India. The final five and a half hour leg took each group of Dakotas across modern-day Bangladesh to Imphal, arriving at Tulihal airfield from August 24th onwards. 233 then took over the Dakotas which had been configured for Asian operation by the two RCAF transport squadrons 435 & 436.
The Canadian squadrons had formed in August 1944 and were set-up initially at Gujurat in India during October 1944 with crews assigned from the disbanded West Coast of Canada reconnaissance squadrons. 435 Squadron had moved to Tulihal in late December ready to start operations delivering supplies to General Slim’s 14th Army (1). Tulihal’s runways were improved with the Canadian-invented Bit-Hess material to give a reliable landing surface and, in eight months of 1945, 435 managed to deliver 27,000 tons of cargo and 15,000 passengers and casualties. At first, they had needed to borrow much equipment from neighbouring USAAF and British squadrons but, eventually, they achieved an efficient operation using Dakota IIIs and Dakota IVs.
(1) Article by Norma Graham in ‘Flightlines’ Spring 2024.
RCAF SERVICE KG441
233 Squadron Dakotas probably traveled back to Britain with 435 Squadron crews but the majority, including KG441, then seem to have transferred to 436 Squadron upon arrival at Down Ampney (2). 435 Squadron arrived at Down Ampney ahead of 436 Squadron and, by the time 436’s final flight of three Dakotas touched-down in England on September 15th, 435 had reformed as a UK-based RCAF squadron. The arrivals from South East Asia Command were reported to be ‘heavily laden with Japanese swords and firearms’! One thing they were short of was a full complement of ground crew as the RAF personnel at the UK airfields had been moved on to other squadrons. Of the ACSEA ground crew arriving in Britain around 30% were eligible for demob and a return to Canada – unsurprisingly, most wanted to head for home. The aircrew arriving from India were not guaranteed a position with the new 436 Squadron and, eventually, 18 ex-ACSEA crews joined the thirty RCAF crews which had arrived at the #3 Personnel Reception Centre in Bournemouth by mid-September. Many of the ex-Canada aircrew were ex-instructors and had accumulated a great deal of flying experience but, not necessarily, on Dakotas. To remedy this, six aircraft were allocated for training and, on September 28th, 436 operated check flights for 18 crews. This was followed by map reading and local familiarisation exercises for 22 crews on 29th. A muster of RCAF ground crews on September 22nd had highlighted the manpower shortages and, by September 30th, 436 Squadron only had six fully operational aircraft out of a stock of fourteen Mk III and seven Mk IV Dakotas. KG441 had probably joined 436 by now as one of those Mk III aircraft. Although not fully operational, 436 Squadron Dakotas made their first visit to the Continent on October 3rd on a training flight to Paris. By October 9th, the Squadron was allowed to make a three-aircraft freight flight to France, two Dakotas traveling to Paris and one to Auxerre. The same day, 20 extra ex-ACSEA aircrews reported to Down Ampney bringing the Squadron roll call to 47 crews. To partly address the serviceability issue, four Dakotas had been dispatched to Cambridge for servicing, possibly by Marshalls. By the end of October, 17 Mk IIIs and 8 Mk IVs were operational. While an attempt had been made to poach the Squadron’s eight Mk IVs for 271 Squadron RAF, this was vigorously and successfully resisted.
(2) FZ665, FZ678, KG400, KG441, KG448, KG559, KG635, KG713, KN258, KN277, KN427 all flew out to Imphal with 233 Squadron and took up service with 436 Squadron upon return to Down Ampney. Of these, FZ665, KG441, KG448 and KN427 definitely flew back with 435 Squadron crews.
KG441 had made an initial operational flight from Down Ampney on October 18th, heading south to Guernsey with freight, returning to Down Ampney via Boreham. The Dakota’s next mission was on October 29th as part of a 2-aircraft operation delivering photographic paper from Down Ampney to Celle in Germany. November 8th 1945 saw KG441 and KG400 heading to Buckeburg in Lower Saxony via Boreham in Essex. Their cargo included furniture, china and miscellaneous equipment and, after an overnight stay, they returned to Croydon with passengers. The Squadron had been asked to assist with moving 5000 soldiers from Oslo back to the UK with up to five flights per day being planned. On November 13th, KG441 made her first 436 Squadron flight to Oslo. Flt.Lt Larter’s crew departed Down Ampney empty and returned to Dunsfold the following day with 20 passengers. November 24th saw Flt.Lt Cairns flying KG441 empty from Down Ampney to Buckeburg and on to Celle to collect 23 casualties for repatriation the following day. It was Flt Lt Dempster’s turn to take KG441 to Buckeburg on 27th November, this time with two passengers from Odiham. The return flight, with casualties, was made to Down Ampney the following day. FO Munro flew the Dakota from Base to Croydon to collect eleven passengers bound for Buckeburg on November 30th, returning the next day to Croydon with 18 passengers.
The Squadron had settled into a regular routine with what amounted to scheduled routes plus a couple of shuttle services. KG441 was on the ‘Wing Shuttle’ on December 8th carrying passengers between Down Ampney, Odiham and Croydon. It had been rumoured that ‘A’ flight would be detached to Naples to serve Eastern European capitals but 437 Squadron was assigned to that task. Instead, 436 had four Dakotas and five crews detached to the less-exotic Biggin Hill where they were to assist the Canadian Army. KG441 wasn’t one of these aircraft and continued flying from Down Ampney to British and European destinations which were very similar to those which the Dakota had visited at the start of the year with 233 Squadron. On December 14th KG441 was in the hands of FO Adam for a flight hopping from Down Ampney to Croydon and then onwards. However, operations seem to have been sparse and the next record of KG441 was on December 29th with her flying the regular C8 schedule from Down Ampney to Hamburg with 13 passengers and penicillin. Continuing to Schleswig with 3 passengers, a return to base was made the following day with fifteen passengers.
On January 1st 1946, 436 Squadron’s complement of Dakotas included sixteen Mk IIIs and nine MK IVs. They operated the following schedules to Belgian and German destinations;
On January 1st 1946, KG441 was on the C1 service to B56/ Evere returning the same day. The next day, the Dakota was on the Shuttle service from Down Ampney to Blackbushe, Odiham, Biggin Hill, Croydon and home to base. On January 4th it was a passenger and freight flight to Buckeburg before continuing to Gutersloh and returning to Gloucestershire the next day. Similarly, on 6th January, Flt Lt Smith’s crew took KG441 to Buckeburg and on to Hamburg. This time, a second night on the Continent was followed by a flight to Schleswig on January 8th before a return to Britain. KG441 then flew the C6 schedule to Hamburg on January 10th, C3 to Buckeburg and on to Gutersloh on 13th/ 14th and the C5 to Monchengladbach on 16th.Squadron Leader Pierce was at the controls for the C6 to Hamburg on January 17th – unusually, the return leg was only flown the next day. An unscheduled special flight followed on January 19th with freight and passengers conveyed from Down Ampney to Copenhagen and Oslo before a return to base via Croydon. January 25th saw a return to schedules with the C2 to Buckeburg. On January 29th, it was the C6 to Hamburg and, on the last day of the month, KG441 flew the C5 schedule to B56/ Brussels- Evere. With the exception of Evere, most of 436 Squadron’s regular visits were to airfields in the British Occupied zone of Germany. The airfield at Celle/ Wietzenbruch had been surrendered to the British on 11th April 1945 with relatively little damage and became an important allied air base. Nearby was Buckeburg, an airfield which served the RAF Germany HQ at Bad Eilsen and the BAOR HY at Bad Oeynhausen. Many sources claim that the Buckeburg airfield was only established in mid-1946 but, clearly, it was operational for the RCAF from late 1945.
February 1946 for KG441 started with a C4 service to Buckeburg on 2nd. The flight continued to Ahlhorn before returning to Manston, a diversion owing to bad weather at Down Ampney. The rest of the month was fairly uneventful with a Down Ampney – Biggin Hill – Bremen – Hamburg -Base service on 19th, a special to Brussels on 22nd, returning via Odiham, and a C7 service to Celle on 25th. The latter was operated via Rostrup airfield on the outbound flight and the return routing was from Celle to Rostrup to Leeming to Down Ampney. Rostrup was to become an important destination for 436 Squadron. Just north of Bad Zwischenahn, the Adlerhorst air base at Rostrup had been the largest Luftwaffe base in Northern Germany. Along with Gilze-Rijen and Venlo, it had been used for testing and launching the V1 and Komet Me-163 jet fighters. This had made it a prime target for RAF and USAAF bombers from 1942 through to late 1944. Just to the east of the border between Holland and Germany, the airfield was on the allies invasion path to Wilhelmshaven and Bremen. The flatlands around Bad Zwischenahn were a maze of stream, marshes and ‘bocage’ style hedgerowswhich slowed the progress of the Polish and Canadian armoured divisions pushing through into Germany in Spring 1945. With the assistance of the 10th Canadian Infantry Division, Bad Zwischenahn had been taken on May 4th 1945, just days before the German surrender. The Allies blew-up much of the Rostrup air base, using the rubble to repair and construct roads in the area. One runway, parallel to the Zwischenahner Meer, was retained along with one hangar and this became the facility used by the RCAF.
KG441 joined the Biggin Hill detachment in early March and began services to Rostrup for the Canadian armed services in Europe. On March 1st, KG441 was substituted for KG678 for a mail flight to Rostrup when the latter became unserviceable when taxiing out at Biggin. Remaining on the ground in Germany overnight, KG441 returned to Kent on March 3rd. The next operation, on 6th, was slightly different with KG400 and KG441 flying from Biggin Hill to A54/ Paris Le Bourget with 24 and 22 passengers respectively. On the return sectors, 22 and 25 passengers were carried by the two Daks. Flt. Lt Madill captained KG441 on the Rostrup service on 7th and again on 11th. On the second of these flights, KG441 was diverted to Hamburg. She was, nevertheless, back in Biggin for the March 12th service carrying essentials to Rostrup: mail and cigarettes. On March 14th, KG441 combined Germany and France with the service from Biggin to Rostrup continuing to Paris before returning by the same route the next day. March 17th also saw KG441 on the Biggin to Rostrup service but, one week later, she had returned to Down Ampney, off detachment. The C3 service to Buckeburg, and on to Gutersloh, was operated the following day. On 26th and 28th March KG441 was assigned to the C6 service to Hamburg and, on 29th, it was back to Buckeburg on the C2 schedule. It was Hamburg again on the last day of the month, KG441’s last service from Down Ampney before the Squadron moved to Odiham on April 4th. Early April 1946 enjoyed beautiful weather and, on April 7th, KG441 and KN665 operated a ‘special’ from Odiham to Rostrup to collect 14 passengers. April 10th (some sources say 9th) saw KG441 flying two circuits from Odiham to Leeming and back with freight and passengers on three of the sectors.
The Biggin Hill crews reluctantly returned to Odiham off-detachment on 14th April. The food and facilities in Kent had, apparently, been excellent although the airfield administration may have been a little fussy having fined the Canadians for damage caused to facilities! Odiham was considered to be more comfortable than Down Ampney and 436 Squadron settled into flying schedules for the army as from April 15th. KG441’s first schedule was the newly-designated 108 route to Rostrup and was flown by Flt Lt Olson on April 20th. Schedule 110, also to Rostrup, was flown on 23rd with passengers and mail. Around five flights a day were operated on behalf of the army and KG441 repeated the mail/ passenger service to Rostrup on 24th, 26th, 27th, 29th and 30th April.
The return of the Squadron to Canada was being planned for June 1946 and the end of flying was scheduled for May 26th to allow the majority of the Squadron to be home by June 30th. The flights to Rostrup continued and, mid-May, one 436 Squadron C-47 was briefly based at Rostrup to ferry personnel between the German base and Brussels. KG441 continued with the regular Odiham to Rostrup runs operating Schedule 100 on May 6th, 7th and 9th. On the latter flight, the Dakota over-nighted in Germany before returning to Odiham on 10th May. Flt Lt Kenworthy piloted KG441 on the same route on May 13th but, after that, the Dakota seems to have been assigned to maintenance or training in advance of the Atlantic crossing. 435 Squadron returned to Canada slightly earlier than 436 Squadron, marshalling 25 aircraft for the crossing on March 31st. Their first group of seven departed 435’s Down Ampney base on April 1st.
436 designated their first wave of eight aircraft as: KG441 and KG430 (both ex-233 Squadron aircraft), KG414, KG317, FZ658, KN655 and KG337 (all, at one time, flown by 435 Squadron) and KG423. The Dakotas commenced fuel consumption tests on May 30th and crews requiring further instrument-flying hours frantically crammed in the time prior to the long journey home. In the event, the first wave had a very calm crossing: the eight Dakotas departed on June 2nd, led by Squadron Leader Pierce in KG441, and 37 hours later they landed at Rockcliffe Air Base in Canada. Those who remained in Britain continued with some European services until June 15th when they officially stood-down. The last five Dakotas departed for Canada one week later on June 22nd.
From her initial home at Rockcliffe, KG441 is reported (3) to have moved to the RCAF Training School at Weyburn, Saskatchewan, by the end of August 1946. She seems to have remained there until moving back to Rockcliffeto join No.9 (Transport) Group in February 1948. That April, the Transport Group became Air Transport Command but, in September 1948, KG441 moved on to North West Air Command at Rivers, Manitoba. However, a return to Europe was on the cards when the RCAF established a base at Marville in France.
As a member of NATO, Canada made a commitment to the defence of Europe as part of the 4th Allied Tactical Air Force. A large home air base to accommodate the NATO forces was planned for Marville, Meuse in Lorraine, France, and constructed between October 1952 and the Summer of 1953. The project was subject to some delays and the Sabre MK Vs of RCAF #1 Wing initially moved from Canada to North Luffenham in England. Comprising 410, 439 and 441 Squadrons, the Wing was eventually able to move to Marville in April 1955. Dakota KG441 had joined 137 Transport Flight and was assigned to the RCAF’s European force to provide transport for crew, supplies, personnel and spares. 137 Flight had been formed at Dorval, Montreal, in 1952 and was transferred to #30 Air Materials Base at RAF Langar in England. The Flight comprised six Bristol Freighter Mk 31s plus Dakotas 662, KG441 and KG455, another ex-233 Squadron aircraft. The Freighters and KG441 were initially painted in the NATO European Air Command camouflage colours with a roundel/ maple leaf on the aft fuselage. ‘KG’ was painted on one side of the roundel, ‘441’ on the other with ‘441’ and a flag inscribed on the tail. KG441 reached Marville on 19th October 1955 and was frequently noted around Europe with frequent calls at Prestwick, Blackbushe and Gatwick. Other frequent shuttle flights would be between Marville and RAF Langar in Britain, RCAF Grostenquin in France and RCAF Zweibrucken and Baden-Soellingen in Germany.
(3) Outline of aircraft history from Air Britain’s definitive work on the DC-1/ DC-2/ DC-3, the First Seventy Years, by Jennifer Gradidge.
The NATO forces in Europe had a nuclear capability but, by 1963, de Gaulle was demanding full control over any nuclear weapons based in France. this gradually led to a change of the function at Marville to one of reconnaissance while the nuclear capability was transferred to Germany. KG441 remained at Marville, now serving with 109 KU (Composite Unit) along with up to eight other C-47s. The unit had three executive Dakotas, one assigned to SHAPE in Paris, one ‘needle nose’ navigation trainer, one reserve aircraft and four general transports. RCAF Dakotas were regular visitors at British airfields during 1963 with KG441 noted at Birmingham on 19th August, KN665 on 15th August, KG972 on 22nd August and KG662 on 29th (4). Reportedly assigned to 109KU on 11th March 1964, by 1965 KG441 could be seen commuting around Europe in the white and silver RCAF scheme with twin red cheat lines. France left NATO in March 1966 and the Marville squadrons moved to RCAF Lahr in Germany which had become the HQ for Canadian NATO forces. KG662 had moved to Lahr on 1st June 1965 and KG455 went to Hahn on the same day. The RCAF officially retired the 109 KU Bristol Freighters in November 1966 and four of the remaining Dakotas were flown to Scottish Aviation in late Autumn ’66 prior to overhaul and sale. KG441 was officially struck off RCAF charge on March 28th 1967 and bought by Scottish Aviation on 19th June. After working their overhaul and upgrade magic, Scottish Aviation sold KG441 to Hunting Surveys on 29th June with the new British registration G-AVPW. Of the other three RCAF aircraft, 662 moved on to the Sultanate of Muscat and Oman’s Air Force in August 1968 as ‘502’ and the remaining two C-47s returned to Canada to join Millardair (5).
(4) Air Britain Digest aircraft movements pages.
(5) Sources for above: various Air Britain publications, www.forgottenairfields.com, www.silverhawkauthor.com, 109 KU records and www.c-and-e-museum.org.
Hunting’s had used several Dakotas during the 1950s on air survey projects across the globe. The development of the gamma ray spectrometer and the airborne fluxgate magnetometer yielded a new source of survey income for Huntings and the Dakotas were used to fly large-scale surveys in Africa, Asia and South America. Operating for long periods at altitudes of only 150 metres demanded consistent flying as there was little margin for error. Hunting’s Dakota G-AMYW had worked all over the World for them including Australia in 1965 and Saudi Arabia in 1967. It was while flying a survey line around 130 km south of Hail, Saudi Arabia, that an oil leak on one engine, followed by a propeller runaway on the other necessitated an emergency landing in the desert. While there were no fatalities, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and Huntings were in the market for a replacement. Fortunately, G-AVPW became available in early Summer 1967.
G-AVPW moved to Hunting’s home base, the Rolls Royce airfield at Leavesden in Hertfordshire and, by early 1968, she was noted out and about the UK at several airfields. On January 3rd she was noted at Luton with a magnetometer installation. This illustrated the dual aspect of Hunting’s survey work, the photographic mapping conducted by Hunting Aerosurveys and the geophysical surveys carried-out by Hunting Geophysics. Originally two separate companies, the two organisations had been combined into Hunting Surveys Ltd in 1960. While Fairey Surveys, Hunting’s competitor and fellow Dakota operator, travelled the World chiefly on mapping projects (see the history of G-AHCT), Huntings were very involved in large scale mineral and oil prospecting surveys as well as photogrametry.
During 1970, Huntings were working on a big air survey contract in the (then) Portuguese territory of Angola using C-47s and a Dornier Do-27. G-AVPW and G-ANTC were dispatched to work from airfields at Cuito (called Silva Porta in 1970), Dundo, Huambo (Nova Lisboa) and Benguela. Resistance to the Portuguese colonial rule was increasing at the time with dissident groups such as the FNLA, MPLA and UNITA attacking key infrastructure targets. The aerial survey project was largely to assist the Portuguese military and this meant that the insurgents regarded Hunting’s aircraft as legitimate targets (6). On September 3rd 1970, having taken-off from Huambo, G-AVPW was hit by sustained small arms fire which severed hydraulic lines and damaged the starboard fuel tanks. An emergency landing was made at Huambo to ascertain the damage and obtain medical treatment for the First Officer, Fred Taylor, who had been injured in the attack. Fortunately, the pilot’s injuries weren’t life-threatening and the Dakota was soon repaired and back in action.
G-AVPW was recorded at Malta on 13th April 1971, possibly returning to the UK from an overseas contract as, in May of the same year, she received an annual overhaul at Field’s, East Midlands. From there, she returned briefly to Leavesden during early June before embarking on a big oil industry survey using two magnetometers around the Orkney Islands during summer 1971. By mid-August, the Dakota was back at Leavesden for the change-out of the port engine. At this juncture, G-AVPW had flown 16,000 airframe hours making it the Dakota with the lowest flying time in the Hunting fleet. The avionics system had recently been upgraded to feature two new Collins radio receivers and a Marconi Doppler navigation system.
(6) The Portuguese military had realised the need for updated mapping in December 1966 when two F84Gs dispatched from Luanda to attack rebels close to the Congolese border at Henrique de Carvalho (now Saurimo) had used US mapping and missed their targets by fifty miles! Portugal decided that it needed maps of its own and Hunting Surveys were duly hired to do the work.
The end of 1971 saw G-AVPW back on Malta on 27th December and, again, on 5th January 1972, possibly on her way back to Africa. The following year, 1973, involved G-AVPW operating in the Amazon basin area of Venezuela using a magnetometer and a gamma ray spectrometer on an extensive oil exploration project on behalf of the Government Geological Department. The remoteness of the Amazonas district meant that ‘PW had to operate from forward airstrips such as San Juan de Manapiere with any maintenance carried out in primitive conditions. The survey work involved flying along contours at altitudes as low as 250’ on flights which could stretch to a 10-hour duration. In addition to the wing tanks, the Dakota was fitted with an auxiliary fuel tank in the cabin to accommodate the lengthy missions. The low level flights and the turbulence experienced over the Savannah and the Rain Forest made operations very arduous and the majority of maintenance had to be carried out by the Hunting team themselves- during later parts of this three-year project this included the change out of engines following contamination of the auxiliary tank with kerosene and the consequent damage to the fuel system.
As the survey in Venezuela continued into 1974 and 1975, Hunting crews worked with their Venezuelan joint venture partners, Tecnica Roraima CA and the aircraft acquired new titles and a Venzuelan flag on the tail fin. The British CAA records ownership passing from Hunting Surveys to Rowland Burton of Caracas in September 1973 and the eventual transfer of the Dakota to the Venezuelan register in June 1975. The colour scheme remained much the same although the rudder was painted silver and the title ‘Tecroca’ was added to the tail fin along with the new registration, YV-25CP.
By 28th March 1980, the ownership of the C-47 had passed to another Venezuelan company, Staaica (Serv y Talleres Aeron. Automotrices e Industriales CA – Aeronautical and Automotive Workshops). During her tenure with Staaica, YV-25CP was seen quite regularly in Fort Lauderdale where her tidy and serviceable appearance contrasted with many of the other ‘corrosion corner’ propliners. Since her Hunting days, the cheat line had been modified to a lighter shade of red, the engine cowls had also been painted red and the rudder had been painted silver. Initially untitled in 1980, a small ‘Staaica’ title had appeared above the red registration letters on the fin by 1982. The red engine cowls had also acquired a black band but, overall, the Dakota’s condition appeared to be excellent.
On March 9th 1982, the ownership of YV-25CP passed to Aurelliano Herrera and, by April, she was back in Fort Lauderdale. In November 1982, records show that the Dakota was sold and joined the US register as N2627Z with Pronto Aviation Services of El Paso, Texas (7). Pronto had been operating for a couple of years from the Sunland Park Airport on the western edge of El Paso, just into New Mexico and right on the US/Mexico border. By 1982, they were operating turboprop-engined Beech 18s plus N102BL, an ex-DHL Hawaii C-47. Much of their work involved contract freight work for Emery Air Freight linking the border cities of El Paso, Brownsville and Corpus Christi with Tucson and Albuquerque. On-demand freight work was also frequent and N102BL had a starring role in a Chuck Norris movie before coming to grief near Las Cruces, New Mexico, in July 1982. N102BL’s demise prompted the purchase of C-47 N333PV on August 23rd 1982 and, subsequently, the arrival of YV-25CP/ N2627Z in November (8).
In early 1983, Pronto Aviation Services transformed into Atorie Air led by aviation engineer Ed Scott and pilot/ accountant Pat Madera. The new company placed an ‘A’ in front of the name of Scott’s daughter Torie to christen the reborn airline – a shameless ploy to appear first in the Yellow Pages! N2627Z also gained a new identity, becoming N25CE on February 28th 1983 – a registration very similar to her previous Venezuelan identity. Atorie’s business plan was to operate aircraft like N25CE as intensively as possible with young, eager (cheap!) crews flying as many as 12 hours per day. This brought the hourly costs down to within the $7-800 band, much cheaper than the 727s being operated by the parcel companies at the time.
During their heyday, Atorie operated a varied batch of up to twelve C-47s (as well as a C-46 and the Volpar Beech 18s) but were encountering competition finding cheap transports on the second hand market (9). The US/ Mexico border of the 1980s was a whirlpool of activity for aging propliners, partly owing to a lively contraband industry. Consumer goods were cheap in the USA but tariffs in Mexico were high. This stimulated a nightly exodus of C-46s, C-47s and Beech 18s from airstrips on the US side of the Rio Grande, usually (over)loaded with computers and white goods bound for dusty strips on the south side of the river. While not encouraged by the US Government, the trade wasn’t policed with the same alacrity as the drug shipments moving in the opposite direction. Atorie Air seemed able to expand their business more legitimately by negotiating extensive parcel delivery contracts with companies such as Emery. The main issue was sourcing sufficient well-maintained C-47s like N25CE.
(7) Air Britain gives December 29th 1982 as the date for re-registration as N2627Z following Pronto’s rebirth as Atorie Air.
(8) Details of Pronto operations from various online blogs including Jaime Carreon on imodeller.
(9) Atorie’s fleet list included: N25CE, N37AP, N403JB, N31MC, N3433U, N1213M, N222PV, N101ZG, N102BL, N333PV, N801FA (C-46). Source: Air Britain + others.
Emery were building their own ‘Air Force’ but worked with many smaller operators on contract. Atorie operated 1649 flights for Emery during 1984 with daily services between Los Angeles, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara and Las Vegas (10). A further service between their El Paso base and Los Angeles was planned. The C-47s were painted in garish colour schemes by Atorie and given quirky fleet names. N25CA was reputed to be the best aircraft in the fleet with one young Captain, Paul McKibben, telling the LA Times that she ‘flies the best, is more stable and starts every time’ (10). This hadn’t saved her from being named ‘Puff’ and being painted in a rather horrible olive green scheme. By early 1985, ‘Puff’ was one of four regular C-47s flying parcel flights for Atorie. The crews were interested in the tell-tale hints of the old lady’s past life: glider-towing fitments, para dropping lights, a ‘G-AVPW’ id tag on the bulkhead and the Venezuelan registration still visible under a layer of paint on the tail fin.
(10) LA Times article of 24/2/1985 by Paul Dean, ‘Lots of Love lavished on the low-tech DC-3’.
While the intensive use of the C-47s brought in the dollars and enabled Atorie’s revenue to move into the black within two years, there was evidence that maintenance and record-keeping was suffering. N102BL’s 1982 accident (while still flying under the Pronto banner) was followed by a second incident in late March 1986 (11) when N37AP, ‘Helican’, made a forced landing after a cracked cylinder on the port engine interrupted a flight from Phoenix to El Paso. Just a few days later, it was N25CE/ Puff’s turn to have engine issues. A propeller run-away resulted in another forced landing, this time in the desert, and quite considerable damage to the C-47. While there had been no serious injuries or deaths on board any of the aircraft or on the ground, each of the C-47s had been quite extensively damaged and the sequence of events raised the interest of the FAA. After the March engine failure, the authorities warned Atorie that their record keeping was inadequate and the training and management structure was unsuitable for the large turnover of aircrew. N25CE’s forced landing rubbed salt in the wound, a further engine issue leading to a forced landing with serious damage ensuing. Again, poor record-keeping was flagged and Ed Scott was forced to admit that there had been sixteen engine failures attributable to poor maintenance during the preceding twelve months, four forced landings within forty days. The FAA warned Atorie that, unless major changes had been made by May 5th, their licenses would be suspended. An inspection team visited El Paso on May 5th and, far from being reassured, they sought an emergency revocation of the airline’s licenses. While the FAA were drafting the order, another Atorie C-47 had an accident on May 9th (12) with N3433U, ‘Ahmed’, ground looping at Las Vegas following engine-related hydraulic pump issues.
Following a meeting between Ed Scott and the FAA on May 10th, Atorie voluntarily handed-in its licenses while aircraft and crew records were presented to the FAA to demonstrate compliance with regulation. Atorie’s understanding seemed to be that the inspection would be completed by May 12th, the other side of the weekend, and their licenses returned. However, there seem to have been extensive misunderstandings between the parties and a brief inspection of the records expanded with further irregularities highlighted on May 28th, June 3rd and late June. The cargo carrier’s licenses were not restored until July 3rd 1986 by which time the airline had lost all its parcel contracts. Atorie Air sued the FAA for acting in bad faith but were unsuccessful. The airline’s demise seemed certain as all the regular clients had been lost and the C-47s, including N25CE, required some fairly extensive repairs. The airline’s fleet had largely been owned by another Scott company, Scoben Investments of El Paso, and most of the aircraft remained on their books for a few more years. N101ZG departed during Atorie’s travails with the FAA, N333PV was advertised for sale during April 1987 but most of the rest remained with the El Paso company. N2647 left in July 1988 followed by N37AP/ Helican and N31MC which both headed for Flamenco Airways in Puerto Rico in April 1989, the same month that C-46 moved north to join Everts in Alaska. ‘Ahmed’, duly repaired, was sold to Avensa in January 1989 while N25CE had been repainted and restored to flying condition by Spring 1990. The earlier olive scheme had, thankfully, been replaced by a white over pale grey scheme with a red arrow cheat line and flash on the tail fin. Atorie’s earlier artistic ambitions weren’t completely abandoned and the lower wing surfaces were painted in a red and white sunburst scheme. N25CE joined ‘Ahmed’ at Avensa on August 19th 1991 and, after a demanding nine years in the USA, returned to Venezuela with the South American company’s Servivensa subsiduary.
(11) Some sources give March 3rd as the date for this incident, some give March 23rd.
(12) Some sources give the date for Ahmed’s ground loop as May 30th but this doesn’t match the dates of the legal case.
Upon returning to Venezuela, N25CE was re-registered YV-761C and the Atorie colour scheme was revised again to an overall white scheme with black titles. The long-standing silver rudder was retained. Her stable mate, N3433U/ Ahmed, also moved-on from the brash Atorie scheme and, as YV-609C, acquired the full Servivensa blue and white, Pan-Am inspired livery. During the mid nineties, YV-761C was also repainted in the Servivensa blue and white scheme and had ‘Carga’ titles added.
Avensa had been formed back in 1943 by Pan-American and Venezuelan interests but, by the 1980s, was state-owned and facing financial and union problems. Servivensa was formed by the parent company in 1989 with the aim of offering low cost services crewed by contract personnel. YV-761C joined Servivensa and was used on passenger and cargo flights within Venezuela. Unfortunately, the fifty-year old Dakota’s luck ran out on 17th December 1994. While approaching the airstrip at Cerro Aicha, Kamarata, on a scheduled cargo flight at around 10:30 am, the C-47’s port wing clipped hillside trees, entered a steep bank to starboard and hit the ground with fatal consequences. All three aircrew were killed along with four of the six additional personnel on board (13). The two survivors were reportedly mechanics who were traveling at the aft end of the C-47 and were saved by cargo netting. Kamarata is one of the closest strips to the Angel Falls which spill down the rock face of the ‘Tepuy’ (Table Mountain) and is often used as base camp for adventurers visiting the World’s highest waterfall. Observers reported that Captain Jose Aponte approached the strip before electing to circle again. During the go-around cloud descended obscuring the strip and local vegetation.
(13) Information from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents and also Aviation Safety Network. The former maintains that there were twelve passengers on board while the latter, more substantiated, report mentions six. The crash is reported as being 2km short of runway 15 at ‘Cerro Aicha airport’ which probably means the strip at Kamarata.
KG441 had seen the full spectrum of life from technical issues on early RAF operations she became what Hunting Surveys considered to be ‘the best-equipped DC-3 in the World’ and the freighter which Atorie pilots praised for being the most reliable, stable and best to fly in their motley fleet. She had been shot at by the professionals of the Wehrmacht, who had missed, and shot at by Angolan rebel amateurs, who had scored a hit. She had kept flying and landed safely after an engine issue over 1944 Normandy, a rebel attack in Angola and fuel system contamination in Venezuela, but crash-landed in the desert near El Paso after a propeller runaway. Operations ranged from wartime Europe to peacetime service in both Canada and Europe with the RCAF. A short visit to India with 233 Squadron in 1945 took the Dakota to the jungle of the east and Hunting’s took her south to the Savannah of Angola and west to the tropics in Venezuela. From being exceptionally well-maintained by Scottish Aviation, Fields and Huntings during the 1970s, her operation as a parcel carrier in Texas, New Mexico and California in the 1980s was with an operator dogged by maintenance issues. Initial visits to Venezuela for air survey saw her flown very precisely 250′ above jungle contours by ex-RAF V-bomber pilots. The final flight was also in Venezuela, some 20 years later, and close to the Angel Falls, discovered by the American aviator Jimmie Angel. While approaching a primitive airstrip near to Kamarata in 1994, fifty years after the Normandy landings, close to the mesa where the Angel Falls is found, the Dakota wing clipped trees and the aircraft smashed into the ground; seven personnel died but two mechanics survived.
Hits: 116