'The captain C.G. von Rosen waves his wife goodbye, though the chocks are still in place.' Adventurous Swedish Count Carl Gustaf von Rosen was hired by KLM after flying in Ethiopia. He married stewardess Hanny Krijgsman in 1938. He took a leave of absence to fly a bomber DC-2 for Finland during the Winter War, and was back in Holland just in time to evacuate a KLM DC-3 to Britain in May 1940. Apparently the RAF did not accept him because he had just visited his uncle - Hermann Göring! He worked for ABA Aerotransport until 1945 and then went back to Africa. Hanny joined the Dutch resistance and survived Dachau concentration camp. She died in 1949. Photo from: Amsterdam City Archives

KLM's scheduled DC-2 inside Ringway's 1938 hangar when operating KLM's schedule from Schiphol. Ringway's new Austin ambulance poses alongside. From the airport archive 40 years ago.