CAT was in the frontlines of the struggle against communism in Asia for decades. In 1948 it operated as CAT-MOC for the Chinese Ministry of Communications. Photo by: Jack Birns / Life

Other identities of this airframe: 44-078413, XT-T508, N8410C, B-860, B-912. The aircraft was still active in Vietnam in 1971. Sold for scrap at Tainan, Taiwan in 1974. Photo by: Jack Birns / Life

Operated between Paraparaumu (then Wellington's main airport) on the North Island and Woodbourne on the South Island. The caption says it was during an industrial dispute affecting shipping. The arrival of new Bristol 170s saw the C-46s return to Taiwan. Photo from: Evening Post / Alexander Turnbull Library

Later became N9885F with Delta Air Lines.

Civil Air Transport was a CIA-owned operation in Southeast Asia at one point, but also a regular Taiwanese airline. One CV-880 was acquired in 1961. B-1008 went to Cathay Pacific as VR-HGA in 1968. Photo from: San Diego Air & Space Museum

Scrapped in 1965. Photo from: Civil Aviation Historical Society, Melbourne, Australia

CAT was one of the civilian airlines active on behalf of the US government in Indo-China during the Vietnam War. It wore no markings other than its registration and Taiwanese flag. B-1016 was acquired directly from the USAF in 1967 and was sold in 1975 as N65132.