Ex 42-23546, FD862. To BOAC as G-AGHP in August 1943. Reported ferried to Tripoli, Libya on 11 October 1943. Listed as based at Bristol - Whitchurch at the end of 1945. The logo with the word Speedbird is thought to be postwar. Dakotas carried out the UK - Lagos route, via Lisbon and Bathurst, until July 1947. G-AGHP was seriously damaged at Croydon in August 1947, which thwarted a transfer to Hong Kong Airways - VR-HDO not taken up. To BEA in December 1948. Converted to Leopard class freighter in 1953. Crashed in France in 1958 carrying a Formula 1 car engine for the Vanwall team to Nice for the Monaco Grand Prix. Photo by: Edward Duckworth / Northwestern University Libraries, Illinois

On display outside of the HQ of Ethiopian Airlines - ex 42-23766, FD906, 6802 SAAF, ZS-DDV, G-AJXL, G-AMGD, G-ALXL, VP-YTT, ZS-EKK, 3D-AAV and ZS-IWL. To commemorate the first ET-T-1, which was the first Ethiopian Airlines aircraft, delivered in 1946 - crashed January 1962 at Tippi, Ethiopia

A poor shot but worth uploading out of rarity interest. At this time it was stationed al Lahr, Germany, with 109 (Comm) Flight, but carries the NH code of Greenwood Station Flight (Maritime Air Command). Repainted as KG828 in October 1959 (Ref. A-B monograph p.549) then plain '828', then back to KG828 from 1961 to 1965. Re-serialled as 12948 in 1970 until sold in 1974 as C-GCXD.

from my collection, photographer not known, picture might have been taken during Air Tattoo 1973 at Greenham Common.

For a number of years this C-47 is preserved near the border between Slovenia and Croatia close to the village of Otok. It serves as a monument to a provisional airfield called Piccadilly Hope which was used by the allied forces during World War II in order to supply the Partisans led by Josip Broz Tito in their fight against Nazi Germany. The aircraft was delivered as KG783 to the Royal Air Force in August 1944 and also flew for the French Air Force before ending up with the Yugoslav Air Force somewhere around 1971.

Delivered to the USAAF as 42-24338 then to the RCAF as 661 in 1943. To the Royal Aircraft Establishment as KG661 in 1969. In 1979 it was discovered that KG661 was not its correct serial and it was changed to ZA947. Transferred to the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial flight in 1993.

Acquired by Ilford-Riverton Airways in 1975 ex RCAF 12953 and here passed down to Austin Airways effective March 1986. On 21 May 1989, while with Central Mountain Air Services, it was burnt out after an engine fire and forced landing near Bronson Creek/BC (CYBM).

"D-Day" livery

Ex 42-92423 (USAAF), FZ662 (RAF), G-AGZC (BOAC), VT-CPN (ntu) and AP-AAN (Orient Airways). Returned to the UK with BOAC in 1947 and joined BEA from September 1949 until sold in in Mali as TZ-ABA in March 1961.

Ex KG661, RCAF 661, USAAF 42-24338. Served initially with the USAAF but soon transferred to the Royal Canadian AF, with whom it served until declared surplus in 1971. It was purchased by RAE Farnborough as a trials aircraft, and allocated the serial KG661. When it was discovered that the original KG661 had been destroyed in an accident, a new serial - ZA947 - was allocated. It was declared surplus to requirements in 1992 and passed to Strike Command, and allocated to the BBMF in March 1993.

Allocated to the RAF in 1943 then became G-AGHO with BOAC during the war. It was enlisted into the RCAF as 10910 from 1951 until 1970 when it was acquired by Austin Airways as above. On 14 January 1993, whilst with Central Mountain Air, it was wrecked in a take-off crash from Bronson Creek (CYBM).

Ex 42-92622, KG408. Registered to BOAC 24 April 1946, then to BEA 19 August 1946. To East Anglian Flying Services -8 June 1961, later to Channel Airways upon corporate name change. Withdrawn from use at Southend March 1966 and scrapped there January 1970. Cancelled 24 February 1970 as Destroyed. (Photo taken 'early-1966').

from my collection, photographer not known

This aircraft remains active in 2022 with the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight