Douglas C-47A-70-DL (DC-3A-456) 42-100737 / RDAF K-687
This plane was completed at Long Beach on November 26th 1943. Construction number 19200. Delivered to USAAF on December 2nd 1943 and based at Bear Field, Indiana.
I believe it was assigned to the one of the 438th Troop Carrier Group’s 4 squadrons – 87th, 88th, 89th, and 90th under Colonel John M. Donaldson. As they were activated at Bear Field during June 1943. They trained on C-47’s here before moving to the United Kingdom in February 1944.
It’s a fact that 100737 were transferred to the 9th Air Force in the United Kingdom on March 13th 1944.
This timing makes it likely that 100737 took part in both the D-Day and later in operation “Market Garden”. I have found a photo of C-47’s of the 438th lining up in preparation for D-Day on RAF Greenham Common in Arthur Pearcy’s marvelous book “Fifty Glorious Years” page 57. Two tail numbers are distinguishable on the photo. (4)2-100766 and (4)2100775. This is pretty close to (4)2100737. I do not know if this represents a connection?
Following the end of hostilities in Europe. 100737 were based at various locations in Germany, still with the USAAF. On August 23rd 1950 it was transferred to the Royal Norwegian Air Force (RNAF) under the Mutual Defense Aid Program (The Marshal Program). It was allocated to the RNAF’s transport squadron 335 SKV based at Gardermoen north of Oslo. It had by then logged 2794:05 hours.
Returned to the USAF on September 25th 1956, having then logged 6736:05 hours. However, it stayed at Gardermoen until October 23rd 1956, at which time a Royal Danish Air Force (RDAF) crew flew it to FSN Vaerloese, northwest of Copenhagen. Formally taken on charge by the RDAF on October 24th 1956. Having then logged 6744:15 hours.
On November 5th 1956, painted in Danish colors and given the registration 68-687. Allocated to 721 squadron (ESK) on November 6th 1956. Later the same year re-painted in camouflage.
On November 19th 1960 it was re-registered to K-687. The number it has kept to this date.
From September 23rd to October 27th 1961, Flying for the United Nations in Congo.
In connection with IRAN (Inspection and Repair As Necessary) and 4 PE (Periodical Inspection) at FSN Vaerloese from January 23rd to April 2nd 1970, re-painted in the now RDAF standard mat olive-green color, with the addition of “Day glow” fields on the nose, wingtips and a band around the tail.
On March 6th 1975 converted to carry skis (as the only C-47 of the 8 operated by RDAF) and based in northeastern Greenland from April 30th to May 10th 1975.
On loan to Twickenham Studios, from August 31st to September 21st 1976.For the making of “A bridge too far”. The movie about operation “Market Garden”.
On May 5th 1980 it left the runway during take-off on FSN Aalborg. Temporary repaired and flown to FSN Vaerloese for repairs on May 12th. Handed back to ESK 721 on July 16th 1980.
Last flight for RDAF took place on January 7th 1981. Luxemburg – Ramstein – Brussels and back to Vaerloese.
Transferred to the main repair depot at Vaerloese on January 12th 1981 where it was prepared for storage having logged almost 31000 hours. It then stood almost undisturbed for 6.5 years. (Almost because I worked on it for a while during a “job training” program while still at school). Until it again took to the air on September 3rd 1987 for a ferry flight to Billund in west Denmark, where the Danish Aviation Museum was about to open. During this ferry flight, the engines, ailerons and rudder from the museum’s other C-47, K-681 / OY-DDA was used.
In RDAF service K-681 and K-682 was in VIP configuration and used for Government and Royal flights. K-681 was chosen to represent Danish Airlines (DDL) first DC-3, OY-DDA at the new museum, as the original OY-DDA was not available. The real OY-DDA is displayed at the parachute-landing museum in Ste Mere-Eglise in France. K-682 is still going strong. It’s being kept in flying condition by the Danish Dakota Friends as K-682 / OY-BPB. Another former RDAF C-47, K-684 is flying with valiant Air Command in Florida as “Tico Bell”.
K-687 stayed at the museum in Billund until it’s closure in 1998. Here I got the chance to work on it again as crew chief for a group of volunteers working hard to preserve it.
After the closure of the museum, K-687 was stored in the museums Hangar in Billund. Now that this Hangar are also sold off, has many of the museums planes been moved to a new Aviation museum under Denmark’s Technical Museum in Helsingoer (the Hamlet City). Most of the planes still technically under RDAF ownership has been put in storage at the soon to be closed FSN Vandel 5 km from Billund.
The future is uncertain.
Now to the questions:
It would be interesting if it could be confirmed that K-687 took part in operation “Market Garden” twice. The original and the movie. Can anyone help?
Can anyone confirm that K-687 took part in the D-Day landings? OY-DDA now on display at Ste Mere-Eglise did not! And to my knowledge, neither did any of the other C-47’s operated by RDAF.
Does anyone have amendments, corrections, stories or more information on K-687 / 42-100737 ?
By: FellowVet - 31st July 2005 at 06:29
Attached photo of the C-47 “Drag ’em Oot”
Hereis a photo of the plane my Dad flew in WWII and the reunion he had with it in Great Falls, Montana in May 2005. He got to fly it again that day for the first time in 60 years!
Gary Allin
By: FellowVet - 31st July 2005 at 06:11
Update of a C-47 of the 438th Troop Carrier Group’s 87th Troop Carrier Squadron
The following stories are not about the inquired C-47 in the earlier messages, but they are about a C-47 my Dad, Orlando “Bill” Allin, flew as a pilot in the 87th TCS of the 438th TCG based at Greenham Commons during World War II. He was the command pilot of the plane “Drag ’em Oot” mentioned in the news articles and flew copilot with his best friend on D-Day. He piloted C-47’s in every major air drop in Europe from Normandy onward and his TCG flew some of the first supplies to Bastogne just befor Christmas during the Battle of the Bulge when all ground access to the town was cut off by the Germans. Dad still flies a plane and at 83 is the last known flying pilot in the 438th.
Here are the links to the stories about his being united with his planeafter 60 years:
http://www.ruudleeuw.com/dc3-n5831b.htm
http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20050530/NEWS/505300301
http://www.warbirdalley.com/news.htm Look under June 2005.
Also at another squadron buddy’s website is a more detailed recounting of the 438th’s D-Day flight:
http://www.rb-29.net/HTML/75ArivdsonMem/05.01aohallensty.html
Respectfully,
Gary Allin
By: JDK - 14th June 2005 at 10:26
Thanks for your repeated insights AJ, but you might like to read the last line of my post again, and consider it? Thanks. Your banter needs work here. 😀
I’d just noticed the thread because of post 2 – where Fellow Vet came from and found it beats me, but as I had the info to hand, it wasn’t going to hurt posting it, was it? Though I could have spent the time more profitably making clever remarks, I suppose :rolleyes:
In my experience longer shots have paid off. Sometimes! 😀
By: Septic - 13th June 2005 at 23:01
Peklein, Have you had a look through the superb After the Battle book ‘Market Garden’ Then and now by Karel Margry. PS Two volumes.
There was also an issue of After The Battle Magazine on Market Garden.
Septic.
By: JDK - 13th June 2005 at 13:09
I’ve just come across an article in Aircraft Illustrated, April 1977, by Flt Lt K J Hurst who was DC3 Project Officer on the ‘Bridge too Far’ film. K-687 is listed as having been in the film (which we knew) as 823561, nose number: ‘C3’ tail number: ‘P’. He makes no mention if any of the ten Dakotas were in the real operation, which, if I recall correctly, at least one was.
It’s a good little article, but one error has the (unspecified) Spitfire down as belonging to the Hon Patrick Lindsay and flown by Neil Williams. It was MH434. At the time, MH434 was owned by Sir Adrian Swire, and was flown by Neil – I suspect one deal fell through and the Spitfire was going to be Patrick’s Mk.I but ‘434 was used in the end.
I’d be happy to copy and send the article, but going by the age of the original post, that might not be a likely request! 😀
By: FellowVet - 11th May 2005 at 05:22
Regarding the C-47 of the 438th Troop Carrier Group
There is a book Titled “The 438th Troop Carrier Group In World War II” by Austin J. Buchanan (a pilot in the 90th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 438th TCG) It lists by name and rank the the original crews and their planes (with plane serial numbers) that flew overseas to England in January-February 1944.
The plane serial numbers begin with 42-100738 assigned to the 87th TCS. The plane you are enquiring about (42-100737) may have been assigned to as a headquarters plane.
FellowVet
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February 13, 2001 at 11:47 am