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Civil aviation during WW2

How much were internal civil aviation operations affected during WW2? Were there, for instance, scheduled flights between, say London and Edinburgh?

Brian

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By: nibb100 - 19th October 2013 at 12:20

thanks Guys, very interesting, I just thought they went straight to Daks

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By: snafu - 18th October 2013 at 22:40

[ATTACH=CONFIG]222069[/ATTACH]

G-AHOF (cn SH.9C) Ex Lufrwaffe and RAF VN729. Converted by Short & Harland. Served BEA May 1946 until 25th September, 1947, when it arrived at Ringway for storage. Dismantled in Hangar 522 in February 1948 and scrapped at Latchford, Warrington. (Image either by RuthAS/Wiki or R.A.Scholefield/Airliners.net, or somewhere else entirely)

British European Airways operated eleven ex-Luftwaffe Ju 52/3mg8e machines, taken over by the RAF, between 1946 and retirement in 1947 on intra-U.K. routes before Dakotas took over
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Junkers_Ju_52#Operators

Plus three were operated by British Airways Ltd (mark 1…) pre-WWII on cargo duties; a post-war CASA 352 (Spanish built Ju52) is at Cosford painted to represent G-AFAP, which was captured in Oslo, Norway, in May 1940 (the other two were sold to SABENA and used in the Congo).

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By: paul178 - 18th October 2013 at 21:38

As flown by my Father several times in the Middle East 1942/3
[ATTACH=CONFIG]222068[/ATTACH]

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By: nibb100 - 18th October 2013 at 20:42

Hence the use of ex Luftwaffe Ju52/3Ms.

being just 1 at the time I know nothing of this, it was 1949 before I went on a trip to LAP with Dad, I’d be interested in anything on this BEA chapter

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By: snafu - 18th October 2013 at 19:38

…lend lease Dakotas could not be used on civil flights.

Hence the use of ex Luftwaffe Ju52/3Ms.

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By: Lyffe - 18th October 2013 at 18:01

Thank you gentlemen. Having opened the thread I did what I should have done before posting – Googling the question. I found this which may by of use to anyone interested – it looks well-researched.

http://www.gbps.org.uk/information/downloads/files/Report%20on%20the%20Progress%20of%20Civil%20Aviation%201939-1945%20-%20John%20Wilson.pdf

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By: Mr Merry - 18th October 2013 at 17:40

How accurate this article is I know not.

http://www.lookandlearn.com/blog/19457/british-civil-aviation-made-vital-flights-during-world-war-two/

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By: farnboroughrob - 18th October 2013 at 17:35

As Graham said there were services to the likes of the Scottish Isles, Scilly Isles and Isle of man but nowhere else. BOAC operated very limited overseas services(Ireland, Lisbon,Sweden and the US). Internal services were started in 1945 by those that operated the limited services but these were all merged into BEA in 1946. The RAF operated many scheduled services in 1945-6 pending the setting up of BEA as lend lease Dakotas could not be used on civil flights.

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By: Graham Boak - 18th October 2013 at 17:28

Initially all such operations were closed down. Selected examples were then re-opened if considered strategically vital – for example flights to the Isle of Man or Orkney. The book Railway Air Services will provide detail of a selection of these operations. As for London to Edinburgh – given the LNER, did such flights exist even in peacetime?

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