In the article below, which was published in February 1943 but refers to 1942, there are several references to Lisbon.

One of the routes shown for the BOAC Liberators is UK-Lisbon. There is nothing about flying on to Gibraltar, though the details of some BOAC services were restricted for security reasons.

One of the routes given for the BOAC Boeing 314As is Baltimore-Bermuda-Lisbon-UK, though I don’t recall seeing any photographs of BOAC’s Boeing 314As at Lisbon. There is no specific reference to their use of Foynes, though the entry for the Albatross and Whitley aircraft shows the service from Whitchurch to Eire was to connect not only with Pan Am and American Export flights but also ‘Boeing Services’.

Not unexpectedly, the BOAC/KLM DC-3 service to Lisbon is included (the Stockholm Run is not, presumably for security reasons).

The Short S.26 service to Lisbon is included

Moving my focus elsewhere and to follow up on previous mentions of BOAC’s Wellingtons in this thread, these are given as flying the Cairo-Karachi service and, along with other types, services from Cairo to the Western Desert.

As before, lazy8, thank you very much for your valuable contribution.

I had kept open the possibility that the Dakota in the photograph was G-AGHE, despite the mention of Leuchars on the registration document, because Nils Mathisrud (in his book “The Stockholm Run”) shows no record of it ever flying into Bromma on the Stockholm Run. It did seem odd that a Dakota, supposedly ‘allocated’ to Leuchars, should not have made a single trip there.

The Reuters report is quite specific as to the number of aircraft coming from Britain in total and the number flying on to Gibraltar. It also refers to ‘landplanes’, so is clearly excluding from the figures any flying boat services that day.

One of the photographs (see Post # 143 on Page 5 of this thread) shows seven BOAC aircraft on the Portela tarmac, including one BOAC/KLM DC-3. The photo above (in Post # 384) shows five aircraft and the other photo (post # 170 on Page 6) also shows five. If the reprint quality of the third photo were a bit better, we might well be able identify the aircraft shown but, if all three photographs were taken on the same day, there has to be some reason for the presence of so many BOAC aircraft being there together. The resumption of services after a break would seem a logical explanation.

As before, I welcome contributions, including those that contradict what I’ve proposed. This is the way we learn and get closer to what actually happened and when.

The fly in this particular ointment has been the BOAC Dakota in one photograph, the relevant part of which is shown below.

This Dakota was thought to be G-AGHS, which was not registered until 16 September 1943, suggesting that the photograph must have been taken later in the year.

However, could it possibly not be G-AGHS but either G-AGHE or G-AGHF?

If so, G-AGHE is possible because it was registered on 5 May 1943 but its base was given as Leuchars.

G-AGHF was registered on 10 May 1943 and its base given as Whitchurch – UK home to the Lisbon Run – so seems to me to be, of the two Dakota, the more likely to have been in the Portela Airport photos.

What do you think? Could it be G-AGHF rather than G-AGHS?

Once again, confirmation or brickbats would be most welcome.

Just out of interest, on 6 June 1943, Reuters reported that “air traffic between Britain and Portugal was resumed today”. This was after “a few days interruption”, presumably following the shooting down of the BOAC/KLM DC-3 carrying Leslie Howard on 1 June 1943.

Reuters also reported that “eleven land planes” arrived at Lisbon that day and, “soon after their arrival, seven left for Gibraltar”.

The Reuters report ended, “Others are leaving soon for England”.

Could the photograph have been taken on 6 June 1943, I wonder?

Does this explain why the disposition of aircraft on the tarmac is different in a couple of the photographs in earlier posts in this thread (aircraft coming and going at different times)?