The photo of G-AFCK, longshot, for which you provided the long google link in Post #42 , appears in one of the A J Jackson books on British civil aircraft with the caption, “‘Golden Horn’ being launched at Lisbon after wing-tip float repairs, January 1943“.

However, this caption seems to contradict his text which reads, “During a test flight after an engine change at Lisbon on January 9, 1943, ‘Golden Horn’ suffered an engine fire, crashing into the Tagus with loss of 13 occupants, including Capt. J.H.Lock, pioneer Hillman, Imperial Airways and Railway Air Services pilot.“.

The photograph below appeared over 40 years ago in an issue of AEROPLANE MONTHLY accompanying a Peter Moss series on BOAC in WWII. The caption said, “Short S.26 G-AFCK Golden Horn, minus a float at Cabo Ruivo, Lisbon, in April 1942. This aircraft caught fire in the air and crashed into the River Tagus while on a test flight from Lisbon on January 9th, 1943“.

It would appear that the float problem was in April 1942 and that the engine replacement was in January 1943. If the photograph in Post #42 was just before the crash, then G-AFCK was not being launched following “float repairs”; if it were taken following “float repairs”, then surely it was taken some time in 1942, not January 1943. Anyone know any different?

I’ve sent an e-mail, longshot.

Thanks, once again, longshot, for your response.

Thank you particularly for the correction re the aircraft types. The two photos come from a book on Art Deco airports and I wasn’t too sure about the caption in the first photo (the second had no aircraft details at all). I was once a member of a winning team in an Air-Britain aircraft recognition contest, the youngest and lowest-scoring member, I should add, but a member nevertheless (and I still have the page from AIR BRITAIN DIGEST to prove it) but it was well over 50 years ago and I am more than a little rusty these days.

I do have the BLOCKADE RUNNERS book (and the more recent STOCKHOLM RUN book) and I have had occasional contact with the BA Museum (not about G-AGDI, though). The AB-IX forums are for A-B members, which doesn’t apply in my case. I had wondered if the scan you posted re G-AGDI’s service history came from a particular publication.

This is another photograph of Schiphol in the 1930s, this time an aerial view. The middle aircraft appears to be DDL’s Ju-52 OY-DAL, mentioned in post # 29 above. The one on the right is presumably a DC-2 of KLM – am I correct?

That was terrific – so much detail regarding G-AGDI, longshot. Thank you. Can you please tell me the source?

According to Nils Mathisrud’s new book on THE STOCKHOLM RUN, the Curtiss Wright CW-20 G-AGDI made five trips there in 1942. The first arrived at Bromma Airport on 5 April 1942 and last departed Bromma on 11 December 1942.

A J Jackson says it had been “Ferried to Prestwick by A.C.P. Johnstone on12.11.41 in 9 hours 40 minutes. Used on long haul routes and Gibraltar-Malta run in 1942“. He also says that BOAC converted it to a 24-seater but I’m pretty sure I read that it was used to haul freight on the Stockholm run but I’d have to check that.

I think this photo is better known and wondered where it was taken but I’ve just found a note that the location is Gibraltar.