Thanks for the additional thoughts David… perhaps you can run your eye over this which has been posted in a similar thread over on the excellent Air Warfare Forum?
“I have details about another (?) Catalina that served with the Indonesian republicans at the time. It was identified by them with registration RI-006 and was previously owned by James Fleming who flew it in the Philippines with registration PI-C274. Fleming also flew the aircraft in Indonesia with an Indonesian officer as second pilot on most flights.
It made its first flight from Manila to Maguwo on 23 October 1948 and was registered on 26 October 1948. It made a second flight on 26 November 1948 from Yogyakarta to Jambi and Payakumbuh and back. The third flight was on 15 December 1948 when it flew from Manila to Yogyakarta with a cargo consisting of 100 kg of medicines. In addition Fleming carried some private cargo consisting of cloth samples whilst his partner named Arkin was also on board.
On 18 December 1948 the aircraft was chartered by the Indonesian Federal Commercial Organization for a flight to Tanjung Karang, on which flight it carried 25 civilians and their luggage. On 19 December 1948 the return flight was made with eight passengers, but unaware that the Maguwo airfield had been taken over by the Dutch forces, Fleming landed on the field and was arrested. One of the passengers was found to carry some opium samples as well as 1 kg of gold destined for the Indonesian government in Yogyakarta. On 31 December 1948 Dutch navy officers flew the aircraft, still identified as RI-006, to Tjililitan. Eventually it was transferred to the MLD and broken down for spares.
It is tempting to suggest that this is the aircraft of which Toon posted a picture, if there was not a small problem. As far as I can determine PI-C274 was painted as RI-006 when it was captured by the Dutch. So this probably means the Dutch captured two Catalinas.”
So were RI-006 and PI-C274 the same bird or were there two Catalinas captured by the Dutch?
Cheers,
Peter D Evans
LEMB Administrator
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