Ah ,so British Civil Aviation 1939-1944 is a reprint of the HMSO ‘Merchant Airmen’. The illustrations used in the online sample seem to be from the pre-war era, though.
Googling for this book also brought up https://www.persee.fr/doc/rbph_0035-0818_2000_num_78_3_4469#rbph_0035-0818_2000_num_78_3_T1_0882_0000 which seems a fair online account of Imperial Airways story and the launch of BOAC.
I see there has been a re-issue of the classic Imperial Airways History by Robin Higham who died a couple of years ago. He also produced a BOAC history ‘Speedbird ‘ which was held back from publication by British Airways for a half-century

Maybe a case of using whatever aircrew were available (BOAC) with whatever aircraft were available (field converted Wellingtons) to support the Desert Forces in winning the campaign…by the time the Dakotas arrived BOAC could go back to regular line flying?

Think it was a short lived operation based on Cairo supporting the battlefront in the Western Desert…one photo in the LIFE photos from the Western Desert
https://artsandculture.google.com/search?q=life%20%20landry%20western%20desert best in Chrome browser[ATTACH=CONFIG]259419[/ATTACH]

http://www.rafmuseumphotos.com/dmcs-search.html?reportid=&find=KLM+DC-3&ItemsPerPage=60&FindColour=0&searchwithin=0&searchgallery=0&search_after_day=27&search_after_month=02&search_after_year=2018&search_before_day=28&search_before_month=02&search_before_year=2018&Submit=1&PageNo=1&pn=1&so=1&findmedia=1

As Charles E Brown took two photos of the DC-3 using precious colour film* it makes me think he would have photographed every type present at Whitchurch that day (Albatross, Whitleys). The RAF museum photo curator did confirm that the museum has a number of Brown transparencies/prints damaged and needing restoration so maybe an organization with the clout of the BA Heritage Centre could investigate just what they’ve got.
* Brown was sent his first load of Kodachrome 4×5 inch sheet colour film by Bill Ziff of the American ‘Flying’ magazine to shoot RAF types in colour for a 1942 magazine special and they were printed September 1942
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=HYwafczXhr8C&printsec=frontcover#v=thumbnail&q&f=false
…I don’t think the Whitchurch photos got published till the 3 volume Camera above the Clouds books came out (1990s?) The DC-3 and Ensign photos can be purchased from the RAF museum as digital prints

Here’s wireless operator Alex Uttley’s statement to the enquiry. I imagine the drawing is exagerrated[ATTACH=CONFIG]259181[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]259182[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]259183[/ATTACH][ATTACH=CONFIG]259184[/ATTACH]

Crash of Golden Horn G-AFCK, Lisbon, 75 years ago

Googling ‘Hidroaviao Lisboa’ (Flying boat, Lisbon) currently brings up a forthcoming presentation (26Feb2018?)
on the Golden Horn crash in Lisbon (9Jan1943) which seems to hint at foul play?
http://agendalx.pt/evento/o-misterio-do-hidroaviao-de-xabregas#.WpBx2dSLRXQ
I have an interest because reading the report on the crash in the NA at Kew last year I realized that the sole surviving Briton was BOAC wireless operator Alex Uttley who lived a few doors from me in Heston when I was growing up in the early 1950s. The presentation in Lisbon probably relates to the sole Portuguese survivor. I think the fire was probably caused by a mechanical/plumbing problem after an engine change. Though I distrust aviation art and ‘profiles’ , artists impression attached
ATTACH=CONFIG]259163[/ATTACH])0

Corsair G-ADVB arrived back in the UK on 15th January 1940 after the finally successful field repairs at Dungu. My theory is that it went back to Shorts for ‘proper’ repairs and was returned to service about the same time [ATTACH=CONFIG]258997[/ATTACH] as Clifton and Cleopatra were delivered new to Imperial/BOAC (17March 1940 and 10th May 1940 respectively), all three being given the new BOAC globe logo at the factory without camouflage….(ref.your scan of Cleopatra showing the globe logo). Corsair and Cleopatra had the globe logo replaced by a plain Speedbird at some time later (when?), Clifton acquired camouflage in Australia eliminating the globe logo ( again, when?)

I summarized Captain James Report (September 1940) in the National Archives as follows:
‘Captain James report on Las Palmas 10Sep1940-21Oct1940
On 6Sep1940 Captain James was instructed to assess Las Palmas (Canary Islands) as a refuelling point for S.23 Empire flying boats en route to Durban from the UK. He was flown from Heston to Lisbon on 10Sep1940 (this would have been on the BOAC/KLM DC-3 service) and flew up to Madrid the next day on a DC-2 (Iberia?) In Madrid he began to experience obstruction from the Spanish who claimed no knowledge of his onward booking to Las Palmas. On booking a new ticket he was informed that a Special Permit was necessary to enter Las Palmas which the British Embassy applied for. During a six day wait Captain James hotel room was ransacked by the police and documents removed, he was interrogated and made to fill out a long statement. When the permit arrived the ticket was found to be cancelled so yet another one had to be purchased and a seat booked by direct intervention of the British Air Attache. Captain James arrived on 18Sep1940 via Seville, Larache, Iffny and Cap Juby. With the assistance of the British Trading Consul Mr Head and the Shell Representative Mr MacKellar he set about assessing the Spanish Air Force seaplane base at Gando and the large Las Palmas commercial harbour at Puerto de La Luz for use by Empire flyingboats. Both were reported by coded cable as suitable( with reservations on wind direction).
BOAC headquarters at Bristol was cabled on 19Sep1940 and Captain Harrington was despatched in ‘Corinthian’ G-AEUF for Lisbon. The permit for 3 flights at 2-day intervals arrived in Las Palmas from Madrid on 24Sep1940 and Harrington arrived over La Luz harbour at 1300GMT from Lisbon , having failed to make the required radio contact with Gando because the British had failed to give him the frequencies. Fortunately he was not fired on and Captain James reports a crowd of some 2000 local people watched from the harbour as ‘Corinthian’ arrived. It departed successfully for Bathurst at 0800GMT on 25Sep1940 after refuelling by Shell.
Captain Davys in ‘Cooee’ VH-ABF (not marked G-AFBL as stated in part II) arrived at La Luz harbour at 1430 GMT on 28Sep1940 leaving at 0800 GMT the next day for Bathurst.
Captain Bailey in ‘Cassiopeia’ G-ADUX arrived at La Luz at 1530GMT having first landed at Gando in error because of incorrect instructions at Lisbon , leaving for Bathurst at 0800GMT two days later, 2Oct1940 with one passenger for Sierra Leone
(Note…Brian Cassidy in ‘Flying Empires’ has Bailey in ‘Cooee’ and Davys in ‘Cassiopeia’)
Captain James also surveyed the Gando airfield for BOAC landplane use, finding it suitable (though it is believed BOAC never used it in WWII) .He suggested that BOAC aircraft should have a Union Jack painted on them to distinguish them from French aircraft.
Having determined that the Spanish would permit further flights via Las Palmas with prior approval required for each flight and Certificate of Departure from the Spanish Embassy at Lisbon and a Bill of Health, Captain James flew back for Lisbon on a Ju52 on 7Oct1940 after yet again finding his ticket cancelled and a fresh purchase needed. The Spanish did eventually refund the value of the cancelled tickets through their Lisbon Embassy
The Wilson Report on Civil Aviation records several more Empire flying boats refuelled at Las Palmas from 9Dec1940 amongst an overall 10 round-trips by Empire flying boats UK-W.Africa Jan-May1941 and about 20 round-trips UK-W. Africa shared between 3 S.30 Empires, 2 Catalinas and 3 Boeing 314s between Jun-Oct1941. The Catalinas and Boeing 314s are not believed to have called at Las Palmas
The BA Museum note as examples at Las Palmas ‘ Clyde’ G-AFCZ overnight 6/7Jan1941 and ‘Clare’ G-AFCX overnight 31Jan/1Feb1941.
Using diagrams and information in ‘Flying Empire’ by Brian Cassidy it seems ‘Clyde’ and Clare’ had the maximum fuel capacity of 2,534 gallons in six wing tanks and three fuselage tanks (M1 system) for a still-air range of 2,754n.m. ‘Corinthian’, Cooee’ and ‘Cassiopeia’ ferried out for the shorter stage lengths of the Horseshoe Route had four wing tanks and additional fuselage tanks for the ferry trip(1C system?) Cassidy records that G-AFCT ‘Champion’ and G-AFKZ ‘Cathay’ followed (via Las Palmas?) each fitted with .additional fuselage tanks holding 360 gallons. ‘

Also in the National Archives was a November 1940 response from BOAC management (scan attached)…perhaps the large Union Jacks started appearing November/December 1940?

There is a file in the Public Records Office, Northern Ireland dealing with the militarization of Empire flying boats which I’d dearly like to access