Warbird Information Exchange

This C-47 has been sitting at the Downtown Island Home Airport in Knoxville for almost a year. I saw her fly in and out of there in 2009 and last Sep it was in the grass with the left cowling off dripping oil. Today WIXer Dave G noticed a crew removing the props, elevators, etc. They told him they were getting the plane airworthy to fly it to Puerto Rico. I know in recent years the plane has been used as a trainer for the Flagship Detroit organization. We are speculating it has been sold.

I ran the numbers and got this from Joe Baugher's site:
Douglas C-47-DL
41-38672 (c/n 6055) to USAAF Nov 29, 1942 - North Africa Wing ATC Mar 29, 1943 - 9th AF, Netherlands 1944. Div to France Sep 08, 1947. To Aigle Azur Nov 26, 1947 as F-BEFF, F Moreau/Avions Bleus jun 1951, UAT May 07, 1952 (Fitted with Pallas jet engines) and Autrex Apr 01, 1954. Then to French AF Nov 17, 1955 ax ‘38672’. Operated by GLA45 Dec 1955, GT3/62 ‘F-ASP’ Jan 1958, GLA45 ‘F-SCDC’ oct 1958, ELA56 ‘F-SCOA’ Jun 1962, GT1/63 Jun 1964, GAMOM81 Oct 1964, ELA70 Jan 1966, ELA54 1969. Returned to civil registry as F-OGFJ (J P le Cozannet Jul 25, 1973, operated with Air Antilles colours - Satair, Le Lamentin, operated with Air Martinique colors 1979). Noted for sale, Opa Locka, FL. May 27, 1983, registered N4550J Dec 1983 for F V Moos and leased to Dodson International Air. Cancelled.

My question is, did this plane take part in Operation Market Garden? "Netherlands 1944" has me thinking it did but I can't find anything else to confirm it.

Here it is at Miami in the Late 90's.




Mark Fidler

Have you tried the Air Mobility Command Museum @ Dover AFB?

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Don't make me go get my flying monkeys-

Market Garden staged from England:

so the Netherlands reference would be after that operation I think.

Just a comment on the map above.....W7---V would be 43-15617 (315617) from 37TCS/316TCG

A few updates from BK's report yesterday. The plane's control surfaces suffered during an April, 2011 hailstorm and were removed for repair. The props were removed to be checked and the plane will in fact be heading to the Dominican Republic, not Puerto Rico. I spoke with one of the crewmembers and relayed to him the Baugher history and he showed me where there was some French labeling in the cockpit underneath some of the gauges. I was able to get a few quick iPhone shots. There is not enough contrast in the pictures to see the French labels.

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Hi, 37TCS/316TCG flew during Market Garden, dunno if 41-38672 was involved.
Did you check the aircraft card in the USAF Hist Branch at Maxwell AL?