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Original period black-and-white real photograph showing Douglas C-47 Dakota G-AGWS, construction number 6208, operated by Scottish Airlines / Scottish Aviation.
This is a particularly historic individual aircraft. Before becoming G-AGWS it served with the USAAF as 41-38749 during the Second World War. It served in North Africa and later transferred to the US Ninth Air Force in Britain.
D-Day history
On 6 June 1944, this exact aircraft 41-38749 took part in the airborne assault on Normandy.
It flew as Chalk No. 50 on Mission Boston, carrying paratroopers of the 3rd Battalion, 508th Parachute Infantry Regiment to Normandy. Contemporary mission information records the aircraft as having suffered light damage from flak and/or small-arms fire during the operation.
After surviving the war it entered British civilian service, becoming G-AGWS with Scottish Aviation in December 1945.
Likely date of photograph: c.1946.
Scottish Airlines commenced operations in January 1946, and G-AGWS operated the airline\'s first regular service on 28 January 1946, carrying passengers between Prestwick and Belfast under contract to BEA. An independently archived photograph also records G-AGWS with Scottish Airlines at Heathrow in 1946.
The aircraft continued an extraordinary career after this photograph was taken. It temporarily returned to military identity as RAF WZ984 for troop-carrying contracts in 1951–52, later became CF-FCQ in Canada and passed through several American registrations. Records trace the same airframe ultimately to N305SF, surviving for decades in North America.
The registration G-AGWS is visible in the photograph, allowing this exact D-Day veteran aircraft to be positively identified.
Photograph size: approx. 11 cm x 7 cm
Mount/card size: approx. 11.4 cm x 9 cm
Mounted on period card using photographic corner mounts. Reverse is blank with no photographer\'s stamp or annotation.
Acquired as part of a house clearance from an old private aviation photograph collection.
Only one copy of this photograph is available. I do not have the original negative.
Original vintage photographic print, not a modern reproduction.
Please study the photographs carefully for exact condition, including the photograph, card mount and corner mounts. Some mounts in this collection may have age-related damage or breakage, and photographs may be partially or fully detached where shown.
Combined postage available: I have a number of original period aviation photographs listed and can combine postage where possible if more than one is purchased.
