The Skymaster saves soldiers again: Ex-servicemen battle to restore military transport plane that served with the US Navy and Marines in WW2, Korea and Vietnam and flew British prisoners home from Japan

UK Daily Mail ^ | 01/01/2021 | William Cole

[DFG]

In the winter of 1946, Skymaster 56498 soared over the midwest plains of the United States as it neared the end of a 6,000-mile journey, carrying a very precious cargo.

On board were dozens of British prisoners of war being repatriated from the battlefields of World War Two after the allied victory over Imperial Japan.

And now it is saving British servicemen again - as former members of the armed forces find camaraderie and new skills as they work to restore the aircraft to its former glory.

At the forefront of technological innovation at the time, the Skymaster's 4,000-mile range regularly took it from US airforce bases in the Pacific Theatre to the Californian coast, and occasionally on to Delaware, where troops could be brought back home to the UK by ship.

Today, the very same Douglas C-54 type aircraft finds itself on British soil; somewhat more rusted in its 75th year, and facing a £1 million restoration project to see it take to the skies once again.

It is one of only a handful that still exists and had a lucky escape when Allan Vogel, an aircraft broker, spotted it lying in a scrapyard at North Weald Airfield in Essex.

[lonerepubinma]

I believe they are used to shuttle freight between Hyannis and Martha’s Vineyard and Nantucket.

[Fester Chugabrew]

Don’t know squadron. Sorry. Bermuda, Point Mugu, and Lexington Park were in the mix as to stations.

[Knocker]

Back in ‘65-’66 I worked flight-line maintenance on transient cargo aircraft at Hickam Field on Oahu. The newly introduced ‘T’ tail, jet engine, C-141 was the Air Force’s new stragetic workhorse in the build up for Vietnam along with C124s, C-130s, and C-133s adding support. Occasionally older cargo planes would arrive requiring maintenance such as Gooney Birds, $19s, C-54s, C-97s, C-118s, C-121s, C-118s, and C-123s. We always groused and complained about working on the old birds but the truth was we learned a great deal about the evolution of avionics. If you look at the C-54 and compare it to the C-118 (my favorite prop cargo/executive plane) you can’t miss the bloodlines.
BTW, Operation Bluelight moved the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry (Electric Strawberrys) from Schofield Barracks Hawaii to Pleiku Vietnam. The balance of the 25th went to CuChi North of Siagon. They were there so long they eventually became known as the CuChi National Guard. Anyway, in terms of weight moved, Op Bluelight, not well known, was bigger than the Berlin Airlift, although not as significant. I know, I worked 12hrs/day for months and enjoyed every minute.

[TXnMA]

When I went to the C-54 startup video, I ran across another at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=70CjsIbLwU0

That was a 16-minute collection of startups, takeoffs and flybys of a dozen or so radial-engine warbirds, including Bearcaat, Hellcat, Corsair, Corsair 2, A-20, B-24, & B-17 -- and ending with a "missing man" formation flyby of four AT-6 Texans.

Brought back lots of fond memories. I grew up right across the road from Ellington AAC Airbase during WWII -- and then moved just east of the approach to the N-S runway after it became Ellington AFB.

I spent many happy hours on the lawn, watching dogflights -- and wore out a couple pairs of cheap field glasses (and innumerable screen doors) running out whenever a new-sounding A/C flew over...

Like all on this thread, I still love and recognize the sound of a radial -- or a big Vee...

TXnMA   
  

[TXnMA]

While I was at that "startups" vid, I noticed this one on startup, takeoff, cruise and landing of the B-36:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1-urTRxeEM

Not bad; it's from the movie, "Strategic Air Command". Obviously filmed at Ft Worth's Carswell AFB / Convair -- where my F-I-L worked on the B-36 (and many other warplanes)...

Too bad the Hollywood dummies buried the "outboard across the lake hum" of those six big pushers at contrail altitude -- with theme music. :-{

But, you can hear a bit of it on takeoff...

Not too bad, though -- especially seeing all those beautiful beasts lined up along the Carswell taxiways...

TXnMA   
  

[Flick Lives]

Great takeoff sequence with the B-36. Beautiful footage for a movie shot in 1954. Thanks for posting that.

[Organic Panic]

I miss pre 9-11 days when we could sit right at the edge of the airport and watch the planes. There was a Air National Guard base too and a bunch of people gathered at the parking lot and had a tailgate party when they would do training.

[rlmorel]

I think they used to be used as part of the Provincetown-Boston Airlines up until the late eighties then got sold off.

I do seem to recall there was talk of re-engining the DC3’s they had with turboprops, but don’t know if that ever happened on any of them.

[rlmorel]

Loved reading that post of yours. Your reminisces of being around those as a kid...well, something just struck a chord with me. I love that I had the opportunity to grow up as a military dependent. If your father was not military, I’ll bet that a lot or nearly all of your friends were military, living that close.

Hope all is well with you, FRiend...:) Best wishes for a Happy Year.

[aces]

I was a nasa Langley employee and would watch air demos of new and old planes..I get your memories..

[linMcHlp]

C-54 bttt

[linMcHlp]

“running out whenever a new-sounding A/C flew over” ditto