Uploaded August 2024 | Updated September 2026, 3 weeks ago
Aero Legends ex United States Army Air Force (USAAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota C.3, 'Drag 'em oot', 42-100882/N473DC, arriving at and departing from the Imperial War Museum Airfield, Duxford on Friday 23 August 2024.
This Douglas C-47, c/n 19345, was delivered to the United States Army Air Force on 28 December 1943 with serial 42-100882. It was assigned to the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 438th Troop Carrier Group, of the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing, 9th Air Force, based at RAF Greenham Common (USAAF Station 486), England. It was equipped as a glider pick up aircraft, fitted with model 80 glider gear. Her pilot at the time, 1st Lieutenant Orlando Hardin 'Bill' Allin (1922-2016), named her 'Drag ’em oot' (slang for ‘Drag them out’), after an expression that his maternal grandmother used and because of the aircraft's role.
The 87th TCS flew the first wave of parachute dropping missions over Normandy, France shortly after midnight on 'D-Day', 6 June 1944. 'Bill' Allin flew as co-pilot on another C-47 Skytrain in the first vic for the first air assault mission on D-Day, having swapped positions with the regular co-pilot, as 'Drag 'em oot' could not carry paratroopers because of the glider-snatch winch gear fitted in its fuselage. During this mission paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division were dropped near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France on Mission ‘Albany’.
After returning to RAF Greenham Common, 'Bill' Allin flew another mission that day to the same location, this time in 'Drag 'em oot', towing a glider transporting men and materials for the 82nd Airborne Division, to a landing zone near Sainte-Mère-Église, on Mission ‘Elmira’.
This and other Skytrains were then used to recover assault gliders from the Normandy landing grounds throughout July and August 1944.
On 2 September 1944 'Drag 'em oot' was transferred to the RAF, as a Dakota C.3 and given serial TS422, going to No.1 Heavy Glider Servicing Unit, attached to the 38th Airborne Forces Group, RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire.
The RAF formed a specialist glider recovery unit and TS422 was used to recover Horsa assault gliders from the Normandy beach heads. The unit also collected and delivered WACO, Hadrian and Airspeed Horsa assault gliders to RAF bases prior to Operation Market Garden (Arnhem) and later, in March 1945 in readiness for Operation Varsity, the Rhine Crossing.
During these missions 'Drag 'em oot' sustained much fuselage and wing damage from shrapnel and bullet holes and the repairs are still evident. In August 1945 she joined 435 Squadron, RCAF, at Down Ampney, Wiltshire.
In April 1946 she was flown to Canada, where she was used as a trainer, a transport and, whilst fitted with skis and jato rockets, as a search and rescue aircraft.
She was sold off by the RCAF in 1966, going on to the Canadian civil register, with the following history-
Keir Air Transport, Edmonton - 29 March 1967.
Air Commonwealth, Edmonton - 10 December 1969.
Trans Provincial Airlines - 20 July 1970.
Laurentian Air Services - 1975.
Trans Provincial Airlines - 1975.
Pacific Coastal Airlines - 1978.
Airwest Airlines, Richmond - May 1980.
Superior Airways - September 1980.
Ontario Central Airlines - April 1981.
Bearskin Lake Air Service - December 1982.
To USA as N5831B - 25 February 1985.
McNeely Charter Service (Reggie Hopwood) at West Memphis, Arkansas - 21 January 1998.
John and Susie Johnson at Avra Valley/Marana Regional Airport, near Tucson, Arizona - 2002 (?). All paint removed, previously removed astrodome refitted, vertical stabilizer replaced, rear cargo plexiglass replaced, 90% of external screws, nuts, bolts replaced, interior floor replaced.
She was then sold to Dakota Heritage Ltd/Patrick 'Paddy' Green in the UK.
On 14 June 2004, as N5831B, she was registered to Dakota Heritage Inc, Wilmington, Delaware.
She was prepared to a condition suitable for a ferry flight back to England and then left Arizona on 14 May 2005, flying the Northern route via Great Falls, MT - Saskatoon (YXE) - Churchill,Manitoba - Iqaluit,Baffin Island - Sondrestrom (Greenland) - Reykjavik (Iceland) - Wick (Scotland) and arriving at Liverpool, UK on 1 June 2005, without any technical problems. During the ferry flight the aircraft stopped at Great Falls, Montana and it's wartime pilot, 'Bill' Allin, then 82 years old, was reunited with her and got the opportunity to fly her again. Her time in the air during the whole ferry trip was 34 hours.
On 2 August 2005 registration N473DC was reserved for her, which was taken up on 14 June 2006.
She was subsequently painted once more in her original USAAF colours seen here.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © 2024 StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
Aero Legends ex United States Army Air Force (USAAF), Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Douglas C-47 Skytrain/Dakota C.3, 'Drag 'em oot', 42-100882/N473DC, arriving at and departing from the Imperial War Museum Airfield, Duxford on Friday 23 August 2024.
This Douglas C-47, c/n 19345, was delivered to the United States Army Air Force on 28 December 1943 with serial 42-100882. It was assigned to the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS), 438th Troop Carrier Group, of the 53rd Troop Carrier Wing, 9th Air Force, based at RAF Greenham Common (USAAF Station 486), England. It was equipped as a glider pick up aircraft, fitted with model 80 glider gear. Her pilot at the time, 1st Lieutenant Orlando Hardin 'Bill' Allin (1922-2016), named her 'Drag ’em oot' (slang for ‘Drag them out’), after an expression that his maternal grandmother used and because of the aircraft's role.
The 87th TCS flew the first wave of parachute dropping missions over Normandy, France shortly after midnight on 'D-Day', 6 June 1944. 'Bill' Allin flew as co-pilot on another C-47 Skytrain in the first vic for the first air assault mission on D-Day, having swapped positions with the regular co-pilot, as 'Drag 'em oot' could not carry paratroopers because of the glider-snatch winch gear fitted in its fuselage. During this mission paratroopers of the 2nd Battalion, 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division were dropped near Sainte-Mère-Église, Normandy, France on Mission ‘Albany’.
After returning to RAF Greenham Common, 'Bill' Allin flew another mission that day to the same location, this time in 'Drag 'em oot', towing a glider transporting men and materials for the 82nd Airborne Division, to a landing zone near Sainte-Mère-Église, on Mission ‘Elmira’.
This and other Skytrains were then used to recover assault gliders from the Normandy landing grounds throughout July and August 1944.
On 2 September 1944 'Drag 'em oot' was transferred to the RAF, as a Dakota C.3 and given serial TS422, going to No.1 Heavy Glider Servicing Unit, attached to the 38th Airborne Forces Group, RAF Netheravon, Wiltshire.
The RAF formed a specialist glider recovery unit and TS422 was used to recover Horsa assault gliders from the Normandy beach heads. The unit also collected and delivered WACO, Hadrian and Airspeed Horsa assault gliders to RAF bases prior to Operation Market Garden (Arnhem) and later, in March 1945 in readiness for Operation Varsity, the Rhine Crossing.
During these missions 'Drag 'em oot' sustained much fuselage and wing damage from shrapnel and bullet holes and the repairs are still evident. In August 1945 she joined 435 Squadron, RCAF, at Down Ampney, Wiltshire.
In April 1946 she was flown to Canada, where she was used as a trainer, a transport and, whilst fitted with skis and jato rockets, as a search and rescue aircraft.
She was sold off by the RCAF in 1966, going on to the Canadian civil register, with the following history-
Keir Air Transport, Edmonton - 29 March 1967.
Air Commonwealth, Edmonton - 10 December 1969.
Trans Provincial Airlines - 20 July 1970.
Laurentian Air Services - 1975.
Trans Provincial Airlines - 1975.
Pacific Coastal Airlines - 1978.
Airwest Airlines, Richmond - May 1980.
Superior Airways - September 1980.
Ontario Central Airlines - April 1981.
Bearskin Lake Air Service - December 1982.
To USA as N5831B - 25 February 1985.
McNeely Charter Service (Reggie Hopwood) at West Memphis, Arkansas - 21 January 1998.
John and Susie Johnson at Avra Valley/Marana Regional Airport, near Tucson, Arizona - 2002 (?). All paint removed, previously removed astrodome refitted, vertical stabilizer replaced, rear cargo plexiglass replaced, 90% of external screws, nuts, bolts replaced, interior floor replaced.
She was then sold to Dakota Heritage Ltd/Patrick 'Paddy' Green in the UK.
On 14 June 2004, as N5831B, she was registered to Dakota Heritage Inc, Wilmington, Delaware.
She was prepared to a condition suitable for a ferry flight back to England and then left Arizona on 14 May 2005, flying the Northern route via Great Falls, MT - Saskatoon (YXE) - Churchill,Manitoba - Iqaluit,Baffin Island - Sondrestrom (Greenland) - Reykjavik (Iceland) - Wick (Scotland) and arriving at Liverpool, UK on 1 June 2005, without any technical problems. During the ferry flight the aircraft stopped at Great Falls, Montana and it's wartime pilot, 'Bill' Allin, then 82 years old, was reunited with her and got the opportunity to fly her again. Her time in the air during the whole ferry trip was 34 hours.
On 2 August 2005 registration N473DC was reserved for her, which was taken up on 14 June 2006.
She was subsequently painted once more in her original USAAF colours seen here.
This Video and Audio content is
Copyright © 2024 StephenKeeler (HightFlight/SkyHighFlightTV) All Rights Reserved
