[Zoran Petek]

This is an attempt to identify 22 Dakotas of 216 Squadron

Hudson VI
EW876 Kos 19.9.43., 22.9.43.
Dakota I:
FD775 Kos 20.9.43., Leros 17.10.43. (damaged beyond repair at Arakan 8.2.44.)
FD778 Kos (Cody) 14/15.9.43., 19.9.43., 22.9.43., 23.9.43. (Later in India. SOC Mar 27, 1947)
FD785 Kos 23.9.43., 28.9.43. (SOC Mar 27, 1947)
FD807 Kos 22.9.43. (216 Sqn, Middle East May 01, 1943 - 31 Sqdn, India - 575 Sqn - 107 MU, Kasfareet. SOC Mar 27, 1947, last noted Kasfareet, Egypt Aug 1947.)
FD808 Kos 14/15.9.43., 19.9.43., 20.9.43., 22.9.43., 23.9.43. (216 Sqdn, Middle East Jun 01, 1943 - 575 Sqdn - 1330 CU, Bilbeis - 107 MU, Kasfareet. SOC Mar 27, 1947, last noted Kasfareet, Egypt Aug 1947.)
FD816 Kos 14/15.9.43., 19.9.43., 20.9.43., 30.9.43. (216 Sqn Middle East May 01, 1943 - 575 Sqn - 1330 CU Bilbeis - 107 MU, Kasfareet. SOC Mar 27, 1947, last noted Kasfareet, Egypt Aug 1947.)
Dakota III:
FD829 Kos 19.9.43., 23.9.43. (Ran out of fuel and crashed within Turkey. Damaged beyond repair, Nov 1 1943)
FD831 Kos 14/15.9.43. (flown by Forsyth), 19.9., 20.9.43., 22.9.43., landed at Kos 2.10.43., Leros 17.10.43. (194 Sqdn - SEAC Apr 30, 1944. Sold to Government of India Nov 29, 1946. Indian Air Force. Hindustan Aircraft Sep 25, 1947)
FD842 Leros 12.10.43. (Survived into 70s, scrapped)
FD866 Kos 19.9.43. (Damaged beyond repair and written off 3 June 1944)
FD876 Kos 14/15.9.43. (Discrepancy - mentioned as damaged beyond repair on 9 July 1943)
FD886 Kos 19.9.43. (Also 267 Sqn. SOC 29.6.44. Also claimed as destroyed in an accident near Oujda, Morocco 3 June 1944 - a typo for FD866)
FD892 Kos 19.9.43. (In Sudan 1945. Crashed after the war. Discrepancy - ASN claim: Destroyed at Kos 18.9.43.)
FD893 Destroyed at Kos 18.9.43.
FD920 Leros 8.10.43. (Sold to Indian government Jan 30, 1947)
FD923 Kos 14/15.9.43., Leros 17.10.43. (194 Sq May 31, 1945, India. Sold to Indian government Jan 30, 1947.)
FD927 Leros 17.10.43. (Crashed 25 September 1953)
FD960 Leros 11.10.43., 12.10.43. Crashed at Catania, Sicily, month later (24.11.43.).
FD963 Leros 11.10.43., 12.10.43. (Survived, BSF Museum at Tekanpur)
FD966 Leros 17.10.43. (Crashed as civil VT-DEU 19 May 1978)
FL503 Leros 17.10.43. Later in Burma, 353 Sqn RAF, SEAC, photo (Profile?).
One Dakota is still unidentified:
__360 Leros 11.10.43. (KG360 = Dakota III, but it seems to early, KN360 = Dakota IV, but in 1945., FD360 = Vengeance, FL360 = Kittyhawk. Or the numer could be 860?)