Photo D.H.84 Dragon F-ANES

[musec04]

Hello,


Currently on ebay there is a photo of de Havilland D.H.84 Dragon F-ANES seemingly in military markings at:


https://www.ebay.fr/itm/Aviation-pho...kAAOSw0~5enEh1



Does anyone know which unit operated this aircraft? According to the seller its FAFL which may not be impossible as it was registered in Casablanca.However, I would also like to know if it was impressed in 1939/40 and which unit opersted the aircraft at that time.



Regards,


Clint

[Leendert]

Clint,


In an online book called "Du trimoteur au quadrijet: le transport aérien en Afrique noire francophone" by Vital Ferry it says that F-ANES made its way from Alger to Adrar (Libya) where it joined the Free French. Pilot reportedly Manzano. It ended its (military) career in a Casablanca hangar, waiting for a buyer.


Regards,


Leendert

[Leendert]

Clint,

Some more about F-ANES here: http://www.crezan.net/pag_cpg/lana.html

Dragon was in N. Africa in 1939/40 and used by the Vichy French before escaping to Libya.

Regards,
Leendert

[musec04]

Hello Leendert,


Thanks for the links, the second particularly is very interesting and I shall spend some more time reading the site.It at least has mention of the SCLA as an operator. Still hoping though for information on the operating unit after the escape to Libya and use in 1939/40 by the military, if any.


LookinG AT THE OTHER dh.84 listed on the site it would also be interesting to know if F-ANGE saw any military use posr 1939.



Regards,


Clint

[Stig Jarlevik]

Clint

Through the registration we can follow the aircraft at least to a certain degree.

When LANA ceased in 1936 it was stored and in the end taken over by Etat Francaise (French Government) in March 1937 who in turn handed it over to another airline called Régie Air Afrique who operated it until taken back again by the Etat Francaise in October that same year.
In April 1940 it was registered to Sté Algérienne de Transports Tropicaux based in Algiers.
After the French - German armistice I don't believe SATT operated anymore.
With Vichy trying to get some controle over things disbanded basically Air France and created their own sort of airline called SCLA (Service civil de liaisons aériennes).
There is no evidence that any oldtimers (read biplane airliners) were put in use by them, so if F-ANES was used at all (and not stored) it must have been in a very minor capacity. Before this Manzano (sounds very Italian) took it on its flight to Libya - which must have been into a territory held by the Allies at that point - I believe it was simply stored.

Unfortunately very little has come into my hands with regard to minor aircraft types used by FAFL 1941-45. My guess is that it would have been used in Chad, a FAFL stronghold.

It was not heard of again until May 1948 when it was registered to a G. Descampes in Casablanca, Morocco and later registered 26 Aug 1955 to a J. Vidillac also in Casablanca. The aircraft was stricken in 1957 and I believe old age was the reason, and no doubt it had been scrapped before that date. At least it has never been heard of again....

Cheers
Stig

[Stig Jarlevik]

Funny one always remember another source as soon as you pressed the send button...

Looking in the book Les avions britanniques aux couleurs francaise, the author states that in the autumn of 1942 the aircraft was in use by Centre d'Instruction au Bombardement du Sud Algérien (Vichy) when one pupil (our Manzano) "stole" it and flew it to Libya.
When he arrived he actually crashed it, not totally, but from the photo included it is resting on its nose with props gone (at least on the startboard engine) and undercarriage damaged.

So rapidly changing the above, it now seems the aircraft was handed over from SATT to this CIB and we can see it was painted with the French roundels already under the Vichy administration.

The big question now, was it ever repaired until after the war? Probably not, hence the long time before it was registered in Casablanca.

The photo sold is most likely from its service with CIB in south Algeria.

Cheers
Stig

[musec04]

Hi Stig,


Thanks for the information on use by the CIB.Very helpful.I can't help wondering if the machine wasn't assigned to that unit or a predecessor in 1940. Was there a North African based CIB in 1940 or we're they all in Metropolitan France?


Does sound based on your information that FAFL using following the crash was a bilt unlikely though.



Regards,


Clint