| This aircraft was delivered to the USAAF on 1/7/44 and the following month went to the U.S. 8th A.F. in England. In July 1944 it transferred to the 9th A.F., but by September 1944 was back in the USA with the 806th Base Unit at Baer Field, IN. The next month it transferred to the 316th Troop Carrier Group at Pope Field, NC, then in March 1946 the plane was with the 4105th Base Unit at Davis Monthan, AZ. September 1949 found the plane with the 3040th Aircraft Storage Depot, and in Feb. 1950 it was at North AFB, CA. In April 1951 this aircraft was assigned to SAC with the 131st Fighter-Bomber Wing at Bergstrom AFB, TX. It remained with SAC until July 1955, serving in several units, and then went back to North AFB with the Air Material Command depot. In April 1956 the plane belly-landed off base and was SOC, then purchased by Remmert Werner of St. Louis who repaired it an registered it as N56U. On 5/25/57 the plane moved to Canada and was registered CF-JUV. The plane passed through several owners, and then in 1980 the aircraft suffered an accident requiring rebuild. It then entered commercial charter service with North Cariboo Flying Service out of British Columbia with an all-female crew. In 1986 the registration changed to C-FJUV. By 1995 the aircraft was registered as N1944M flying sight-seeing tours in Alaska in fully restored condition with Era Classic Aviation until 2003. It is currently displayed as N16005 at Lyaon Air Museum at John Wayne Airport, Santa Ana, CA. (Information up to 1986 from Arthur Pearcy’s book, “Douglas DC-3 Survivors” and the rest from Joe Baugher) |