First Principal
My recollection is that the C-47 I flew was in the Pacific for WW2 and that there was some specific additional information on rope starting. Unfortunately I wasn't able to find that in the brief time I spent looking, if I do I'll update - otherwise if you've flown VH-CAN you may recall what I'm talking about...?
Mach E Avelli
An alternative method suggested of wrapping a rope around the prop dome then pulling with a vehicle would impose enormous stresses, so that sounds like something you’d only do to in desperation to escape someone shooting at you.
FP,
VH-MMA is possibly the -3 that you are thinking of? It was General McArthur’s transport in the Pacific for a time.
Stretching the memory a bit, the Flight Manual of Air Norths DC3s (VH-CAN being the other) had the Rope Start instructions, including rope around the prop done that Mach mentions. It also had interesting instructions on how to picket the aircraft in snow and ice. (Fun fact, the Royal Darwin Hospital has external pitched concrete structures around the building to protect it from snow over load. The building was allegedly designed for Alaska).
IIRC, Hank used the Rope about the prop dome (man powered, not car powered) to get out of Maningrida back in the day when overnighting there was considered on par with being shot at.