WHBM:
You are correct in saying there were actually a total of thirteen DC3s in the Malayan Airways fleet. Thanks for listing all the bird names, just reading them brought it all back just as if it was yesterday. Have you read "The Moonlight War" by Terence O'Brien? Considering your father flew DC3s in Burma then you will find it very interesting. It is an account of a DC3 squadron engaged in clandestine operations dropping spies and their supplies into Japanese occupied Burma, Inodochina and Malaya. They operated from bases in Eastern India and the author was in charge of flyhing operations. His nuts and bolts description of what they had to do at night (hence the name moonlight war) makes great reading. I highly recommend it and perhaps your father gets a mention. Thanks also for putting up the Malayan Airways timetable. I loved that word Batavia. Do you have any later timetables say about 1958-60? Also would your source of information stretch to something about Borneo Airways. It was Malayan Airways policy to send some of their DC3 first officers to fly DH-89A Rapides with their offshoot company Borneo Airways which was based in Labuan. I did six months of this in 1957 and I often wondered what happened to those Rapides that I used to fly around British North Borneo. There was only three of them registered VR-OAC VR-OAA and VR-OAB. They (the aircrafts) were marked as Malayan Airways but the company was called Borneo Airways so if they are listed in any records it could be with either organisation. Thanks in advance as anything found would be much appreciated. Regards.
Tartan Giant:
Many thanks for the info re Captain Arthur Larkman's book. I have been in touch (by email) with the Dan Air shop and they are processing my request. I consider it as giving myself a Christmas present. When I was stationed in Labuan Borneo (mentioned to WHBM)! I remember seeing York freighters transiting there to refuel on their way to and from the rocket range in Woomera Australia. At the time I thought them some sort of monster with their oil stains and their noisy crackling engines but I also thought they must have been exciting to fly. I think those Yorks belonged to Dan Air but I'm not sure and if so Arthur Larkman would have been flying them. Thinking about why his book is entitled "Chance Encounters" reminded me of an axiom that says "splendid people are where you find them". I'm sure you agree with that.
Regards
828a