Four Star Parking
Sun Aug 24, 2025 7:49 am
Gen. Sir Bernard L. Montgomery's C-47 in Northern France shortly after D-Day..
Anyone know the serial # ??
Anyone know the serial # ??
Re: Four Star Parking
Mon Aug 25, 2025 9:20 am
#1 I wonder if that was a one-off assignment for Monty or a permanent one.
#2 Also wondering if it was permanent, how long the US Stars and Bars remained painted on it. With Monty's reputation, I'd think not long.
#2 Also wondering if it was permanent, how long the US Stars and Bars remained painted on it. With Monty's reputation, I'd think not long.
Re: Four Star Parking
Tue Aug 26, 2025 9:42 am
I found a memorial page for Montgomery's USAAF personal pilot, Eddie Russell. It says he was assigned to Monty from the invasion of Sicily until the end of the war.
https://www.cnac.org/russell01.htm
There's another view of the C-47, but it doesn't show the serial either.
https://www.cnac.org/russell01.htm
There's another view of the C-47, but it doesn't show the serial either.
- Attachments
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- Monty - Pilot Russell and crew.jpg (43.98 KiB) Viewed 2177 times
Re: Four Star Parking
Wed Aug 27, 2025 12:15 am
Well, that's surprising...
That Monty would use a USAAF C-47 with an American crew instead of a Lend Lease Dakota...
Towards the end of the war, the arrival of the Avro York (a Lancaster with a transport fuselage) gave the UK an indigenous 4 engine transport. To replace his C-54, Churchill had a specially equipped York, and famously, ACM Leigh-Mallory was killed in his new VIP aircraft in 1944.
I suspect Monty would have had one as well.
That Monty would use a USAAF C-47 with an American crew instead of a Lend Lease Dakota...
Towards the end of the war, the arrival of the Avro York (a Lancaster with a transport fuselage) gave the UK an indigenous 4 engine transport. To replace his C-54, Churchill had a specially equipped York, and famously, ACM Leigh-Mallory was killed in his new VIP aircraft in 1944.
I suspect Monty would have had one as well.