dutchb25deliveryindiarector1942

This album records a delivery flight of B-25s intended for the Dutch in the East Indies by Pan Am Ferries (later the ATC) routing Miami, Natal,Brazil, West Africa,Aden, India . The Japanese advances terminated the flight at Bangalore, India where they were transferred to the RAF

Further examination of the hi-res scan kindly supplied by SDASM's archivist has revealed that the nearest B-25 is marked N5-145 on the side and ex-US tail-number 112509 (i.e. 41-12509) with reasonable certainty and behind is N5-144. This agrees with Peter Boer's paper independent.academia.edu/PeterBoer (However note 4, tableII in the appendix records a Dutch pilots logbook connecting N5-145 with 41-12507 raising the possibility of wrong painting on the aircraft) These were from a batch of B-25s being ferried to the Dutch East Indies over the eastern route (Miami-Natal.,Brazil- West Africa-Central Africa-Arabia-India in early 1942 but terminated at Bangalore, india by the Japanese advances in Asia. The 5 surviving B-25s were passed to the British who equipped them for photo-reconnaissance from India

Refuelling somewhere in Africa, either on the B-25 delivery flight or the return trip via Pan Am Africa/USAAF ATC

B-25 ? serial NE-139?

This is believed to be the wing of Dutch B-25 N5-139 one of a batch of 5 which arrived at Bangalore India on a ferry flight to the Dutch East Indies in 1942 which could not proceed due to Japanese advances. The 5 B-25s were transferred to the British and reportedly converted for Photo-Reconnaissance