Up dated and revised version of an original article with same title published in WW II Quarterly (2006) Vol. 3, No 1

Early NAA B-25C Mitchells of the ML/KNIL, February 1942-June 1942

By Dr. P.C. Boer (© P.C. Boer, September 2009)

The NEI contracts

The Netherlands East Indies (NEI) government, through the Netherlands Purchasing Commission (NPC) in New York, ordered 162 North American (NAA) B-25C-5-Na Mitchell medium-bombers during April 1941. These bombers had to replace the outdated Martin B-10 medium-bombers of the Militaire Luchtvaart (ML, army aviation corps) of the Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (KNIL, Royal Netherlands East Indies Army). The contract was signed on 30 June 1941 and the 162 aircraft were to be delivered in the period from November 1942 to and inclusive February 1943. [1] The NPC immediately tried to speed up deliveries and succeeded in securing the co-operation of the USAAF for this. The latter agreed to swap a substantial number of its own B-25C-Na’s, from an already placed order for 863 aircraft, with later to be delivered ML B-25C-5-Na’s. The ML aircraft could then be delivered in the period from March 1942 to February 1943 (inclusive), with the first 114 B-25’s during 1942. The ML and the NPC tried to speed up deliveries even further but got a negative response from the U.S. War Department a few weeks after the Japanese attack at Pearl Harbor. [2]

The NEI had become eligible for Lend-Lease assistance, however, and priority deliveries of 60 USAAF B-25C’s to the ML were approved on 21 January 1942. [3] B-25’s for the ML were needed at short notice as part of a planned huge built-up of allied air forces in the NEI. The Lend-Lease contract for 60 B-25C-Na bombers came on top of the already ordered (and paid for) 162 aircraft, with the 60 extra aircraft to be delivered during January (ten), February (43) and March 1942 (seven). The delivery schedule (ex factory) of B-25C and C-5’s for 1942 became:

January 10 July 9

February 43 August 9

March 20 September 9

April 6 October 15

May 9 November 15

June 9 December 20

All of the (priority) deliveries of B-25C and C-5 aircraft against the original contract were cancelled, with none delivered to the ML yet, during the second half of March 1942. This was a purely administrative matter as Materiel Command USAAF introduced a new system of allocations per production block from 1 April. Allocations of new production aircraft were now to be done by the Munitions Assignment Board, MAB, advisory body to the Combined Chiefs of Staff. This board quickly reassigned to the NEI 101 B-25C’s (following the original delivery schedule but deleting the thirteen C-5 aircraft of March) and added one extra B-25D. These new assignments were later reduced, cancelled and replaced by other assignments several times. For the year 1942, eventually, only ten (still NEI owned) B-25C-5 aircraft were assigned and delivered to the NEI for use at the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Jackson (Mississippi). At the time of the policy change nearly all the Lend-Lease B-25C’s were already delivered by NAA, however. [4]

The NEI did not become owner of the 60 B-25C aircraft but borrower and had to pay for its use in accordance with the terms of the American Lend-Lease act. This meant, for example, that aircraft lost in new or almost new condition had to be paid for in full. Materiel Command of the USAAF diverted batches of aircraft from the USAAF contract for B-25C-Na’s to the NEI at the production line of NAA at Inglewood (California). All of these were built to the original USAAF specifications and were test flown from the municipal airport Long Beach in the standard USAAF paint scheme apart from NEI national insignia and ML registrations N5-122 to -181 inclusive on fuselage and wing roots. The N stood for North American, 5 for bomber and 122 for the 122^nd bomber of the ML (M5121 was the final Martin B-10). Materiel Command representatives did the formal acceptance at factory. After delivery during February and March 1942, slightly behind schedule, the NEI B-25’s were ferried to a Modification Center in Memphis, as were all the B-25’s, to bring the aircraft up to the latest war standard. This was a matter of a few days. On completion of the modifications factory pilots ferried the NEI aircraft to either Sacramento (California) or West Palm Beach (Florida) were they were transferred to a NPC representative. [5]

Delivery and ferry contracts

The NPC took delivery of the first Mitchells to be ferried (to Australia) around 10 February 1942 [6]. These aircraft had been accepted by the USAAF during the second half of January 1942. Air Corps Ferrying Command (USAAF) concluded an agreement with the Government of the Netherlands East Indies (made up at the NPC) for coordinating the ferry effort and concluded contracts on behalf of the NEI for delivery of the B-25’s with Consolidated Aircraft Corporation (Flight and Training Department), British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC), Pan American Air Ferries Incorporated (PAAF) and also Ferry Command of the RAF (RAF FC). A contract with Consolidated was concluded on 6 February 1942. It arranged for the ferry to Australia of eight aircraft in February, sixteen aircraft during March and fifteen to 32 aircraft each month from April 1942, depending on actual deliveries. The contract covered the ferry of planes from both NEI contracts. On this basis “ferry arrangements” (in fact detailed subcontracts) were concluded, the first covering the ferry of fourteen (Lend-Lease) B-25’s and a second that of another sixteen (Lend-Lease) B-25’s. BOAC was to ferry 25 B-25’s of the accelerated original contract. [7] PAAF could not ferry B-25’s itself but Ferry Command of the RAF, a sub-contractor of PAAF, could.

RAF crews could ferry twenty (Lend-Lease) B-25’s to British India via the South Atlantic ferry route and central Africa route plus ten (Lend-Lease) B-25’s to Australia via the Pacific route also to be used by Consolidated. Contracts between Air Corps Ferrying Command and PAAF and RAF Ferry Command were concluded around 9 February 1942, with RAF Ferry Command to do the actual ferrying and PAAF to give support from their Miami and San Francisco offices and Pan American stations en route. The two ferry arrangements subsequently concluded with RAF Ferry Command covered 20 and 10 aircraft respectively. [8]

The USAAF was to give maintenance assistance and should ready the aircraft for the ferry flights at either Sacramento or West Palm Beach, only fuel was at the expense of the NPC after leaving U.S. soil. The NPC also arranged for assistance of the USAAF with the transition of Martin B-10 personnel of the ML to the B-25, for which three (later becoming six) pilots and three bombardiers were to go on a short temporary assignment with the ML in Java. It also contracted technical representatives from NAA and a few other American factories (including Bendix, producer of the upper turret of the B-25) and entered a few ML officers in technical training courses run by US factories such as Wright, producer of the B-25 Cyclone engines. [9]

All of the B-25’s to be ferried to Australia were accepted by the NPC at Sacramento and all aircraft to be ferried to India at West Palm Beach. The actual ferry planning was made up by Air Corps Ferrying Command. The earliest known schedule dated early February 1942 was changed quite a few times, however. This was caused, amongst others, by problems with Consolidated in concluding the first ferry arrangement for fourteen aircraft (which resulted in Ferrying Command switching five of the first eight B-25’s to be ferried by Consolidated to RAF Ferry Command) and by problems with NAA in keeping production schedules. The NPC also made up rough ferry schedules, using the data of Materiel Command USAAF about the assignment of aircraft batches to the NEI. The original and final ferry schedules of the NPC are both given below. [10]

Consolidated Aircraft Corporation, destination Australia: N5-122 to -136 (incl.), plus N5-149 to -163 (incl.), eventually amended to N5-122, N5-123, N5-132 to -137 (incl.), N5-149 to -154 (incl.) and N5-158 to -163 (incl.), N5 serials of the final ten not known with certainty.

RAF Ferry Command, destination British India: N5-137 to -148 (incl.), plus N5-164 to -171 (incl.), eventually amended to N5-124 to -131 (incl.), N5-138 to -148 (incl.) and N5-155 to -157 (incl.). Two extra aircraft were added as two were returned to the USAAF after an accident at West Palm Beach.

RAF Ferry Command, destination Australia: N5-172 to -181 (incl.), amended N5 serials not known with certainty.

The ferry planning by Air Corps Ferrying Command (USAAF) was done on the basis of the expected delivery of aircraft by NAA after the formal acceptance by the Materiel Command USAAF. This resulted in B-25’s being assigned in batches to Consolidated respectively RAF Ferry Command. NPC was informed about the assignment of production batches to the NEI (and their expected delivery) and allotted the N5 serials to the aircraft concerned. However, individual aircraft sometimes had to be replaced by others as they were to be delivered later than anticipated, with the “filler” aircraft receiving the originally planned N5 serial. The NEI aircraft were among the very first production B-25C’s and NAA had some trouble in meeting production schedules and also USAAF quality standards at the time. At least six aircraft destined for the ML/KNIL were delivered about a month behind schedule and had to be replaced by later produced planes in the ferry schedules. The actual ferrying of individual aircraft was also arranged by Air Corps Ferrying Command which gave Consolidated and RAF Ferry Command its “special operations orders”, the latter through the Montreal branch of Air Corps Ferrying Command in Canada. At Dorval airport of Montreal RAF FC assembled its ferry crews.

Apart from the above mentioned delivery problems several planes developed defects during the period they were parked at Sacramento or West Palm Beach and a few ended up in unserviceable condition at various airfields after test flights or ferry flights by factory pilots. Besides two aircraft were used for the training of ferry pilots, navigators and radio operators for a while (41-12440/N5-122 and 41-12457/N5-125). To complicate things even further, the initial ferry effort of RAF Ferry Command to British India was switched to Australia after the invasion of Java by Japanese forces. As a consequence, many of the B-25’s arrived at their destination in a way that had little to do with the original ferry planning. [11]

The ferry to Australia

Sacramento became the B-25 collection point for the flights to Australia, as Hamilton Field (San Rafael, near San Francisco), the actual starting point of the ferry route, was far too busy. At Sacramento a pilot of the NPC, Captain “Hidde” Leegstra, officially took over the aircraft from the USAAF. [12] A number of materiel squadrons were available at the base for first and second line maintenance and there was also an air depot for third and fourth line maintenance. The Pacific ferry route consisted of five sea stretches. These were San Francisco-Honolulu (Hickam Field), Honolulu-Canton Island, Canton Island-Nandi (Fidzji Islands), Nandi-Noumea (New Caledonia) and Noumea-Brisbane. Some adjacent stretches could be flown in one day depending on take off time and weather conditions. As the international datum line was crossed, the flight took a day extra but nevertheless could be flown in five days. Total flying time was about 26 hours. [13] The flights ended at Archerfield, Brisbane, where the aircraft were taken over by personnel from a 43 men strong detachment of the ML (ML Det Archerfield). The detachment arrived from Java on 17 and 18 February 1942 in Lockheed Lodestars of the ML. The CO was Captain W.F. Boot. [14]

Four B-25’s flown by civilian Consolidated crews left Hamilton Field on 26 and 27 February 1942 for the flight to Archerfield. The lead aircraft left on 26 February and safely arrived on 3 March 1942. The other three arrived one day later. Next to arrive at Archerfield were two RAF FC ferried B-25’s on 9 and 19 March plus one Consolidated ferried B-25 on the latter date. Five more B-25’s (three Consolidated and two RAF FC ferried planes) arrived on 22 March (three) respectively 23 March (two). The RAF FC crews consisted for a large part of American citizens originally hired by the RAF in the U.S. for the ferrying of planes to Great Britain using the North Atlantic route. [15] It took a few weeks before the ferry crews were back in San Francisco. They had to wait for available seats on the regular service from Townsville to Honolulu of the U.S. Navy flown with Coronado flying boats (for which they had a certain priority) and made the remainder of the trip by civil airliner. [16]

By 23 March the majority of the ML pilots available at Archerfield, including a few very experienced pilots with at least 2.000 to 3.000 flying hours, were finally solo on the B-25. The six USAAF pilots (all 2^nd Lieutenants from 17^th Bomb Group at Spokane, Washington) arranged for by the NPC ended up at Archerfield about 28 February 1942. Around the same time Jack Fox, the NAA technical representative arrived and started with training the mechanics of the ML in performing pre flight checks, engine start up and testing and post flight checks around 5 March. He also gave the ML pilots and radio operators some training on B-25 systems for a couple of days until the 17 BG pilots took over. [17] When the mechanics were ready for the first line work after about a week the first group of pilots and radio operators, including Captain Boot, started conversion training on the first four B-25s delivered. The final group started flying on 18 March. [18]

One of very the first flights with Captain Boot and 2^nd Lieutenant H.V. Maull at the controls almost ended in disaster as the hatch of the life raft came loose during flight, the hatch and life raft badly damaging the port stabilizer. The B-25 (probably 41-12439/N5-132) could be safely landed by Maull and fortunately the American depot at Archerfield could assist the ML mechanics with the repairs. Aircraft 41-12462/N5-126 was severely damaged on 25 March 1942 when a landing Martin B-26 bomber of the USAAF skidded off the wet grass runway and hit the parked B-25. Another B-26 hit a DC-3 while landing and shot through the fence to collide with a house just outside the field. A second B-25, 41-12494/N5-146, was damaged on the same day during take off for a training flight. Due to the wet grass it could not reach normal lift off speed, stalled and ended up with a damaged landing gear. Parts for repair were ordered from North American through the NPC. Aircraft 41-12462/N5-126 needed extensive repair work, however, for which the American Air Depot at Archerfield was not equipped. Any damaged part was a nightmare for the ML mechanics as the B-25’s were delivered without any spare parts and were the very first B-25’s in the theatre. Jack Fox and the ML mechanics displayed much ingenuity in keeping the planes serviceable, however. [19]

The ferry to British India

The South Atlantic ferry route and central Africa route to British India and Russia started at Miami (Florida). Miami was too busy to act as a collection point and NAA pilots therefor flew the B-25’s from Memphis to Morrison Field, West Palm Beach. At this field the USAAF could support the ferry operation with a materiel squadron for first and second line maintenance and with a sub depot for third and fourth line maintenance. [20] Major “Eddie” te Roller of the NPC, the B-25 project officer of the ML, regularly flew down from New York to Florida to take over aircraft from the USAAF. B-25’s were flown to West Palm Beach from 9 February 1942. The first six aeroplanes that got their final flight checks at Miami were all NEI aircraft, but these were to be followed by mixed batches of B-25’s meant for both Russia and the NEI. [21] Only six of the ML aircraft left Miami, however, as two were damaged in a ground collision at West Palm Beach and all others collected at Morrison Field were redirected to Sacramento. [22] The first B-25 left for British India on 26 February 1942 and the sixth and last took off from Miami on 1 March 1942. A seventh B-25, lead of the next six aircraft, was also scheduled to leave on the last mentioned date but had a malfunctioning engine and remained at Miami. [23]

The first part of the route went from Miami, via Puerto Rico, Trinidad and British Guyana to Natal in Brazil. From Natal the aircraft were flown to Accra (Ghana, Africa) and then across Africa to Khartoum (Sudan). From Khartoum, via Cairo (Egypt) and Habbaniya and Basra (Iraq) the B-25’s for the ML went to Karachi and the next day to Bangalore. All in all a very demanding trip with long stretches over water and wilderness that took eleven to twelve days to complete. [24] Of the first three B-25’s that left one (41-12468/N5-140) crashed near Accra with the loss its crew. [25] The first of the B-25’s arrived on 8 March 1942, a second the next day and the remaining three aircraft followed in the period of 10 to 12 March 1942. A ML detachment (ML Det Bangalore) was present from 1 March. CO was Captain R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. and total strength was 20 men. The three USAAF bombardiers sent to Java also ended up at Bangalore and instructed the ML pilots and mechanics on the Norden bombsight. A few of the ferry pilots, navigators and radio officers (not all of them RAF personnel but also a few civilian PAAF employees, while the majority of the RAF personnel was in fact American citizen) gave some ground instruction on aircraft operation and demonstrated the equipment on board of the aircraft before leaving with a Pan American transport plane. [26]

Six more ML B-25’s were readied for the ferry flight on 1 March 1942 and part of these aircraft were about to leave from Miami when the ferry to Bangalore was suddenly put on hold the next day. This order was based on a decision by the Combined Chiefs of Staff (CCOS) in Washington. [27] The flights from Bangalore to Java in the NEI had become too dangerous due to Japanese advances. Southern Sumatra had already been invaded on 16 February 1942 and Java followed in the night of 28 February on 1 March 1942. CCOS switched the ferry of the B-25’s to Australia. The NPC took immediate action and the RAF ferry crews at Miami and West Palm Beach were sent on to Sacramento. Factory pilots and crews from Air Corps Ferrying Command flew the B-25’s from Miami and West Palm Beach to Sacramento. Two B-25’s were flown from Memphis to Sacramento directly. Time was at the essence and the first RAF manned B-25 (41-12443/N5-124) already left Hamilton Field for Australia on 4 March 1942. [28]

The ML Det Bangalore was left with just five B-25’s and these were eventually transferred (12 April 1942) to the RAF for use as long range photo-reconnaissance aircraft. The aircraft were flown to Karachi for the necessary modifications between 18 April and 1 May 1942 and subsequently went to 3 PRU of the RAF. This unit formed on 11 April 1942 at Karachi to operate the five B-25’s. The ML personnel went to Australia in May, with only Wittert van Hoogland and Lt P.C. Andre de la Porte remaining behind as instructors with 3 PRU. Both flew some high level reconnaissance missions from Karachi and Pandaveswar with RAF co-pilots and crewmembers during May and June 1942. Andre de la Porte (who had flown with the Royal NEI Airline on the Douglas DC-5, like the B-25 a modern nose wheel aircraft) had also test flown the B-25 during March and had instructed the other pilots of the ML. The ferry pilots wisely refused to give flying instruction, but one did taxi a B-25 with Andre de la Porte and demonstrated some engine run-ups. [29]

NEI B-25’s to the USAAF

The allied forces at Java in the NEI capitulated for the Japanese on 8 March 1942, effective the next day. A substantial number of ML personnel was available in Australia, however, including the men of ML Det Archerfield, the crews of the Depot Vliegtuigafdeling (the ML transport squadron) with their Lockheed Lodestars and the flying school with nearly all of its students and instructors, but without any aircraft. Also the Air Officer Commanding (AOC) of the allied Java Air Command, Major-general L.H. van Oyen (the former AOC of the ML) arrived by ML Lodestar. Van Oyen was instructed to take command of all the KNIL personnel in Australia (mainly of the ML) and to form combat units to continue the fight with the allies from Australia. The ML Det Archerfield was to be enlarged to an “escadrille” equipped with eighteen B-25’s, including reserves. Captain Boot and the NPC in New York were informed about this around 13 March 1942. [30] Van Oyen spoke with American and Australian authorities about the formation and organisation of the NEI B-25 unit at several conferences (about the disposition of NEI aircraft stranded in Australia or about to arrive by ship) held between 17 March and 26 March 1942. [31]

Materiel Command USAAF withdrew the priority assignments of B-25 aircraft to the NEI on 23 March 1942 but most of the 60 Lend-Lease B-25’s were already in NEI hands. About 30 planes were gathered at Sacramento and eleven were on their way to Australia. [32] Major Te Roller received a telegram from Major-general Van Oyen the day before, confirming that (for the moment) only eighteen B-25’s were needed for the NEI medium-bomber escadrille to be formed in Australia and informing Te Roller that he could stop the five B-25’s that had just arrived at Hickam Field and were still in Hawaii. [33]. These planes, the final five (including a stranded RAF ferried B-25) of the above mentioned eleven, were immediately stopped as the NPC was desperately trying to run-down its huge logistic pipeline from the U.S. However, after some contacts between the NPC and various involved U.S. authorities it was decided to reassign the planes to the ML in Australia. The crews were allowed to continue their journey to Australia on 24 March 1942. [34] Including six B-25’s that had already passed Hawaii on 22 March and which would arrive at Archerfield on 24 March (five) and 25 March (one) the strength of the ML Det Archerfield would become eighteen aircraft, which should allow a speedy unit work-up.

The Chief of the Air Staff wrote to Materiel Command USAAF on 28 March 1942 that a number of changes in the disposition of the NEI B-25’s had to be made at the request of the NPC. [35] Of the 60 B-25 aircraft that left the factory:

18 were now to go to the NEI in Australia (to be charged to the NEI),

24 to General MacArthur in Australia,

5 to be allocated to the Air Force commander in India,

6 to the USAAF in the U.S. for delivery to Brazil or as a replacement for other aircraft delivered to Brazil and

4 aircraft still at the Modification Center were either to be sent to Australia or to go an Operational Training Unit in the U.S.

Of the remaining three B-25’s one crashed in Africa (to be paid for by the NPC) and two were damaged at Palm Beach West (to be repaired at the cost of the NPC). The Lend-Lease contract for the 60 aircraft was formally cancelled on 2 April 1942, but this had no further consequences for the ML.

In the mean time Lieutenant-general G.H. Brett, Commanding-General of the U.S. Army Forces in Australia (USAFIA) and from 20 April 1942 Commanding-General of the Allied Air Forces in the South West Pacific Area, had taken over twelve NEI B-25’s. This was agreed to in principle on 23 March 1942 between Van Oyen and Brett. The aircraft (two of them still en route but expected that same day) were urgently needed for the 3rd Bombardment Group (Light) of the USAAF (3 BG) that was to arrive in Brisbane in two days, but without aircraft. The next eighteen B-25’s to arrive were to go to the ML, however. Van Oyen and Brett talked again about the transfer of the twelve aircraft on 25 March and finalised an “understanding”. Two of the B-25’s involved, as already described, were damaged on the same day. [36] The loan of the B-25’s created some administrative chaos, as NPC, Air Force Staff and Materiel Command of the USAAF were also busy reassigning NEI B-25’s.

Brett received orders from the Commanding-General USAAF on 26 March 1942 that of 23 B-25’s that had left the U.S. for Australia eighteen were to be reserved for the NEI. [37] Of these 23 aircraft all 18 for the NEI were already at Archerfield with the ML with 12 of the 18 about to go on loan to Brett. Van Oyen informed the NPC, through the Dutch military attaché in Washington, that same day that he had agreed to release 36 of 54 B-25’s (six more than originally agreed) to be delivered in Australia to the USAAF at the urgent request of Brett. [38] Brett informed his superiors in Washington on 27 March about the details of the “understanding” with Van Oyen and reported the next day that he already had taken over twelve B-25’s from the Dutch. [39] Van Oyen, by then, had agreed to deliver the additional six B-25’s, before completing the eighteen needed for the NEI squadron. [40]

As already mentioned, the crews of the five B-25’s stopped at Hawaii were authorised by Air Corps Ferrying Command to continue their ferry flight. Only four could, as one RAF ferried aircraft (41-12499/N5-157) was in repair at Hickam Field. The ferry went to Amberley, the new end station of the Pacific ferry route. Archerfield had become much to busy as it was a refuelling station in the air transport route from the South to New Guinea and Darwin. The American Air Depot left Archerfield for Amberley (leaving behind a sub depot) and also the ML detachment had to leave. It was notified on 26 March 1942 that it had to go to Canberra as the nucleus for the NEI B-25 escadrille as soon as the USAAF squadron based there would have left. The four B-25’s mentioned above arrived at Amberley on 28 March and were immediately picked up by ML crews from Archerfield. Three of the four were to go to 3 BG but unfortunately one of the planes (41-12476/N5-130) was damaged on arrival as part of the landing gear did not lock properly and collapsed on the roll out. The bomber was nevertheless handed over to 3 BG personnel together with the B-25’s 41-12480/N5-150 and 41-12441/N5-154 as planned. [42] The KNIL HQ in Melbourne had already notified Captain Boot that six additional aircraft were destined for the USAAF, including the aircraft stranded at Hawaii and one more B-25 (41-12485/N5-?) that was about to leave the U.S. [42] The latter two B-25’s arrived at Amberley on 6 and 9 April 1942 respectively and were taken over by the USAAF on arrival. [43]

Personnel of 3 BG arrived at Archerfield on 25 March (nine pilots) and 27 March (another nine pilots) and took over seven of the twelve B-25’s originally transferred to the USAAF (aircraft N5-132, -134, -136 and the damaged N5-146 were in repair or in maintenance after having been in use for conversion training and remained with the ML), plus five of the six B-25’s that arrived on 24 and 25 March. The latter were 41-12472/N5-129, 41-12481/N5-138, 41-12483/N5-152, 41-12498/N5-156 and 41-12514/N5-163. Aircraft 41-12462/N5-126 was also turned over to the USAAF and, together with B-25 41-12476/N5-130, went to the USAAF Air Depot at Archerfield on 30 March 1942 for major repairs. As mentioned already the first of these two aircraft was severely damaged by a landing USAAF B-26 bomber on 25 March and was now considered a write off at the expense of the USAAF. Personnel of the Air Depot also painted American insignia on the other B-25s and painted out the N5 serials of the ML. After check outs by ML personnel the 3 BG crews, mostly trained on Douglas A-20 light bombers in the US but including a few former Douglas A-24 single engine pilots (however, with some twin-engine experience), left for their base Charters Towers near Townsville on 29 and 30 March 1942 with six and eight aircraft respectively. Pilot check outs were done by Capt A.J. de Vries and Lt J.A. Butner, two of the most experienced pilots in the ML Det Archerfield. Both had their doubts, but Lt Col J.N. Davies, the CO of 3 BG, insisted that his first pilots were good and well trained. Indeed, all of them were declared solo after handling checks at altitude and three good landings. Nevertheless, two aircraft (41-12481 and 41-12514) crashed on landing at Charters Towers on 30 March and were a total loss. The 3rd Bombardment Group (Light) reported a B-25 strength of eight aircraft in commission and six aircraft under repair on 4 April 1942. [44]

As already mentioned, B-25 41-12485 arrived at Amberley (somewhat delayed) on 9 April. This was the final and 24th B-25 flown to Australia by a ferry crew for the NPC. The original ferry contracts were still operational (but in their final days) when the Consolidated ferry crew left Hamilton Field on 30 March 1942. The aircraft went directly to the USAAF as planned. [45] The ferry contracts were amended by Air Corps Ferrying Command around 4 April and all subsequent B-25 deliveries of now former NEI aircraft were to go the USAAF in Australia. The first twelve B-25’s were nevertheless to be transferred to the NEI to complete the eighteen B-25’s in the ML escadrille. Also aircraft 41-12494/N5-146 which was left with the American depot at Archerfield awaiting parts for repair was to be returned to the ML, ML personnel from Canberra regularly checking on the condition of the aircraft. [46]

Summarising the above, the USAAF took over from the ML “on loan”, that is the aircraft to be replaced from new deliveries at a later date, 13 B-25’s that had been in use with the ML Det Archerfield, three B-25’s that were transferred immediately after their arrival at Archerfield on 28 March (of which one damaged on arrival) and two B-25’s which went directly to the USAAF on arrival at Amberley during April 1942. One of these 18 B-25’s was, however, considered a write off at the expense of the USAAF as there were no facilities for repair available in Australia.

The formation of 18 Squadron NEI

Six aircraft remained in the hands of the ML and five of these formed the initial equipment of 18 Squadron NEI. These were B-25’s 41-12439/N5-132, 41-12464/N5-134, 41-12437/N5-136, 41-12482/N5-151 and 41-12502/N5-161. The aircraft were renumbered N5-122 to N5-126 in the same order circa 21 June 1942, when aircraft 41-12476, becoming N5-127, arrived from Archerfield after repairs (see later). No 18 Squadron NEI formed at Canberra on 4 April 1942 as a NEI unit but with a mixed ML/RAAF personnel establishment. The planned NEI escadrille (a standard ML “afdeling” with nine first line aircraft and a first line reserve of another five aircraft) had to be enlarged in strength (to twelve aircraft in first line with a first line reserve of six aircraft) at the request of the RAAF. This necessitated more personnel than the NEI had available and the limited number of RAAF personnel foreseen originally grew to a slight majority of RAAF personnel, although eventually all pilots and the majority of crewmembers remained ML. Most of the ML personnel at Archerfield left that base on 10 April 1942. The B-25’s arrived at Canberra on 1 April (one) and in the period of 10 to12 April 1942 (four). Other ML personnel arrived from Melbourne and during May 1942 RAAF personnel filled the remainder of the squadron establishment. [47]

A detachment including Captain Boot (the first CO of 18 Squadron until succeeded by Major B.J. Fiedeldij on 1 May 1942) stayed behind at Archerfield to pick up the next batch of six B-25’s. These aircraft left Hamilton Field on 12 April 1942 and five safely arrived at Amberley six days later, the sixth being delayed. The ML crews arrived a little too late at Amberley. Crews of 3 BG had taken over the aircraft without proper authorisation and had already left for Charters Towers in the evening of 18 April. USAAF personnel refused to return the aircraft and after some angry telex and telephone traffic between various headquarters it turned out that Lieutenant-general Brett was no longer prepared to stick to his promises to Van Oyen (who had left for the U.S.A. on 11 April). Boot and his ferry crews were ordered to Canberra as well and arrived on 21 April 1942. The Dutch did not take the incident lightly and took the affair to the political level in Washington almost immediately. [48]

The squadron had a hard time getting operational with only five and later six B-25’s on strength, specialised ground equipment and B-25 airframe and engine spares non existent and the technical representatives of NAA and Bendix “kidnapped” away by 3 BG. The fourteen crews initially formed consisted of ML personnel that for the most part had previous experience on Martin B-10 bombers and a large percentage of these men had flown operations against Japanese targets from Singapore and Java. Morale dwindled fast. The USAAF and RAAF tried a temporary re-equipment with Douglas A-20A’s and DB-7B Bostons late May 1942 but the Dutch refused to give up the B-25’s as they wanted aircraft that could operate over occupied NEI territory and wanted to make a statement. They did succeed to keep the Bostons on strength for a while and these aircraft were flown for training together with B-25’s during June 1942. Despite the difficulties the squadron also started to fly operations at the request of the RAAF on 5 June 1942. These were anti-submarine patrols in the defence of allied shipping flown from Canberra and Moruya. A Japanese mini-sub was sunk on the first day. [49]

The protests along diplomatic channels worked and eventually the Chief of Staff of General MacArthur informed the NEI Headquarters in Melbourne in a carefully drafted letter dated 14 June 1942 that eighteen B-25’s were to be delivered. The project was called Project Mark I and re-equipment of 18 Squadron with eighteen B-25C and B-25D aircraft not belonging to the original NEI Lend-Lease contract should start in July 1942. The five aircraft assigned to 18 Sq NEI were to be returned to the USAAF. The USAAF suddenly showed good will and transferred a sixth B-25 (the repaired 41-12476 becoming N5-127) which arrived at Canberra around 21 June 1942. This aircraft was in fact exchanged for the ML aircraft 41-12494/N5-146 which went to 3 BG on 12 July 1942 after completion of the repairs. [50] During August 1942 the first of the new B-25’s (registered N5-128 to -145 inclusive) were finally received and 18 Squadron NEI soon became a very efficient medium-bomber unit operating in the Darwin area under operational control of the RAAF. Former NEI B-25’s were put to good use some months earlier. The 3rd Bombardment Group (Light) flew B-25 operations from 5 April 1942 but suffered severe losses. [51]

The final “bean count”

The bookkeeping people in the U.S. must have been hard pressed to keep up with all the changes in the B-25 deliveries and Major Te Roller of the NPC made several summaries indicating, by the FY serial, which plane went where and to whom. In a telegram to Materiel Command USAAF dated 21 August 1942 he noted the FY serials of the B-25’s that were (supposedly, the listing included several mistakes) ferried to the ML in Australia and India. NPC and Materiel Command finally agreed that five B-25’s were to be considered Lend-Lease to the RAF and in the end the Lend-Lease administration charged the NEI for the use or the loss of a total of 25 B-25’s. A total of 24 aircraft was delivered to and was used for different periods of time by the ML and one B-25 crashed on its way to India. The ten B-25C-5-Na’s used by the Dutch flying school at Jackson (Miss.) became “reverse Lend-Lease”, with the USAAF becoming the lender of the NEI owned aircraft in 1944. [52]

Endnotes

[1] Summary of contract data (contract 7131 NA, Smithsonian Institute).

[2] Letter 11 August 1941 Gen Spaatz to NPC, Te Roller (U.S. National Archives, 452-1-3295 J, via G.J. Casius); letter 26 December 1941 Executive Material Division, Lt Col Meyers to NPC, Te Roller (U.S. National Archives, 452-1-3295 C, via G.J. Casius).

[3] PNR-N-202 New Series (U.S. National Archives, RG 169, via G.J. Casius).

[4] Various files MAB (U.S. National Archives, via G.J. Casius); telegram War Dept to USAFIA, Col Perrin, 23 March 1942 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5th Air Force, via G.J. Casius).

[5] Aircraft Delivery Unit, Statistical Control Unit, 1 June 1942 (sic), “Airplane and Glider Acceptances, Factory Deliveries and Departures from the U.S.A., By Type, Model and Country, Period Jan 1940 to Dec 1942 incl.”(via AFHRA, Maxwell AFB); interview with H.A. Maurenbrecher (formerly NPC), 1962; information received from Don McVicar (formerly RAF Ferry Command).

[6] Telegram NPC to Inspecteur ML 10 February 1942 (confirming delivery of the first B-25’s). W.F. Boot was briefed 12 February 1942 on the ferry of B-25’s to Australia and was, incorrectly, told that four B-25’s of a first group of fourteen were already delivered and on their way (interview with W.F. Boot, 1962).

[7] Craven and Cate, vol. 7, 175-177; G.J. Casius, “De aanschaf van B-25 bommenwerpers voor de ML-KNIL 1941-1942”, 9-10, Mars et Historia, XXII-1 (January/February 1988); memo’s and telegrams NPC (records Military Attaché, Dutch Embassy, Wash., Map Roos). The contract with BOAC was later cancelled by Air Corps Ferrying Command.

[8] Ibidem.

[9] Diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.; interview with A.J. de Vries 19 September 1979; personnel record card J.J.J. de Jonge (via Dutch DoD); e-mail correspondence with Edward Rogers, October 2008, April 2009.

[10] Various memo’s and telegrams of the NPC (archive of the military attaché Dutch Embassy, Wash., Map Roos); data on ferry planning RAF via R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. and Don McVicar.

[11] Ibidem; data from individual aircraft record cards (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, via G.J. Tornij and AFHSO, Bolling AFB, e-mail 22 July 2005); information received from Don McVicar; interview with H.A. Maurenbrecher, 1962; see also Table I for mentioned individual aircraft.

[12] Craven and Cate, vol. 7, 9; interview with H.A. Maurenbrecher, 1962.

[13] Craven and Cate, vol. 7, 174; original navigation maps of F/O E.R. Oppenheimer (via G.J. Casius); logbook A.J. van der Heiden (completed a similar B-25 ferry in 1944).

[14] Boer, Indië, 261-262.

[15] See Table I for arrival dates of the B-25’s; strength reports of 22, 25 and 30 March 1942 in “De belevenissen van Boot in Australie” (SLH, collection Veuger/De Smalen). The strength of ten aircraft reached on 22 March 1942 is also mentioned in a report on a conference held 22 February 1942, see [31].

[16] G.J. Casius, “De aanschaf van B-25 bommenwerpers voor de ML-KNIL 1941-1942”, 9-10, Mars et Historia, XXII-1 (January/February 1988); information received from Don McVicar.

[17] Diary notes A. Hagers; interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979; e-mail correspondence with Edward Rogers, October 2008, April 2009.

[18] Ibidem.

[19] Aircraft ferried from the U.S.A., B-25 in History 5th Air Force, 248 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, file 730.01); Mark, 164; interview with W.F. Boot, 1962; interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979; e-mail correspondence with Edward Rogers, October 2008, April 2009; see also Tables I and II for mentioned individual aircraft.

[20] Craven and Cate, vol. 1, 337.

[21] History Ferry Command operations, foreign ferry deliveries Jan.-June 1942 (ATC, via AFHRA, Maxwell AFB); see also Craven and Cate, vol. 1, 338. PAAF started to ferry 72 B-25’s for Russia March 1942.

[22] Logbook Don McVicar; telegram NPC, Te Roller to Materiel Command, Lt Col Dyson, 21 August 1942 (U.S. National Archives, 452-1-3295 J, via G.J. Casius).

[23] Letter NPC to Dutch Colonial Office, London, 18 September 1942 (NIMH, collection Ward, confirms the Air Corps Fiscal Year serials and the crash of 41-12468).

[24] Craven and Cate, vol. 1, 329 and vol. 7, 228-229 (maps); information supplied by Don McVicar and R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. It should be noted that the island Ascension did not have an airfield at the time and that Christmas Island was not used on the Pacific route at the time.

[25] Conform [23]; diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.

[26] Diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.; correspondence with A.D.M. Moorrees and H.J. Burgers, 1985; interviews with F. Pelder, 1990.

[27] Logbook and other information supplied by Don McVicar; diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. (received a telegram from Java 5 March 1942 mentioning that the ferry to British India was stopped after the sixth plane).

[28] Logbook Don McVicar; telegram BDZ, London to Stove, Washington, 0321-1749-119, 21 March 1942 (Beleidszaken 1940-1942, telegrams 21 March 1942, copy with NIMH, collection Ward); interview with H.A. Maurenbrecher, 1962.

[29] Diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.; correspondence with A.D.M. Moorrees and H.J. Burgers, 1985; letter Paul Jackson, Air International, April 1993, 206.

[30] Telegram Van Mook to Dutch Colonial Office, London, 15 March 1942 (Beleidszaken1940-1942, telegrams 15 March 1942; copies with NIMH, collection Ward)

[31] Reports on conferences held 17, 18, 19, 22 and 23 March 1942 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, file 706.168-1, Vol. 2, via J.L. Horsthuis and G.J. Casius and Australian National Archives). It is known that Van Oyen, or his representative Col C. Giebel, was also present at conferences on the disposal of NEI aircraft 25 and 26 March 1942, but I was unable to retrieve conference reports.

[32] Telegram BSO to NPC, 0323-0940-21, 23 March 1942 and telegram HOLPURCOM, van den Broek, to prime-minister Gerbrandy, London, 23 March 1942 (Beleidszaken 1940-1942, telegrams 23 March 1942, copies with NIMH, collection Ward); memo NPC, Te Roller to Dutch representatives CCOS, 24 March 1942, “Summary of airplanes delivery” (NIMH, collection Ward).

[33] Memo NPC, Te Roller to Dutch representatives CCOS, 24 March 1942, “Summary of airplanes delivery” (NIMH, collection Ward). From correspondence of B.J. Fiedeldij it is known that Van Oyen sent his telegram (mentioned in the memo of Te Roller) after a conference held in the afternoon of 22 March 1942.

[34] Memo Te Roller, see [33]; interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979 (confirms that W.F. Boot received a message from Melbourne about these aircraft which had to be picked up at Amberley immediately).

[35] Memo Chief of Air Staff to CG AAF Materiel Command, 28 March 1942 (U.S. National archives, file 452.1-3295 J, via G.J. Casius); PNR-N-202 New Series (U.S. National Archives, RG 169, via G.J. Casius).

[36] Report on conference held 23 March 1942, see [31]; interview with W.F. Boot, 1962; interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979.

[37] Telegram CG AAF to Brett, Air 892, 26 March 1942 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5th Air Force, via G.J. Casius).

[38] Telegram Loudon, Washington, to Dutch Foreign Office, London, 29 March 1942 (Beleidszaken 1940-1942, telegram 497, forwards the text of the earlier telegram from Van Oyen, copy with NIMH, collection Ward).

[39] The AAF in Australia to the Summer of 1942, 59 and associated endnote 63 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, numbered USAF historical studies 9); telegram Brett to War Dept, 28 March 1942 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5th Air Force, via G.J. Casius).

[40] Interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979.

[41] Diary A. Hagers (NIMH, collection Ward); strength report 30 March 1942 in “De belevenissen van Boot in Australie” (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen); see Table I for mentioned individual aircraft.

[42] Interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979.

[43] Aircraft assignments 3rd Bomb Group, B25C (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5th Air Force, via G.J. Casius); Aircraft ferried from the U.S.A., B-25 in History 5th Air Force, 248 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, file 730.01); see also Table I for data on aircraft 41-12485 and 41-12499.

[44] History of the 3rd Bomb Group (Light) AAF (via AFHRA, Maxwell AFB); The AAF in Australia to the Summer of 1942, 59, 61 and associated endnotes 63, 64 and 73 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, numbered USAF historical studies 9); interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979 (confirms that some of the original 12 aircraft were switched with aircraft delivered in the period of 24-28 March); e-mail correspondence with Edward Rogers, October 2008, April 2009; see also Table I for details on mentioned individual aircraft.

[45] Conform [42]; see Table I for data on individual aircraft.

[46] Telegram Brett to CG AAF, 14 May 1942 (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5th Air Force, via G.J. Casius); interview with A.J. de Vries, 19 September 1979; entries Technisch Journaal 18 Sq NEI and letters technical officer 18 Sq NEI (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen); see Table II for details on aircraft 41-12494/N5-146.

[47] Letter OC NEI Forces to Air Chief Marshal Charles S. Burnett, no 25, 31 March 1942 and subsequent comments of Burnett (Australian National Archives, copies with NIMH, collection Ward); Air Board establishment HD-53 (Australian National Archives); Operations record book 18 Sq NEI (RAAF Historical Section, copy with NIMH, collection Ward); diary A. Hagers (NIMH, collection Ward); memo nr. 1, C-18 Sq NEI to KNIL HQ, 28 May 1942 (NIMH, collection Ward); see Table II for details on mentioned individual aircarft.

[48] Conform [42]; diary notes A. Hagers (NIMH, collection Ward); interview with W.F. Boot, 1962. After the war the incident grew to mythical proportions among former 3 BG personnel, with ever larger numbers of B-25’s involved.

[49] Memo nr. 2, C-18 Sq NEI to KNIL HQ, 18 July 1942 (NIMH, collection Ward); Operations record book 18 Sq NEI (RAAF Historical section, copy with NIMH, collection Ward).

[50] USAAF and RAAF individual aircraft record cards Project Mark I aircraft (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, via J.L. Horsthuis and Australian National Archives); see also Table II for details on mentioned aircraft.

[51] Conform [44].

[52] Telegram NPC, Te Roller, to Materiel Command, Lt Col Dyson, 21 August 1942 and letter NPC, Te Roller, to Lt Col Dyson, 8 September 1942 (U.S. National Archives, file 452.1-3295 J, via G.J. Casius); Aircraft Delivery Unit, Statistical Control Unit, 1 June 1942 (sic), “Airplane and Glider Acceptances, Factory Deliveries and Departures from the U.S.A., By Type, Model and Country, period Jan 1940 to Dec 1942 incl.” (via AFHRA, Maxwell AFB).

Bibliography

Boer, P.C., De luchtstrijd om Indië, operaties van de Militaire luchtvaart KNIL in de periode december 1941-maart 1942, Van Holkema & Warendorf, Houten (The Netherlands), 1990.

Craven, W.F. and Cate, J.L., The Army Air Forces in World War II, Volume 1: Plans and early operations, University of Chicago Press, Chicago (Ill.), 2nd print, 1950.

Ibidem, Volume 7: Services around the world, University of Chicago Press, Chicago (Ill.), 1958.

Mark, R.R., Queensland Airfields WW2-50 Years On, R. & J. Marks (Australia), 1994.

Casius, G.J., “De aanschaf van B-25 bommenwerpers voor de ML-KNIL1941-1942”, Mars et Historia, XXII-1 (January/February 1988).

Credits and acknowledgements

The contributions of former ML and RAF veterans were of great value, most notably those by R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. (deceased), A.D.M. Moorrees (deceased), F. Pelder (deceased), H.J. Burgers (deceased) and Don McVicar (deceased). I’m also greatly indebted to J.L. Horsthuis, G.J. Casius, G.J. Tornij and Edward Rogers who supplied me with some of the results of their research in the U.S.A.

Abbreviations

AAF Army Air Forces

AC Air Corps

AOC Air Officer Commanding

BDZ Bevelhebber der Zeestrijdkrachten (Commander Royal Neth. Navy)

BG Bombardment Group

BOAC British Overseas Airways Corporation

BSO Bevelhebber Strijdkrachten Oosten (Commander Neth. Forces in the Far East)

CCOS Combined Chiefs of Staff

CG Commanding general

CO Commanding Officer

DET Detachment

DoD Department of Defence

KNIL Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (Royal Neth. East Indies Army)

MAB Munitions Assignment Board

ML Militaire Luchtvaart (Army Aviation Corps KNIL)

NAA North American Aviation

NEI Netherlands East Indies

NIMH Netherlands Institute for Military History

NPC Netherlands Purchasing Commission

PAAF Pan American Air Ferries Incorporated

PNR Purchase Negotiation Request

PRU Photographic Reconnaissance Unit

RAAF Royal Australian Air Force

RAF Royal Air Force

RG Record Group

RNMFS Royal Netherlands Military Flying School

USAAF United States Army Air Force

USAFIA United States Army Forces in Australia

Table I B-25C’s ferried to Australia and British India © P.C. Boer (September 2009)

FY41-/ ML serial/ factory delivery date/ (to be) ferried by (details)/ destination +arrival date (date left Hamilton Field)

(all dates day/month, year 1942)

Aircraft of the first ferry arrangements (14 Cons and 20 RAF FC respectively; 36 ac in total as two were replaced after delivery)

12440 N5-122 ca 6/2; Cons (arr. Long Beach from Memphis ca 9/2); used as ferry crew

trainer Cons; A 9/5 [1]

12442 N5-123 6/2; Cons (rep. SAD 11/3; rep. Ham. AD 13/3); A 22-23/3 (left 17/3) [2]

12443 N5-124 5/2; Cons changed to RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3; arr. SAD 3/3); A9/3 (left

4/3) [5] [10]

12557 N5-125 6/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 9/2); used as ferry crew trainer RAF FC; remained

behind WPB 5/3; returned USAAF ?/4 and reassigned Russia [3]

12462 N5-126 19/2; Cons changed to RAF FC (rep. WPB 1/3, rep. SAD 5/3; rep. Ham. AD

11/3); A 19/3 (left 14/3) [4]

12470 N5-127 17/2; Cons changed to RAF FC (rep. WPB 26/2, rep. SAD 5/3, remained

behind SAD; rep. Hamilton AD 26/3); A 18/4 (left 12/4) [10] [26]

12471 N5-128 19/2; Cons changed to RAF FC (rep. WPB 26/2); remained behind WPB

5/3; returned USAAF ?/4 and reassigned Russia [10]

12472 N5-129 18/2; Cons changed to RAF FC (rep. WPB 21/2; engine out 1/3 and in repair

Miami; rep. SAD 11/3); A 24/3 (left 19/3) [5] [7] [10]

12476 N5-130 25/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3, arr. SAD ca 5/3); A 28/3 (left 21/3) [9] [21]

[25]

12478 N5-131 ca 25/2; RAF FC (arr. SAD ca 3/3, rep. SAD 7/3; ferry orders crew dated 5/3,

rep. Ham. AD 6/3, but initially remained behind SAD; rep. Hamilton

AD 21/3); A 18/4 (left 12/4) [20] [25]

12439 N5-132 ca 6/2; Cons; A 3-4/3 (left 26-27/2) [6] [8]

12455 N5-133 17/2; Cons (rep. SAD 12/3); A 22-23/3 (left 17/3) [23]

12464 N5-134 7/2; Cons; A 3-4/3 (left 26-27/2) [6] [8] [11]

12466 N5-135 12/2; Cons; A 3-4/3 (left 26-27/2) [6] [23]

12437 N5-136 6/2; Cons (probably damaged and repaired, arr. Memphis 2/3, rep. SAD

5/3; rep. Ham. AD 11/3); A 19/3 (left 13/3) [8]

12444 N5-137 9/2; Cons; A 3-4/3 (left 26-27/2) [2] [6]

12481 N5-138 25/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3; arr. SAD ca 5/3); A 24/3 (left 19/3) [7] [21]

[25]

12508 N5-139 14/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 26/2); Bangalore 8/3 [13]

12468 N5-140 11/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); crashed Accra (with loss of three crew)

en route to Bangalore [12] [13] [16]

12593 N5-141 14/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); damaged WPB (ran into 41-12510) ca

24/2; returned USAAF and replaced by other ac [14] [16]

12510 N5-142 ca 18/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); damaged WPB when 41-12493 ran

into it ca 24/2 (condemned 12/3); returned USAAF and replaced by

other ac [14] [16]

12445 N5-143 11/2: RAF FC (rep. WPB 20/2); Bangalore 9-12/3 [13]

12595 N5-144 17/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); Bangalore 9-12/3 [13]

12507 N5-145 11/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); Bangalore 9-12/3 [13]

12494 N5-146 17/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 21/2; rep. SAD 11/3; rep. Ham. AD 13/3); A 22-

23/3 (left 17/3) [15]

12496 N5-147 19/2: RAF FC (rep. in repair 5/3, probably stranded Memphis; rep. SAD

11/3, rep. Ham. AD 13/3); A 22-23/3 (left 17/3) [16]

12509 N5-148 14/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 22/2); Bangalore 9-12/3 [13]

12438 N5-149 7/2; Cons (rep. transferred SAD 2/3, but transfer deleted from ac record card;

rep. in repair 5/3, prob. stranded Memphis; rep. allotted Cons 26/3); A

26/4 (left 18/4) [17] [18]

12480 N5-150? ca 27/2; Cons (rep. SAD 16/3); A 28/3 (left 21/3) [9] [24]

12482 N5-151 ca 28/2; Cons (rep. SAD 13/3); A 24/3 (left 19/3) [7] [8]

12483 N5-152 ca 1/3; Cons; A 24/3 (left 19/3) [7] [24]

12511 N5-153 28/2; Cons (rep. SAD 11/3; rep. Ham. AD 13/3); accepted USAAF 19/2 but

delayed delivery; A 22-23/3 (left 17/3) [24]

12441 N5-154? ca 1/3; Cons (rep. SAD 13/3; rep. Ham. AD 19/3); A 28/3 (left 21/3) [9] [24]

12497 N5-155 25/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3; rep. SAD 5/3; remained behind SAD, rep.

Hamilton AD 26/3); A 26/4 (left 12/4 but delayed arrival) [22] [25]

12498 N5-156 25/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3; arr. SAD ca 3/3; rep. Ham. AD 4/3 but did not

leave; rep. Ham. AD 16/3); A 24/3 (left 18/3) [7] [21] [22] [25]

12499 N5-157 24/2; RAF FC (rep. WPB 2/3; arr. SAD ca 5/3; rep. Ham. AD 6/3 but did not

leave; rep. Ham. AD 19/3); A 6/4 (left 19/3, delayed arrival) [7] [25]

Aircraft of the second ferry arrangements (16 Consolidated and 10 RAF FC respectively)

N5 serials of the final 10 Cons ac and the 10 RAF FC ac not known

12515 N5-158 ca 27/2; Cons; A 18/4 (left 12/4) [19]

12484 N5-159 ca 28/2; Cons; A 18/4 (left 12/4) [19]

12489 N5-160 ca 28/2; Cons; A 18/4 (left 12/4) [19]

12501 N5-161 ca 26/2; Cons (rep. Ham. AD 8/3); A 28/3 (left 21/3) [8] [9]

12502 N5-162 ca 26/2; Cons (rep. Ham. AD 8/3 but remained behind); A 23/4 (left 18/4)

[19]

12514 N5-163 ca 26/2; Cons (rep. Ham. AD 8/3); A 25/3 (left 20/3) [19]

12485 N5-? ca 3/3; Cons (rep. SAD 19/3); A 9/4 (left 30/3)

Aircraft ferried to Australia by Consolidated but probably in part originally assigned to RAF FC (in order of factory delivery date)

12486 N5-? ca 3/3; Cons; A 22/4 (left 18/4)

12487 N5-? ca 3/3; Cons; A 29/4 (left 22/4)

12491 N5-? ca 7/3; Cons; A 28/4 (left 22/4)

12449 N5-? ca 8/3; Cons; A 30/4 (left 23/4)

12451 N5-? ca 11/3; Cons; A 23/4 (left 18/4)

12488 N5-? ca 12/3; Cons; A 30/4 (left 23/4) [27]

12490 N5-? ca 14/3; Cons; A 22/4 (left 18/4)

12448 N5-? ca 18/3; Cons; A ca 4/5 (left 28/4)

12447 N5-? ca 20/3; Cons; A 28/4 (left 22/4)

12450 N5-? ca 26/3; Cons; A 23/4 (left 18/4)

Aircraft not ferried to Australia (assumed to be mostly originally allotted to RAF FC for ferrying to Australia, in order of factory delivery date)

12492 N5-? ca 9/3; not ferried

12503 N5-? ca 10/3; not ferried

12512 N5-? ca 11/3; not ferried

12513 N5-? ca 12/3; not ferried

12506 N5-? ca 17/3; not ferried

12505 N5-? ca 25/3; not ferried

12452 N5-? ca 31/3; not ferried

12454 N5-? 20/4; not ferried; ac came from the NAA repair pool; ac not

actually received NEI

12460 N5-? 20/4; not ferried; ac came from the NAA repair pool; ac not

actually received NEI

Not certain if the final two ac actually had a N5 serial allotted

Remark: Not listed above is ac 41-12500 ca 3/3 (not ferried to A). Although the ac record card of this ac contains a note Consolidated (NEI) in the column Transferred this is probably a clerical mistake as this info is at odds with the other info in this column. Also, if this was an ac that was damaged and was returned to the USAAF and replaced there would have been correspondence from NPC as is the case with other ac returned and replaced. This is not the case, however.

General remarks

a. Basic research material used in compiling the dates for the above listing were the USAAF ac record cards (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB via G.J. Tornij and AFHSO, Bolling AFB). The arrival dates in Australia were copied from Aircraft assignments 3^rd Bomb Group, B-25C (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, records of 5^th Air Force, via G.J. Casius) and Aircraft ferried from the U.S.A., B-25 in History 5^th Air Force, p. 248 and the original hand written document (AFHRA, Maxwell AFB, File 730.01), diary notes A. Hagers (NIMH, collection Ward), W.F. Boot, “De belevenissen van Boot in Australië” (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen) and logbook info and notes of Don McVicar (for ac 41-12443). The arrival dates in Bangalore were copied from the diary notes of R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. The circa factory delivery dates are acceptance dates (=dates received) as mentioned on the ac record cards pus one day.

b. From NPC memo’s and telegrams about the (planning of) ferry flights it is known that the ac (to be) ferried by RAF FC respectively Cons were grouped in separate batches and were allotted separate batches of N5 serials. The above list follows the ferry batch structure. It should be noted, however, that of the first 10 ac to be delivered to the NEI, eight ac were originally to be ferried by Consolidated and two ac were initially to be used as ferry crew trainers by Cons respectively RAF FC. Each ferry batch consisted of several smaller NEI assigned production batches (although these batches did not always fully overlap the ferry batches). The N5 serials were allotted by the NPC to individual ac on the basis of the expected delivery after acceptance by the USAAF, mostly in small batches of three to five ac. (copies of NPC memo’s and telegrams, records Military Attaché Dutch Embassy Wash. DC, Map Roos, secret; nowadays deleted from the archive and destroyed already by 1990). Only 16 FY-N5 serial combinations are known directly from primary sources (FY serials of NEI ac N5-122, -123, -125, -126, -132, -134, -137, -139, -143, -144, -145, -146, -148, -149, -151 and -161 see the respective endnotes). The remainder is deduced from the ferry batch structure and other evidence (see the respective endnotes).

c. The dates Transferred NEI given on the ac record cards are reporting dates that do not reflect actual take over dates (reporting was sometimes done when an ac had left for Australia or British India, the date “shipped” or a date slightly later than the date shipped, but often a varying number of days after the transfer of ac to the NEI representative at either SAD or WPB). Also many of the other dates in the column Transferred of the ac record cards are reporting dates and not actual dates.

d. Basic policy of the NPC was not to reassign a N5 serial to a new ac when the original plane was lost or reassigned (which was standard ML policy).

e. Basic policy of the NPC was to keep the FY serials in “up going” order when a batch of N5 serials was allotted (which was the standard pre-war ML policy with regard to c/n’s and was also the policy known to have been used with lend-lease P-40E’s).

f. Air Corps Ferrying Command amended the ferry contract with RAF Ferry Command around 4 April 1942 (reduced to 20 ac total and ac remaining in U.S. to be ferried for the USAAF in Australia). The contract with Consolidated was amended and extended at the same time (expanded to 31 ac and remaining ac also to be ferried to USAAF in Australia).

g. Validity. Did I indeed research what I was trying to shed light on i.e. the ferrying of the ML registered B-25C’s that were actually received by the ML in Australia and British India?

1. The reconstruction of the ferry batches from NPC data given in Table I should in that case at least in part be confirmed by info from the ac record cards.

2. The reconstruction given in Table I of the order of the FY serials within the ferry batch structure which results in the presented order of N5 serials should in that case produce N5 serial-arrival date combinations which are in line with N5 serials from ac known from primary sources to have been with ML Det Archerfield or ML Det Bangalore.

3. As both Materiel Command and AC Ferrying Command used (expected) factory delivery dates for assigning B-25 production batches to the NEI respectively for the initial planning of the ferry flights for the NEI, the actual ferry dates of individual ac must be approximately in line with the factory delivery dates. In other words, the arrival dates must, going down through the list, go up.

In my opinion all three questions can be answered positively. There are ac record cards of 20 aircraft which contain notes of the ac reported at WPB and of one other ac (41-12478) it is known from the original ferry orders for the crew that it was a RAF FC ferried ac with destination Australia. These 21 ac fall precisely in the RAF FC ferry batches given. The N5 serials known from logbooks and documents are the following. ML Det Archerfield: N5-123, -124, -126, -132, -133, -134, -135, -136, -137, -146, -151, -156 and -161 plus (mentioned only once) “N5-164” and “N5-165” which are probably a miswriting for N5-146 and -156 respectively (logbooks A.J. de Vries, K. de Bruyn and page from logbook of unknown pilot probably A. Hagers, via R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.; memo C-18 Sq see endnote [8]). ML Det Bangalore: N5-139, -143, -144, -145 and -148 (logbooks R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq., H.J. Burgers, A.D.M. Moorrees and F. Pelder). Apart from N5-164 and -165 these N5 serials do all “fit”. Going down through the list the arrival dates, apart from ac that remained behind according to ac record card data, in general do go up when the delivery dates are followed and taking into account “filler aircraft”.

Endnotes Table I

[1] According to NAA 41-12440 was the very first ac to be delivered to the NEI Air Force; ac also figured in a Cons brochure (photograph probably made February 1942 at San Diego).

[2] Logbook entries A.J. de Vries (noted FY serials) and K. de Bruyn (both flew these two ac while WOP/AG De Bruyn identifies them as N5-123/442, resp. N5-137/444).

[3] Photograph of ac at Dorval airport, Montreal mid February 1942 (RAF Ferry Command); identifies ac as 41-12457, while N5-125 is visible on fuselage and wing roots.

[4] NAA Publicity photograph made at Long Beach Municipal Airport February 1942 (FY serial and N5 serial both visible).

[5] According to Don McVicar (lead ferry pilot RAF FC) 41-12472 was the first ac ferried to WPB from a new ferry batch; he took this ac as the lead ac for the ferry of the second six B-25’s to India (switched to Australia 3 March). 41-12472 was followed a couple of days later by several more B-25’s including 41-12443 which Don took as lead ac when 41-12472 could not leave 1/3 with an engine out. His 41-12443 eventually left San Francisco for Australia on 4 March as the first RAF FC and for a number of days the only RAF FC ferried B-25 that followed the Pacific route (telephone interview Don McVicar, citing from his logbook and notes).

[6] Telegram HOLPURCOM-Inspecteur ML 27 February 1942 (lists FY serials of these ac as the first four that left for Australia).

[7] Telegram HOLPURCOM-KNIL HQ 22 March 1942 (mentions FY serials of 11 ac in total and refers to an earlier “second ferry” of Cons).

[8] Memo C-18 Sq to KNIL HQ nr. 2, 18 July 1942 (NIMH, collection Ward; mentions original N5 serials for these five ac); RAAF photograph of N5-151 (shows the ac with painted out but in part still readable FY serial); entries Technisch Journaal and letters from the technical archive of 18 Sq’s Technical Officer on major repairs/overhauls (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen) confirms FY serials of N5-132, -134 and -161. As the five FY serials from the first B-25’s of 18 Sq are known from the AFHRA documents mentioned in general remark a it is certain that N5-136 is 41-12437.

[9] Telegram HOLPURCOM-KNIL HQ 24 March 1942 (confirms FY serials of this ferry batch).

[10] In view of the conclusions of [25], general remark e, the delivery dates and the ferry batch structure and the known serial links of N5-122, -123, -125 and -126, the serial links given are the only ones possible

[11] N5-134 was flown from Archerfield to Canberra 1 April 1942 (18 Sq Operational Record Book, RAAF records but copy with NIMH, collection Ward).

[12] Date crash unknown; ac noted condemned 20 March 1942 (ac record card).

[13] Letter NPC to Dutch Colonial Office London, 18 September 1942 (NIMH, collection Ward; confirms FY serials and crash of 41-12468). Serial links derived from logbook entries R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq. and H.J. Burgers, and correspondence with A.D.M. Moorrees (supplied the last three digits of FY serial and N5-serial of ac “M”).

[14] Letter NPC Major Te Roller to Materiel Command Lieutenant Colonel Dyson, 8 September 1942 (U.S. National Archives, file 452.1-3295 J, via G.J. Casius) confirms FY serials.

[15] Entries Technisch Journaal and letters from Technical Officer 18 Sq NEI (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen; confirms serial link).

[16] In view of general remark e, the ferry batch structure and the known serial links in the batch, N5-140 and -142 cannot be any other ac than 41-12468 and -12510 respectively.

[17] Photograph (collection A. Bovelt) confirms serial link, shows ac with USAAF stars.

[18] Allotted Cons 26 March 1942 possibly concerns an ac from the NAA repair pool.

[19] In view of general remark e, the delivery dates, the ferry batch structure and the known serial link of N5-161, the given serial links are the only ones possible. Given their factory delivery date and the date reported at Hamilton AD, the N5-161, -162 and -163 are probably “filler ac”.

[20] Telegram HOLPURCOM to KNIL HQ 5 March 1942 (confirms FY serials of six additional ac to be ferried to Australia by RAF FC of which, however, ac 41-12478 remained behind according to the ac record card).

[21] Ac 41-12481 and -12498 flown by A.J. de Vries at Archerfield March 1942 and 41-12476 in June 1942 (logbook entries FY serials).

[22] According to Don McVicar N5-155 and N5-154? (should probably be N5-156 in view of the order in which the serials were given) were two ac of a new ferry batch accepted by him at WPB; Don test flew both ac and noted N5 serials but did not note FY serials, date and place and did not record test flights in his logbook. Ac N5-156 is also noted in the logbook of K. de Bruyn.

[23] FY serials mentioned in logbook A.J. de Vries (month/year info only) and N5 serials mentioned in logbook K. de Bruyn (month/year info only) more than once, indicating that these serials did not belong to B-25’s picked up at Amberley on 28/3 (as the latter ac, apart from 41-12501/N5-161, were only flown once by ML aircrew on the ferry flight from Amberley to Archerfield). In view of general remark e, the factory delivery dates and the ferry batch structure, the given serial links are the only ones possible as the serial links for N5-132, -134, -136, -137 and -151 are known (see also [2] and [8]).

[24] In view of the conclusions drawn in [23], general remark e, the factory delivery dates and the ferry batch structure, the given serial links are the only ones possible as the serial links for N5-149 and -151 are known and 41-12497, -12498 and -12499 were RAF FC ferried, see [20]. N5-150 and -154 can (both) only be 41-12441 or 41-12480.

[25] Telegram HOLPURCOM to KNIL HQ 5 March 1942 (lists all six “additional” ac as to be ferried to Australia by RAF FC); judging from the delivery dates these ac were “filler ac” and in view of general remark e and the ferry batch structure, the given serial links are the only ones possible. Also one of the six is mentioned in logbook K. de Bruyn (N5-156).

[26] Noted as “diverted NEI” 27 July 1942 on the individual aircraft record card. This was probably done to indicate the source of the aircraft, which was lost 26 July 1942.

[27] Noted as “diverted NEI” 1 June 1943 on the individual aircraft record card, probably to indicate the source of the aircraft. This aircraft was confirmed missing in action 1 June 1943.

Abbreviations

A Australia

Ac Aircraft

Ca Circa (approximately)

Cons Consolidated

Det Detachment

FC Ferry Command RAF

FY Fiscal Year (Air Corps serial)

Ham. AD Hamilton Air Depot (USAAF)

NIMH Netherlands Institute for Military History

NPC Netherlands Purchasing Commission

PAAF Pan American Air Ferries

SAD Sacramento Air Depot USAAF

WPB West Palm Beach

Rep. reported

Table II Early B-25C’s operated by 18 Sq NEI in Australia and ML Det Bangalore in British India period April-August 1942 © P.C. Boer (September 2009)

(all dates: day/month/year 1942)

N5-130 41-12476 ML Det Archerfield, transferred to 3 BG 28 March with moderate damage due to collapsed landing gear, to Air Depot Archerfield USAAF 30 March. Transferred to the ML on completion of repairs June 1942 (in exchange for ac N5-146/41-12494), arrived at Canberra ca 21 June and to 18 Sq NEI (became N5-127), transferred to USAAF 1 September, ferried to Amberley 3 September. [1] [2]

N5-132 41-12439 ML Det Archerfield, arrived Canberra 10-12 April and to 18 Sq NEI, renumbered N5-122 ca 21 June, became “hangar queen” July, nose wheel used to repair (the second) N5-126 (ex N5-161), transferred to USAAF 1 September, readied at Canberra with USAAF supplied wing tank and nose wheel and ferried to Amberley 7 December. [1] [2]

N5-134 41-12464 ML Det Archerfield, arrived Canberra 1 April and to 18 Sq NEI, unserviceable from 11 June as left engine needed overhaul, renumbered N5-123 ca 21 June, serviceable again August, transferred to USAAF 1 September, ferried to Amberley 3 September. [1] [2]

N5-136 41-12437 ML Det Archerfield, arrived Canberra 10-12 April and to 18 Sq NEI, renumbered N5-124 ca 21 June, transferred to USAAF 1 September, ferried to Amberley 3 September. [2]

N5-146 41-12494 ML Det Archerfield, damaged Archerfield 25 March, to Air Depot Archerfield USAAF awaiting parts for repair (remained assigned ML), on completion to 3 BG 12 July (in exchange for ac N5-130/41-12476). [1]

N5-151 41-12482 ML Det Archerfield, arrived Canberra 10-12 April and to 18 Sq NEI, renumbered N5-125 ca 21 June, transferred to USAAF 1 September, ferried to Amberley 3 September. [1] [2]

N5-161 41-12501 ML Det Archerfield, arrived Canberra 10-12 April and to 18 Sq NEI, unserviceable May and June as parts needed for repair of nose wheel were ordered in the U.S., renumbered N5-126 ca 21 June, serviceable again July, damaged in emergency landing near Moruya airstrip 21 July, flown to CMU Tocumwal RAAF for major overhaul after temporary repairs ca 4 August, transferred to USAAF 1 September while still under repair with CMU. [1] [2]

N5-139 41-12508 ML Det Bangalore, ind. ac letter R, transferred to RAF 12 April (possibly became E) . [3]

N5-143 41-12445 ML Det Bangalore, ind. ac letter K, transferred to RAF 12 April (possibly became D). [3]

N5-144 41-12495 ML Det Bangalore, ind. ac letter C, transferred to RAF 12 April (became B). [3]

N5-145 41-12507 ML Det Bangalore, ind. ac letter B, transferred to RAF 12 April (became C). [3]

N5-148 41-12509 ML Det Bangalore, ind. ac letter M, transferred to RAF 12 April (became A). [3]

Endnotes Table II

[1] Technisch Journaal 18 Sq NEI and letters technical officer 18 Sq NEI (NIMH, collection Veuger/De Smalen)

[2] Operations record book 18 Squadron NEI (NIMH, collection Ward).

[3] Diary notes R.W.C.G.A. Wittert van Hoogland Esq.; correspondence and interviews with A.D.M. Moorrees, F. Pelder and H.J. Burgers; letter of Paul Jackson, Air International, April 1993, 206.