This Douglas C-47 with c/n 19345, was delivered to the United States Army Air Force on December 28, 1943 with serial 42-100882. She joined operations with 87^th Troop Carrier Squadron, based at Greenham Common. Being equipped as glider pick up, her crew named her "Drag 'em Oot" (slang for Drag them out). 

She participated in the air assault during D-Day when at 00:46 on June 6, 1944 she dropped 18 paratroopers of the US 82^nd Airborne Division, just behind the Normandy beach heads, near St. Mere Église. She returned safe to the UK and after a second mission the same day, she started to resupply the troops in France until she was transferred to the Royal Air Force as Dakota C3 with serial TS422 in September1944.

Once with the RAF she was assigned to Number 1 Heavy Glider Servicing Unit, attached to 38 Group RAF at Netheravon, Wiltshire. The RAF wanted to have a specialist glider recovery unit and she commenced recovering Horsa assault gliders from the Normandy beach heads as soon as she joined the RAF. The unit recovered about 40 Horsa's prior to Operation Market Garden.

TS422 herself was, just like the Horsa's she recovered from the Normandy beaches, in action during the biggest paradropping in history, Operation Market Garden in September 1944. During this mission the pilot must have gotten severly wounded to say the least as she was almost certainly attacked by a German fighter as she has twelve bullet holes on the top of her cockpit and nose.

The lady got repaired and in August 1945 she joined 435 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force that just returned from Burma to the UK. After the war was over the Dakota left for Canada where she served with the RCAF as a trainer, transport and, equipped with skis and jato rockets, search and rescue aircraft.

After her military service she ended up in the US serving with various civil companies as N5831B. She was then grounded for a few years until, in 2004, her current owner, Paddy Green, found her in Arizona. Following an inspection she was purchased and prepared for the long ferry flight back to the UK. The flight to Liverpool took 7 days and 35 hours flying time, but without and technical problems.

Once in the UK she  became N473DC and repainted in the colours she now flies in. The original markings as worn during her missions on D-Day 1944 with USAAF serial 42-100882 and coded 3X-P nicknamed "Drag 'em Oot" then piloted by the now 84 year old Bill Allin.

Douglas C-47A Skytrain
N473DC - 42-100882/3X-P