Lockheed 12A L2-40
with a line of Dutch Beech AT-11 bombardier trainers at the RNMTS at Jackson
Mississippi in 1942. This aircraft later came to Australia where it was
renumbered L2-100 and allocated the radio callsign VHRDO.  (Picture:
Alan Bovelt Collection) |
| With the Japanese invasion of the Dutch East Indies in 1942, many aircraft were evacuated to Australia. Included were eight Lockheed 12A Electra Juniors as listed in the following table. One aircraft, formerly L2-35, was written off at Batchelor, NT on 29 April 1942 when it was struck by a landing P-40 killing Brigadier General H. George who had arrived on the Lockheed 12 to inspect the 49th Fighter Group. This was the first service for the aircraft after it was handed over to the USAAF just two days previously. Another aircraft, formerly L2-34, remained in Australia after the war becoming VH-ASG. L2-33 remained in the NEI throughout the war and was located at Perak, Soerabaja in May 1946. The remaining six aircraft all returned to the NEI after the war. MSN 1305 and 1308 are claimed (by Marson) to be preserved in Indonesia but there are no recent reports. MSN 1306, which did not come to Australia, is preserved in the Netherlands where it is displayed as L2-38. |
|
MSN
|
TYPE
|
SERIAL
#1
|
SERIAL
#2
|
CALL SIGN
|
LATER
ID
|
RECD
1 VRA |
REMARKS
|
|
1301
|
L-12-26
|
L2-33
|
L2-107
|
-
|
T-307
|
01FEB48
|
Did not come to Australia. |
|
1302
|
L-12-26
|
L2-34
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
Remained in Australia. | |
|
1303
|
L-12-26
|
L2-35
|
-
|
-
|
42-1303
|
-
|
Written off by USAAF 29APR42. |
|
1305
|
L-12-26
|
L2-37
|
L2-101
|
VHRDP
|
T-301
|
xxNOV47
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
|
1307
|
L-12-26
|
L2-39
|
L2-102
|
VHRDQ
|
T-302
|
05SEP46
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
|
1308
|
L-12-26
|
L2-40
|
L2-100
|
VHRDO
|
T-310
|
06FEB48
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
|
1310
|
L-12-26
|
L2-42
|
L2-104
|
VHRDS/RDF
|
T-304
|
24MAR47
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
|
1311 |
L-12-26
|
L2-43
|
L2-103 |
VHRDR/RDE
|
T-303
|
15JAN47
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
|
1312
|
L-12-26
|
L2-44
|
L2-105
|
VHRDT
|
T-305
|
17FEB48
|
Returned to NEI postwar. |
| With so many changes of serial number, it is inevitable that confusion will arise. In the period 1947-1948, technical officers of the ML/KNIL studied the wartime data and the postwar data on the individual aircraft to determine if they correctly matched the aircraft files. ML tech officer J.C. Benschop conducted an audit which involved a physical check of the data plates in the aircraft which confirmed the tie-up between the MSNs and the T series serials shown in the above table. He also recorded the dates that the aircraft were received at 1 VRA at Andir for post-war depot level maintenance. (Source: Peter Boer) |
|
A
NOTE ON RADIO CALLSIGNS
|
|
|
For
further information on wartime radio callsigns, one could do no better
than refer to Geoff Goodall's Aviation History Site at the links below.
Geoff has researched this subject over many years and his research has
been updated as recently as August 2022. Feed-back, corrections or additions
are most welcome, but it should be noted that changes must have a reference,
rather than just a discrepancy with another compiled listing.
|
|
|
SOURCES
|
| Marson, Peter J., The Lockheed Twins, Air-Britain, 2001 |
| Boer, Dr P.C., Netherlands East Indies Air Transport units of the Militaire Luchtvaart KNIL (Army Aviation Corps of the Royal NEI Army) and their aircraft in Australia and Java, 16 January 1943-1 November 1946, February 2020. |
| Issue | Date | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 22FEB23 |
The
table was updated with subsequent T- series serials thanks to Peter
Boer. Also the columns were reordered for clarity.
|
| 1 | 26SEP22 |
Original
Issue
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