Lodestar C-56/C-60 Lodestar transports use in USAAF/ADAT/NEIAF service during 1942-45 P.4

by Steve Mackenzie

C-56B in Guinea Airways service


Guinea Airways Lodestar VHCAC at home base Parafield Airport, Adelaide in 1943. Photo from internet, it is on Geoff Goodall's website and elsewhere.

Guinea Airways was allocated C-56B VHCAC on 16 November 1942.Initially it operated in it's NEIAF colours per the photo above. Basically the same as all the other ADAT C-56Bs initially, but it always carried a 'dash' in it's ADAT call sign on the tail which is non standard. Also for some reason it did not carry an aerial mast above the fuselage. Guinea also operated C-60 VHCEE from Feb 1944 (see later).


Guinea Airways C-56B VHCAC, Jongblad (Young Leaf), Oudblad (Old Leaf) colours with Aluminium lower surfaces. Light Grey ADAT callsign, spinners Black. Does not appear to have U.S Army under the wings. Insignia Blue/ White U.S Cocardes marked in the usual 4 positions. Ref: photo above.


Guinea Airways' Lodestar VHCAC at Parafield after camouflage had been removed. At this stage it carried a 5th Air Force badge on the cargo bay door.


Soldiers of the 2/142 AGT (Army General Transport) pose in front of Guinea Airways Lodestar VHCAC sporting a 5th AF patch on its nose being repaired either at Gorrie or Daly Waters in 1943. Note the bent propeller blade and the spare prop under the port wing. Image Reference: From the Album of Alfred Julius Goodwin (NX26287) via Author's Collection (Copyright 2021). Used with permission of 'Milespegnt' Facebook page. Note this is a colourised B/W image.


Guinea Airways C-56B VHCAC, Nat Metal (Aluminium) overall. Black ADAT callsign, spinners , anti-glare panel and U.S Army under the wings, officially Insignia Blue but often marked in Black. Insignia Blue/ White U.S Cocardes marked in the usual 4 positions. 5th Air Force badge on the cargo bay door. Refs: photos above.


Guinea Airways VHCAC, Garbutt, Townsville, c.1944 AHMWA P010231.jpg

At some stage while still in Nat Metal overall, the markings on VHCAC were changed. It now had 'W-2104' marked in Yellow on a Black panel on the upper fuselage and a 'packmule' insignia (derived from the 22 TCS badge) on the cargo door. 'W' indicated Guinea Airways (similar was seen on several other Guinea airframes around this time), and 2104 was the Lockheed C/n. Also 'Guinea Airways was on the lower cargo door in 'Gold' with Black drop shadows (Guinea company colours). VHCAC seems to have stayed with Guinea Airways till the end of the war, being disposed of by the USAAF postwar, sold to Aircrafts Pty Ltd in 1946.


Guinea Airways C-56B VHCAC, Nat Metal (Aluminium) overall. Black ADAT callsign, spinners , anti-glare panel and U.S Army under the wings, officially Insignia Blue but often marked in Black. Insignia Blue/ White U.S Cocardes marked in the usual 4 positions. 'packmule' badge on the cargo bay door, along with 'Guinea Aiways'. 'W-2104' marked in Yellow on a Black panel on the upper fuselage. Refs: photos on this page.

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More 'W2104' images. The two accident images of VH-CAC are after incident at Tennant Creek on 20 January 1944. Although it did not say so where I acquired these on the internet, these are all from the Guinea Airways collection at the State Library South Australia (SLSA).

Hit next to go to the 5th page on ADAT/USAAF/NEIAF schemes.