1946 Manifests of UNRRA Crews
One bewildering, unfamiliar U. S. Immigrations Crew Manifest surfaced in Ancestry. There were others.
Prague
M. Frome. 1946 Navigator. Washington Post writer.
What an exquisite honor to introduce our newest Veterans family member. Our Veterans Air Express navigator Michael Frome presents his own story, in his own words. I’m beyond excited to share two of Michael’s articles written on location for The Washington Post from April 1946 in Prague with Veterans Air. How’s that for impressive!!!
1st Prague crew returns. 23 April 1946. UNRRA
1946 press clipping with prized photo. 2015 face-to-face details from Martz and Cowart! Come see.
1946 film of UNRRA Prague crew arrival
A pride hard to verbalize shudders through me every time I see this film footage of my Dad’s crew members disembarking from the Veterans Air Line DC-4 in Prague. Saunie Gravely was 22 when he got the idea of an all-Veterans air service. And this amazing footage is proof of his dream-become-reality. Come watch. Sorry, no popcorn today.
2nd Prague Crew departs for home. 2 May 1946 UNRRA
UNRRA war-relief. DC-4 flights to Prague three times and Warsaw twice with poultry hatching eggs.
#3 Prague trip. Radio loss forces Portland landing
Radio problems force Captain W. C. Jakeman’s Crew to land in Portland Maine en route to Prague. Local press photo identified six Crew members previously known by name only.
Growing a 1946 non-sked airline
Cargo Ton-Miles and Passenger Miles adding up CARGO. December 3rd to 21st (1945). Here we have the first cargo revenue flights. Flown in the company’s newly acquired DC-3. (Passenger Period) These are reported further down the page. Cargo. April 1 – June 1, 1946. The Ton-Miles reported here are the first four of six war-relief …
John J Noll among Core Founders
John J. Noll was a core founder of Veterans Air with six (maybe seven) other WWII vets, including Saunie Gravely, my Dad.
John Noll narrates his 1946 film. Details Warsaw overflight permit.
Rare 1945 film footage pans non-sked DC-3 & DC-4. Taken & narrated by one of the core Founders & Warsaw Crew, John Noll.
Thomas E Cowart. International Flight Engineer. Walker Recruit.
In 1942 & ’43 the Army Air Corps turned Thomas E. Cowart from a farm boy into an aircraft mechanic and later a flight engineer. He flew the world as part of an Air Transport group led by Captain Cooper Walker. And after the war, Walker encouraged Cowart to join him at Veterans Air Express and fly the world again. Thomas tells me his vivid-memory story. Come meet him.