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THE FOLLOWING STORY IS TAKEN FROM A 30 In 1951, McVicar was surprised to AUGUST 1981 INTERVIEW WITH THE LATE TOM learn that Kenting Aviation Limited, Toronto, Ontario, had purchased two COLAHAN, CHIEF ENGINEER FOR DON McVICAR’S surplus ex-RCAF Mosquitoes. He sent COMMERCIAL AIR TRANSPORT COMPANY, Colahan to RCAF Station London at WORLDWIDE AVIATION AGENCIES AND SALES Crumlin Airport to investigate several Mosquito airframes reported in stor- LIMITED, DORVAL AIRPORT, MONTREAL, QUEBEC age. At that location, he found three engineless examples with their pro- BY pellers removed but laying nearby; two NORMAN were stored in a hangar and one sat MALAYNEY outside. All three were cocooned, in DOMINICAN excellent condition and complete in every respect regarding avionics and instrumentation. McVicar inquired by letter to the In 1950, Crumlin became RCAF London. Dominican government if they had MOSQUITO CAPER surplus satellite facility at RCAF Station any interest in obtaining these (RCAF) Mosquitoes. However, several Crumlin (in 1950 it became RCAF Mosquitoes. They certainly did. uring the late 1940s, the England for the Compania de examples remained in storage with No. Station London), Crumlin Airport, Don then contacted the Canadian Dominican government man- Aviacion. The fully armed air- 1 Equipment Depot (1 ED), RCAF London, Ontario. Department of External Affairs seek- aged to obtain surplus Royal Air craft were flown across the McVicar with one of his Mosquitoes. Weston, Ontario. The records for No. By 3 October, de Havilland of ing permission to export surplus DForce Beaufighter and de Atlantic Ocean via Montreal to Santo ernment blocked the sale of surplus 1 ED show the RCAF transferred all Limited ordered a halt to RCAF aircraft to the Dominican Havilland Mosquito aircraft from Domingo during 1947/1948. military aircraft and equipment to the surplus Mosquitos to the War Assets removal of wings and engines from the Republic. External Affairs refused to Tom Colahan knew one of the ferry dictator. But private agents acting as Corporation (WAC) on 5 September Crumlin Mosquitoes — awaiting clari- allow the sale to proceed. McVicar Finished in overall silver/aluminum pilots from the war years and he 1947 for sale to China. Apparently, ten fication of the impending sale. raised the issue of England supplying dope, Dominican Air Force intermediaries managed to acquire Mosquito 2106 presents a sad stayed at Colahan’s residence in and sell surplus RAF aircraft to the examples were to be retained for main- Nothing further is noted in the surplus Beaufighters and Mosquitoes sight as it sits pranged in the Montreal. Colahan and Don Trujillo regime (EDITOR’S NOTE: plane () testing by the National records. A possible best-case scenario: to the Dominicans. After further snow at the Rutland Airport in Vermont during February McVicar learned the back- These “private agents” were usually Research Council (NRC) in Ottawa It is presumed five Mosquitos had deliberation External Affairs waivered 1952. The spinners and ground history regarding the the easiest way for dictators to obtain (the NRC also did this with numerous their wings removed and shipped to the embargo and allowed the sale of portions of the cowling had aircraft sale and Dominican military supplies since the USA often P-51D wings — as did the Swiss Air NRC, or these aircraft were sold to surplus aircraft to proceed. been removed so that the Merlins could be inspected. Air Force requirements. refused to sell military supplies to Force and this can be seen in the China. This left five Mosquito aircraft According to the local London FAD 2106 was then jacked up A government under such nation and this form of quasi- Winter issue of our companion maga- in storage at Crumlin Airport, later Free Press newspaper, “… six and moved into a hangar for dictator Rafael Trujillo smuggling was quite effective). zine Mustangs International ). joined by a Mosquito instructional air- Mosquitoes remained stored cocooned repair and an engine change. ruled the island nation. In 1948, the Nationalist Govern- The twin-engine wooden frame from RCAF at Crumlin Airport and kept in (Tom Colahan) Previously, the US gov- ment of China purchased all remaining aircraft were in storage at a Station Trenton. immaculate condition for an emer-

AS WE GOTO PRESS: As this issue was being prepared for the printer, author Norm Malayney dis- covered a bit of extra information that we wanted to include. Like us, Norm enjoys trolling through old newspapers and just before press, he found the following item in the 12 April 1952 edition of the Greensboro Daily News, North Carolina: “On 11 April Alvin Iba, a ferry pilot flying an English twin-engine Mosquito bomber from Canada to the West Indies, was glad to see the extended runway of the Danville Airport 10-miles away under his port wing. For just at that moment, one of the motors conked out. Iba feathered the blades, lost altitude, and made a safe landing with one engine. The cooling system defect was repaired and the pilot resumed his trip.” EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the type of detail we like to bring to readers of Warbirds International and I personally believe that few, if any, other magazines would go to the trou- ble. It takes a great researcher like Norm to find these minor facts and figures, but it all goes into the overall recording of aviation history.

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