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D-Day Dakota Makes Its Way to Normandy, With the Help of AGS. February 2008

The last few months were exceptional for AGS Sarajevo, as the branch was tasked with the transportation of a remarkable WW2 aircraft from Sarajevo to Normandy, France.
		The aircraft, a Dakota 43-15073, was a gift from Bosnia to France. It was built in 1944 in Long Beach, California, and began its long career transporting troops to Normandy. The plane was also used in the infamous Sainte-Mère-l’Eglise paratrooper landings in 1944, as depicted in the film ‘The Longest Day’.
		After World War II, the plane was sold to a Czechoslovakian airline, which used it for civilian purposes. By 1960, the plane was sold to the French Air Force, which, in 1972, sold it to the Yugoslav Air Force, where it was used once again as a military plane. From there on the plane remained at its military base in Rajlovac, near Sarajevo, where it was transformed into a bar in order to service the European troops, who were sent after the1992 - 1995 Bosnian war.
		The major of Merville-Franceville, Olivier Paz, initiated the operation and arrived at Sarajevo with 10 volunteers from the ‘Merville Dakota’ association, from France, to help dismantle the plane, and then it was up to AGS to load the parts onto trucks - the fuselage alone measured 19.60m.
		Despite a few obstacles in the transportation of the plane, some were experienced during the authorization process, where authorization was needed to transport the plane across several European borders, destined for Normandy. The AGS Branch manager, Erol Mahmutovic, was able to secure the authorization within a few days (the usual procedure for any military item usually takes 2 to 3 months), and the plane was ready for departure from Bosnia.
Once restoration is complete, the Dakota will be displayed in the Merville-Franceville museum, which is close to the legendary Normandy beaches. A ceremony is scheduled for June 2008 to celebrate this historic moment, which will include many members of the public, politicians, family of the crew and the last surviving crew member.