BOAC (British Overseas Airways Corporation)

  November 1939 to March 1974

  United Kingdom

TYPE: Airline

IATA/ICAO CODES: BA / BA

HEADQUARTERS: London Heathrow, UK

FORMER NAME: Imperial Airways & British Airways Ltd. (merger)

SUBSEQUENT NAME: British Airways (merger with British European Airways)

The British Overseas Airways Corporation was created by a 1939 Parliament Act as the United Kingdom's state airline. It arose from the merger of Imperial Airways and British Airways Ltd., which were already operating as a single entity since the start of World War II. From the onset, BOAC's network was spanning the entire British Empire, which in those days effectively meant the world, using a fleet of landplanes and flying boats.

By 1941, BOAC's long-haul network had already stretched its resources to the limit, while a new need was arising: the repatriation of American ferry pilots who were bringing military aircraft from US factories and across the Atlantic to support the war effort. General Hap Arnold was pushing the British for a quick and effective repatriation of those pilots, and offered BOAC a few long-haul aircraft for sale in order to improve its long-haul abilities. Among these were the Douglas DC4E, the Boeing XB-15 and the Curtiss C-55, all unique civilian or military prototypes which had completed their testing phase. As such, the Commando prototype, Curtiss C-55 41-21041 was purchased by BOAC in September 1941 for $280,000 and used in a 24-seat passenger configuration on Empire routes - mostly Gibraltar to Malta - until the lack of spares forced it to be retired in 1943. The resources freed for the Atlantic air bridge allowed BOAC to conduct over 1,000 ferry pilots repatriation flights across the North Atlantic during World War II.

BOAC's operations continued after WWII with a mix of British and American equipment. In 1974, it merged with short-haul British European Airways to form today's British Airways, one of the world's leading airlines.

September 1941 to October 1943

BOAC used a single Commando, the 24-seat Curtiss C-55 prototype, mainly on the Gibraltar-Malta route. This single Commando was retired due to lack of spares, and broken up in October 1943 at an unknown location in the UK.

• Curtiss C-55-CS: G-AGDI