A jeep being loaded into the fuselage of a Dakota transport plane, 1944 (c)

Photograph, World War Two, Far East (1941-1945), 1944 (c).

The American-built Douglas DC-3, or 'Dakota', was the workhorse of the Allied air war. Over 10,000 were built during the campaign and they were used to transport supplies, troops and vehicles. The DC3's speed, range and carrying capacity made it perfect for the role. Dakotas served in every theatre of the war, notably in Burma, during the D-Day landings and the airborne assault on Arnhem in 1944.