Editing KLM (section)

====Second World War====
[[File:Douglas C-47A PH-TBP KLM ed Ringway 20.05.47 edited-2.jpg|thumb|KLM [[Douglas DC-3]] at [[Manchester Airport]] in 1947]]

The outbreak of the [[Second World War]] in September 1939 restricted KLM's operations, with flights over France and Germany prohibited, and many of its aircraft painted in overall orange to limit the potential for confusion with military aircraft. European routes were limited to services to Scandinavia, Belgium and the UK, with flights to Lisbon (bypassing both British and French airspace) starting in April 1940.{{sfn|West ''Air-Britain Archive'' Autumn 2011|p=134}}

When Germany invaded the Netherlands on 10 May 1940, several KLM aircraft—mostly DC-3s and a few DC-2s—were en route to or from the Far East, or were operating services in Europe. Five [[Douglas DC-3|DC-3s]] and one [[Douglas DC-2|DC-2]] were taken to Britain. During the war, these aircraft and crew members flew scheduled passenger flights between Bristol and Lisbon under [[British Overseas Airways Corporation|BOAC]] flight numbers and registration.{{citation needed|date=November 2015}}<ref>{{Cite journal |last=West |first=Michael |date=September 2011 |title=KLM in World War 2 |url=https://air-britain.com/pdfs/archive/Archive_2011.pdf |journal=Air-Britain Archive |volume=32 |issue=3 |page=134 |issn=0262-4923}}</ref>

On 3 March 1942, Douglas DC-3 PH-ALP "''Pelikaan''", then registered as PK-AFV, was [[1942 KNILM Douglas DC-3 shootdown|shot down over Western Australia]] by [[Imperial Japanese Navy Air Service]] [[Mitsubishi A6M Zero]]s during the [[attack on Broome]] while carrying a package of diamonds. The DC-3 crash landed at Carnot Bay, 80 kilometers from Broome. ''Pelikaan'' was subsequently strafed by the Zeros that had shot it down, killing three passengers and the flight engineer. Diamonds worth an estimated  150,000–300,000 [[A£|Australian pounds]] were stolen from the wreckage of the aircraft, and nobody has been convicted of the crime.

Douglas DC-3 PH-ALI "''Ibis''", then registered as G-AGBB, was attacked by the [[Luftwaffe]] on 15 November 1942, 19 April 1943, and finally shot down on 1 June 1943 as [[BOAC Flight 777]], killing all passengers and crew.

Some KLM aircraft and their crews ended up in the Australia-Dutch East Indies region, where they helped transport refugees from Japanese aggression in that area.<ref>{{cite web|date=2019-10-07|title=Celebrating KLM Royal Dutch Airlines 100th Anniversary|url=https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|access-date=2022-02-25|website=Metropolitan Airport News|language=en-US|archive-date=8 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308154722/https://metroairportnews.com/celebrating-klm-royal-dutch-airlines-100th-anniversary/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Although operations paused in Europe, KLM continued to fly and expand in the Caribbean.<ref>{{cite web |last=Ogier |first=Frido |date=2016-05-05 |title=From Snipe to ALM – The history of KLM's West-Indian Operation |url=https://blog.klm.com/from-snipe-to-alm-the-history-of-klms-west-indian-operation/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191008133916/https://blog.klm.com/from-snipe-to-alm-the-history-of-klms-west-indian-operation/ |archive-date=8 October 2019 |access-date=2023-11-24 |website=blog.klm.com}}</ref>