When the Douglas DC-2 of KLM, PH-AJU, named ‘Uiver’, (Stork) came second in the 1934 England – Australia air race, the Dutch, understandably, went wild over the achievement.

It was, by any measure an extraordinary achievement, as I detail here on the ABC website.

The result of the Netherlands-wide enthusiasm was a extensive array of souvenir items produced to an extent only otherwise seen today in film franchise tie-ins. Unsurprisingly, these included such items as blue glaze china, as seen above in the collection of the Aviodrome, Holland.

As well as the design, featuring the aircraft and KLM logo, the names of the crew, pilots Dirk Parmentier and Jan Johannes Moll, Bouwe Prins as flight engineer, and Cornelis van Brugge as radioman are included, and the director of KLM, Herbert Plesman is also placed below. Though the plate has been smashed at some time, it has been reassembled and is a reminder of when an aeroplane won the hearts of a nation.

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.