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U.K. Airfields of the 53d Troop Carrier Wing: The Wing’s Story
The 53d Troop Carrier Wing Arrives When Colonel Maurice M. Beach and the rest of the air echelon of the Headquarters, 53d Troop Carrier Wing (53d TC Wg) arrived at RAF Welford on 14 February 1944 they were met by their ground echelon and by the airmen of the 435th TC Group. Between the 53d and…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (25th of September) (pt 8)
On the 25th of September (D+8) the 435th flew to DZ B/C on a resupply mission as part of Serial A-107, dropping parabundles and parapacks in support of the 101st Airborne Division. It was their last mission in support of Op MARKET. The Serial, flying the Southern Route, was made up of aircraft from a…
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The 435th and the Provisional Troop Carrier Group (Jul-Aug 1944)
In mid-July 1944, some 413 power a/c with their aircrews, a handful of ground crews (e.g., mechanics, intelligence, administrative Airmen), and initially some 225 glider pilots from the nine Troop Carrier Groups of the 50th and 53d Troop Carrier Wings, flew from England to Italy to participate in Operation RUGBY, the airborne phase of the…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (20th of September) (pt 7)
This is the seventh post detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation “When one considered the results of the “rugged deal” of the previous day, one could hardly hope to conceal the anxiety felt by all for men…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (19th of September) (pt 6)
This is the sixth of eight posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation Op MARKET-GARDEN had a zero margin for things to go awry with any part of the plan, air and ground. It was not at…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (18th of September) (pt 5)
This is the fifth of eight posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation The 18th of September was the 435th’s best day of the operation, despite a last minute change to the air route flown. The 435th…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (17th of September) (pt 4)
This is the fourth of eight posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation Starting at 1050 hours on Sunday, 17 September, sixty-four 435th aircraft started taking off from RAF Welford. The first 36 aircraft (from the Group…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (pt 3)
This is the third of four (or five) posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation Op LINNET was even larger the TRANSFIGURE, as the US 82d Airborne, the 52d Lowland Division (airportable) and more were added alongside…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (pt 2)
This is the second of four (or five) posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities prior to and its participation in the September 1944 Operation The 435th, from 18 July to 24 August 1944, found itself, like most of the other Groups in the 53d and 50th…
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Op MARKET-GARDEN and the 435th (pt 1)
This is the first of four (or five) posts detailing the development and execution of Operation MARKET-GARDEN in parallel with the 435th’s activities in August and early September and its participation in Operation MARKET-GARDEN The 435th Troop Carrier Group (435 TCG) and the other thirteen Troop Carrier Groups of the IX Troop Carrier Command (IX…
Jeff’s WWII Troop Carrier Blog
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