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439th Troop Carrier Group

Group

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Structure

Part of
Encompassing
Previously was
Not yet known
Became
Not yet known

Stations

Station Location Date
Based Balderton 21 February 1944 – 26 April 1944
Based Upottery 26 April 1944 – 8 September 1944
Based Juvincourt 8 September 1944 – 28 September 1944
Based Lonray 28 September 1944 – 4 November 1944
Based Chateaudun 4 November 1944 – 8 May 1945

Connections

People

  • Leland Abercrombie

    Military | Staff Sergeant | Glider Mechanic | 437th Troop Carrier Group
    Lee attended the 8 week Glider Mechanic, Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) 559 course, AAF Technical School Shepard Field, Texas. Lee was a machinist for most of his working career; he was married in 1946 and he and his wife had three children. He...

  • Glenn Allen

    Military | Flight Officer | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Flight Officer Glenn H. Allen was born May 25, 1920, the son of Ralph and Sophia Jane Allen. He was from Yankton, South Dakota. ...

  • Nelson Ammerman

    Military | Second Lieutenant | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Ammerman, Nelson V., 2nd LT, 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, 439th Troop Carrier Group, KIA by ground fire on 3/24/45 at Wesel, Germany, after safely landing his glider (Buffalo, NY)

  • Emmett Avery

    Military | Flight Officer | Glider pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) Waco CG-4A glider 42-77382 Chalk #45, re-supply mission to Bastogne. Prisoner of War (POW). 27-Dec-44. MACR 11180. Awards: POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

  • Steve Baran

    Military | Flight Officer | Co-pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned to 91TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) D-day drop, after being hit by flak in C-47 42-100819. Crashed NE of Picauville. Killed in Action (KIA) 6-Jun-44. MACR 7133. Awards: AM, PH.

  • Joseph Beck

    Military | Lieutenant Colonel | Pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned to 12TCS, 60TCG, 8AF [later 12AF] USAAF. Transferred to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. ...

  • Ralph Becker

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) from glider towing mission [Op Varsity, Rhine crossing], hit by flak on approach to DZ managed to release gliders, before losing altitude and crashing 2 miles SW of Wesel, Germany 24-Mar-45....

  • Kenneth Bell

    Military | Second Lieutenant | Co-pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned to 93TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) D-day mission to Normandy, hit by flak and set on fire, pilot 2nd Lt Marvin F Muir held his burning aircraft under control until the paratroopers aboard could exit, sacrificing himself and...

  • Henry Benefiel

    Military | First Lieutenant | Glider pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    In January, 1944, his unit arrived in a convoy at Liverpool, from which they were transferred by train to Upottery. They were stationed there from February, 1944 until D-Day. On D-Day, Henry was assigned to the second wave of gliders. They never...

  • Richard Blake

    Military | Flight Officer | Glider pilot | 439th Troop Carrier Group
    Assigned 93TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) glider re-supply mission to Bastogne. Prisoner of War (POW). 27-Dec-44. MACR 11181. Awards: PH, POW, WWII Victory, EAME.

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Aircraft

  • 42-100644

    C-47 Skytrain
    Assigned to 91TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) glider tow to Belgium after releasing the glider hit in port engine by flak, left formation with fire streaming from engine and crashed 6 miles W/SW Bastogne. Crew baled out. 1 x RTD, 1 x POW...

  • 42-100819

    C-47 Skytrain
    Assigned to 91TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) after being hit by flak. The crew of 4 x men, and the 16 x paratroopers of 506th PIR, 1st Batn, 101st Airborne Division were killed. Crashed NE of Picauville. 6-Jun-44. MACR 7133. ...

  • 42-100840

    C-47 Skytrain
    Assigned to 93TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) re-supply mission to Bastogne, towing 2 Waco gliders, hit by flak in fuel tanks, broke formation and released gliders, allowing crew to bale. Remained at controls to ensure crews departure. 3...

  • 42-100876

    C-47 Skytrain
    Assigned to 93TCS, 493TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) D-day mission to Normandy, hit by flak and set on fire, pilot 2nd Lt Marvin F Muir held his burning aircraft under control until the paratroopers aboard could exit, sacrificing himself and...

  • 42-100885

    C-47 Skytrain
    Assigned to 91TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Chalk #72 d-day mission, flown by Lt Padon. On re-supply mission to Grossbeck, Holland. Hit by flak in starboard wing tank shortly after crossing French coast, wing on fire, co-pilot baled out of A/C just as fire...

  • 42-40844

    CG-4A Haig
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) from Bastogne on re-supply mission for 101st and 82nd airborne divisions. Pilot F/O Verbon E Houck 27-Dec-44 Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 11690.

  • 42-56515

    CG-4A Haig
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Failed to Return (FTR) re-supply mission to Bastogne. Being towed by C-47 43-15073 27-Dec-44. Released short of LZ, due to flak. Pilot F/O Velton J Brewer Prisoner of War (POW). MACR 11183.

  • 42-56553

    CG-4A Haig
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Flown into Bastogne on re-supply mission, ammo and supplies for 101st and 82nd for airborne division. 27-Dec-44 Pilot F/O Meyer Sheff Prisoner of War (POW).

  • 42-74043

    CG-4A Haig

  • 42-77343

    CG-4A Haig
    Assigned to 94TCS, 439TCG, 9AF USAAF. Flew on resupply flight, ammo and supplies for 101st and 82nd airborne divisions, to Bastogne 27-Dec-44. Pilot F/O Clifton Kizer Prisoner of War (POW).

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Citations

Distinguished Unit Citation

Air Force
9th
Type
Combat
Type category
Troop Carrier
Nicknames
Not yet known
Motto
Not yet known
Insignia
Not yet known
Aircraft used
  • C-46 Commando
  • C-47 Skytrain
  • CG-4A Haig
  • CG-13A

Revisions

Date Contributor Update
10 February 2017 12:03:41 general ira snapsorter Changes to stations
Sources

Stations added with details from:
- "Battle Colors Volume III - Insignia and Tactical Markings of the Ninth Air Force in World War Two' by Robert A. Watkins;
Date Contributor Update
16 October 2016 20:32:11 K. Hansen Changes to type, citations and aircraft types
Sources

unit history
Date Contributor Update
27 September 2014 18:42:45 AAM AAM ingest
Sources

Paul Andrews, Project Bits and Pieces, 8th Air Force Roll of Honor database / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

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