50th Troop Carrier Wing

50th Air Division
50th Air Division
	C-47 of the wing's 442d Troop Carrier Group in D Day markings
Active	1941–1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Insignia
50th Troop Carrier Wing emblem (Approved 22 September 1942)

The 50th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force at Pope Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 July 1946.

History

The wing was first established as the 50th Transport Wing, then activated on 14 January 1941. In July 1942 it became the 50th Troop Carrier Wing and was a major training organization for I Troop Carrier Command until 1943, training subordinate units in the United States prior to overseas deployment.^[2]

In October 1943, became a command organization for IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force in England. "Subordinate units began training for the invasion of continental Europe. This training involved airdropping paratroops and towing gliders."^[2]

"In June 1944, subordinate units dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy, subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies. During the airborne attack on The Netherlands (Operation Market Garden, September 1944), the 50th dropped paratroops, towed gliders, and flew resupply missions. Several of its subordinate units also participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The 50th supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944. In addition, its units participated in the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 and later flew numerous freight missions to carry gasoline, food, medicine, and other supplies to allied ground forces pushing across Germany."^[2]

The wing returned to the United States in September 1945. In 1946 it became a subordinate organization of new Tactical Air Command^[2] with responsibility for the theater transport (Troop Carrier) mission. It was inactivated on 31 July 1946.^[2]

On 1 September 1959, the USAF redesignated the wing as the 50th Air Division; however, the division was never activated.

Lineage

Established as the 50th Transport Wing on 8 January 1941

Activated on 14 January 1941

Redesignated 50th Troop Carrier Wing on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 31 July 1946

Redesignated 50th Air Division on 1 September 1959 (Remained inactive)^[2]

Assignments

Office, Chief of the Air Corps, 14 January 1941
Air Corps Maintenance Command (later Air Service Command), 15 March 1941
Air Transport Command,^[3] later I Troop Carrier Command), 30 April 1942
Army Service Forces, c. 9 – 15 October 1943
Ninth Air Force, c. 15 October 1943
IX Troop Carrier Command, 16 October 1943
I Troop Carrier Command, 29 September 1945
IX Troop Carrier Command, 4 November 1945^[4]
Tactical Air Command, 21 March 1946
Third Air Force, 28 March – 31 July 1946^[2]

Components

Groups

10th Transport Group (later 10th Troop Carrier Group): 14 January 1941 – 5 October 1942
60th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942
61st Transport Group (later 61st Troop Carrier Group): 31 March – 15 June 1942; 12 October – 3 November 1942
62d Transport Group: 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942
63d Transport Group (later 63d Troop Carrier Group): 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942; 4 May – c. 4 June 1943
64th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1952
89th Transport Group (later 89th Troop Carrier Group): 1 May – 3 November 1942
313th Transport Group (later 313th Troop Carrier Group): 31 March – 15 June 1942; 20 May – 3 August 1945
314th Transport Group (later 314th Troop Carrier Group): 31 March – 15 June 1942; 3 November 1942 – c. 13 May 1943
315th Transport Group (later 315th Troop Carrier Group): 31 March – 15 June 1942; c. 15 October 1943 – 18 February 1944
316th Transport Group (later 316th Troop Carrier Group): 31 March – 12 October 1942; 9 October 1945 – 15 February 1946
317th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942

349th Troop Carrier Group: 20 May – 28 August 1945; 9 October 1945 – 15 February 1946
375th Troop Carrier Group: c. 19 December 1942 – c. 15 June 1943
403d Troop Carrier Group: c. 19 December 1942 – 28 June 1943
433d Troop Carrier Group: c. 14 March – 20 April 1943; 1 June – 1 August 1943
434th Troop Carrier Group: 9 February – 20 April 1943; c. 15 October 1943 – 3 March 1944
435th Troop Carrier Group: c. 22 March – 20 April 1943; c. 1 July – 13 August 1943; 4 November 1943 – 21 February 1944
436th Troop Carrier Group: 3 March – 20 April 1943; 10–13 August 1943; c. 15 January – 13 March 1944
437th Troop Carrier Group: January – c. 26 August 1944; 10 – 18 July 1945
438th Troop Carrier Group: c. 15 February – 15 March 1944; 10 July – 3 August 1945
439th Troop Carrier Group: 21 February 1944 – 15 July 1945
440th Troop Carrier Group: 11 March 1944 – c. 18 October 1945
441st Troop Carrier Group: 17 March 1944 – 9 August 1945
442d Troop Carrier Group: 30 March 1944 – 20 May 1945^[2]

Squadrons

1st Troop Carrier Pathfinder Squadron (Provisional): 19 – 26 May 1945
2d Troop Carrier Pathfinder Squadron (Provisional): 13 April – 26 May 1945
29th Troop Carrier Squadron: attached 20 May – 12 September 1945
806th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 17 November 1943 – 1 February 1945
810th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 22 December 1943 – 22 July 1944
811th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: unkn – 1 March 1944
813th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 1 February – 29 August 1944; 11 September 1944 – 15 September 1945

814th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 14 February – 7 April 1944
815th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 1 February – 8 April 1945
816th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 13 October 1944 – 8 April 1945; 1 July – 3 August 1945
817th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 1 October 1944 – 17 May 1945; 1 – 27 July 1945
818th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 22 January – 8 April 1945; 12 May – 3 August 1945^[2]

Stations

Wright Field, Ohio, 14 January 1941
Camp Williams, Wisconsin, 25 May 1942
Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 9 September 1942
Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 27 April 1943
Pope Field, North Carolina, 28 July 1943 – 29 September 1943
RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489),^[5] England, 17 October 1943

RAF Bottesford (AAF-481),^[5] England, 18 November 1943
RAF Exeter (AAF-463), England, 26 April 1944
Le Mans Airfield (A-35)^[6], France, 1 October 1944
Chartres Airfield (A-40)^[6], France, 3 November 1944
Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 September 1945 – 31 July 1946^[2]

Aircraft

Bellanca C-27 Airbus, 1941–1942
Douglas C-33, 1941–1942
Douglas C-34, 1941–1942
Douglas C-47 Skytrain, 1941–1945

Douglas C-50, 1941–1942
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper, 1941–1945
Curtiss C-46 Commando, 1944–1946^[2]

References

Notes

^ Aircraft is C-47A-15-DK Skytrain Serial 42-92879.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l "Factsheet 50 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2014.
^ Not to be confused with Air Transport Command (originally Air Corps Ferrying Command).
^ On 4 November 1945, I Troop Carrier Command was inactivated at Stout Field, Indiana and its personnel and equipment were transferred to IX Troop Carrier Command, which had transferred to Stout from England without personnel or equipment in September. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 438, 448-449.
^ ^a ^b Station numbers in Anderson
^ ^a ^b Station numbers in Johnson

Bibliography

This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Anderson, Capt. Barry (1985). Army Air Forces Stations: A Guide to the Stations Where U.S. Army Air Forces Personnel Served in the United Kingdom During World War II (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center. Retrieved 7 July 2012.
Johnson, 1st Lt. David C. (1988). U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO) D-Day to V-E Day (PDF). Maxwell AFB, AL: Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1983) [1961]. Air Force Combat Units of World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-912799-02-1. LCCN 61060979.

External links

"Invaders: The Story of the 50th Troop Carrier Wing". Desfosses-Neogravure, Paris. 1945. Retrieved 27 January 2015. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |deadurl= ignored (|url-status= suggested) (help) (URL is for text of booklet only)

[1] Aircraft is C-47A-15-DK Skytrain Serial 42-92879.

[50ADfacts-2] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l "Factsheet 50 Air Division". Air Force Historical Research Agency. 5 October 2007. Archived from the original on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 2 April 2014.

[3] Not to be confused with Air Transport Command (originally Air Corps Ferrying Command).

[4] On 4 November 1945, I Troop Carrier Command was inactivated at Stout Field, Indiana and its personnel and equipment were transferred to IX Troop Carrier Command, which had transferred to Stout from England without personnel or equipment in September. Maurer, Combat Units, pp. 438, 448-449.

[Anderson-5] Station numbers in Anderson

[Johnson-6] Station numbers in Johnson

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]