Hi, I have just bought some wartime Negatives of the flight over from the UK on there way to the drop zones in Holland. The images were sent to photo & news agencies . I think there could be a mix of British and US Airborne forces in the air. On one of the photos it could have the sign M6?-MR? or MA? on the front and the letter K on the back. Update. it was M6. There is a plane [ tug ] with a glider on tow in two of the photos/negs. Keith
There are two tug and glider combos, both AW Albemarle and Horsa, they would be from either 296 or 297 Sqn flying from RAF Manston.
The 309th Troop Carrier Squadron carried American Paratroopers on September 17th. The trip out as described in their war diary: " ... Shortly after mid-day, with planes loaded almost to excess, we winged our across England, and away towards our destination. (See enclosures.) And that destination was Holland, still one of the bastions guarding the foul soil of Germany and that paranoiac HITLER. An hour droned past. The choppy waters of the channel glistened beneath us. And all around planes, planes and more planes--fighters, bombers and glider trains, all winging defiantly towards the enemy coastline. Then we could see it just ahead—a series of beach strips and rocky, barren straits which seemed to rise out of the water and disappear inland. Dive bombers and fighters were in the process of neutralizing flak positions. On and on! - Over flooded areas, with roof tops and tips of windmills jutting out of the water. Our dive bombers whining up on one wing, rolling lazily over, plummeting down, always attacking, attacking, attacking! A thrilling sight, seeing this overwhelming air power and realizing that the Germans couldn’t stop it—couldn’t hope to stop it. Bursts of flame, puffs of smoke and flak, ugly and black split the serene blueness of the sky around us. In a second’s time, out “little brothers” in the fighters swarmed down like a pack of bees, strafing, bombing, killing the Hun. One transport faltered, rolled over on one wind, thick black smoke trailing after a sheet of flame beneath the right engine. One, two, three chutes, then a death dive. Straight down, ending in a horrible spray of water, smoke and flame, nothing then except ripples on the surface. Near Nijmegen, we began our letdown. We could see another group dropping troopers on an airfield over on our right. Then the gliders pulled away northeast of us heading for their DZ. Down to 700 feet, the first troopers bailed out. Red, yellow and white chutes steamed earthward, gleaming in the sunlight. Puffs of flak appeared again, but we dived down and away, skimmed along for awhile, then pulled up resuming our formation. No planes were lost." Regards ...
Last neg/photo. Aircraft has 3037? and G on the back. From my collection. Anyone id the unit/plane. Might be 93037 (MSN 12904) to USAAF 02Apr44. 8th AF 16Apr44. 9th AF 28Apr44. Returned to US To RFC 24Sep45. To CR-LBL in 1946 and in Oct 1973 with TAAG Angola Airlines as D2-LBL I added a bit of colour Keith
If part of same series and shot from same aircraft very likely also a 309th Troop Carrier Squadron C-47 ... ? ... with radio call sign 'G'. Example explanation: Regards ...
I missed your added info. Based on your data I found this bit in a another list which contained no history. Manufacturer's Serial Number - 12904 Version - Douglas C-47A-20-DK Skytrain (DC-3) Serial Number - 42-093037 Owner - United States Air Force (Army Inc) Regards ...
Only photo I could find of paratroopers at Spanhoe. No specific date given. "82d Airborne parachutists loading onto 43d and 309th TCS aircraft, 1944." Regards ...
Hi, Going by the book, "More Than Courage" the 2nd and 3rd Battalion, as well as HQ and HQ Coy of the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment left from Spanhoe airfield on September 17th. However, it doesn't break it down further by Troop Carrier Squadron. Regards ...
Sorry to be picky but it is 'Flak' (as in Flieger Abwehr Kanone) not 'Flack'. Incidentally, why would a troop-carrying aircraft be packing a 50 calibre and in a waist position? Could this be a B17? But why would a B17 be accompanying the troop-carriers? John
Thanks John for the info, i did think the same about the 50cal. Could it be in the door.. Here is a link to B17s in Market Garden. Preliminary Bombing Operations Keith
303 Bomb Group Aug 44 in the 2nd photo. Photo just to show that the wings and flaps look the same as a B17 as the one in my photo/neg.
I'm far from an aircraft expert but I'm pretty sure the photo with the 50 cal is taken from a B17. Two reasons: the four vents (I assume that's what they are) on the wing behind the engine, and the long 'fin' leading to the tail. If I'm correct, that then goes back to my question as to why a B17 was escorting the troop carriers.
