7th, 8th and 51st Troop Carrier Squadrons | 62nd Troop Carrier Group | 12th AAF

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7th, 8th and 51st Troop Carrier Squadrons | 62nd Troop Carrier Group | TWELFTH AAF

 

62nd Troop Carrier Group

 

SQUADRONS. 4th: 1940-1945; 7th: 1940-1945; 8th: 1940-1945; 51st: 1942-1945.

 

After the Pearl Harbor Attack, the squadrons were transferred to the 62d Troop Carrier Group and re-equipped with Douglas C-47 Skytrain transports. Transferred to Kellogg Field, Michigan, the squadron trained for combat resupply and casualty evacuation mission at several airfields during the spring and summer of 1942. They deployed to England, where it became part of Eighth Air Force in September 1942. Performed intra-theater transport flights of personnel, supply and equipment within England during summer and fall of 1942, reassigned to Twelfth Air Force after Operation Torch, the invasion of North Africa, and moved to Tafaraoui Airfield, Algeria.

In combat, the squadron performed resupply and evacuation missions across Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia during the North African Campaign. During June 1943, the unit began training with gliders in preparation for Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily. The squadrons towed gliders to Syracuse, Sicily and dropped paratroopers at Catania during the operation. After moving to Sicily, the squadrons airdropped supplies to escaped prisoners of war in Northern Italy in October. It operated from Sicily until December until moving to the Italian mainland in December.

The squadrons supported the Italian Campaign during balance of 1944 supporting partisans in the Balkans. Its unarmed aircraft flew at night over uncharted territory, landing at small unprepared airfields to provide guns, ammunition, clothing, medical supplies, gasoline, and mail to the partisans. They even carried jeeps and mules as cargo. On return trips it evacuated wounded partisans, evadees and escaped prisoners. They carried paratroopers during Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France in August 1944. The squadron then returned to operations over Italy and in the Balkans until the end of combat in Europe, May 1945.

7th Troop Carrier Squadron

LINEAGE. Constituted 7th Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Activated on 14 Oct 1939. Redesignated 7th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 27 Nov 1945.

ASSIGNMENTS. 10th Transport Group, 14 Oct 1939; 62d Transport (later Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-14 Nov 1945.

STATIONS. Sacramento Air Depot, Calif, 14 Oct 1939; Kellogg Field, Mich, 29 May 1942; Florence, SC, 2 Jul-14 Aug 1942; Keevil, England, 25 Sep 1942; Ta-faraoui, Algeria, 15 Nov 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 27 Dec 1942 (operated from bases in Egypt and Palestine during period 13 Mar-19 May 1943); Matemore, Algeria, 21 May 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 22 Jun 1943; Goubrine, Tunisia, 26 Jul 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 6 Sep 1943; Brindisi, Italy, 12 Feb 1944; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 29 Mar 1944; Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 8 May 1944; Galera Airfield, Italy, ' 28 Jun 1944; Brindisi, Italy, 22 Oct 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 4 Dec 194.4; Rosignano, Italy, 24 May 1945; Naples, Italy, 25 Sep-27 Nov 1945.

AIRCRAFT. C-33, 1939-1941; C-39, 1939-1942; C-47, 1942-1945.

OPERATIONS. Included airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France, support of partisans in Northern Italy and the Balkans, and transportation of personnel and supplies in MTO, during World War II.

CAMPAIGNS. Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. Over and through a medium blue disc, edged and marked with dark blue lines of latitude and longitude, a gold dexter hand couped, grasping a double edged gold sword, pommel and hilt cap white, handle red, between two green olive branches, banded yellow in base, surmounted by a broad white lightening bolt fesswise, blunted at points. (Approved 9 Aug 1944).

Theater-made. Incised leather, hand-painted.

 

8th Troop Carrier Squadron

LINEAGE. Constituted 8th Transport Squadron on 1 Oct 1933. Activated on 1 Feb 1940. Redesignated 8th Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 11 Nov 1945.

ASSIGNMENTS. 10th Transport Group, 1 Feb 1940; 62d Transport (later Troop Carrier) Group, 11 Dec 1940-11 Nov 1945.

STATIONS. Brooks Field, Tex, 1 Feb 1940; Duncan Field, Tex, 5 Nov 1940; Hill Field, Utah, 29 Jun 1941; Kellogg Field, Mich, 26 May 1942; Florence, SC, 30 Jun-14 Aug 1942; Keevil, England, 25 Sep 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 16 Nov 1942; Nouvion, Algeria, 22 Dec 1942; Matemore, Algeria, 17 May 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, 1 Jul 1943; Goubrine, Tunisia, 28 Jul 1943; Gela, Sicily, 7 Sep 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 30 Sep 1943; Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 8 May 1944; Galera Airfield, Italy, 30 Jun 1944; Malignano Airfield, Italy, 5 Oct 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, g Jan 1945; Rosignano, Italy, 26 May 1945; Naples, Italy, Oct-11 Nov 1945.

AIRCRAFT. Probably included C-39, 1940-1942; C-47, 1942-1945.

 

CAMPAIGNS. Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. On a disc blue, edged black, a caricatured winged work horse yellow, outlined black, branded on hip with a red cross, galloping at full speed, and wearing a revolver in holster fastened to cartridge belt tan about the neck, and having a machine gun brown and a packing box green strapped to his back, all over a silhouette figure black descending by parachute in sinister base base toward large white cloud formation in base. (Approved 12 Jun 1943.)

 

Embroidered on wool.

 

 

Theater-made. Italian hand-embroidery on dark blue muslin/wool. [The only example of this magnificently patch I have ever seen.]

51st Troop Carrier Squadron

LINEAGE. Constituted 51st Transport Squadron on 30 May 1942. Activated on 1 Jun 1942. Redesignated 51st Troop Carrier Squadron on 4 Jul 1942. Inactivated on 9 Mar 1946.

ASSIGNMENTS. 62d Transport (later Troop Carrier) Group, 1 Jun 1942; Naples Air Force General Depot, 14 Nov 1945-.

STATIONS. Kellogg Field, Mich, 1 Jun 1942; Florence, SC, 1 Jul-14 Aug 1942; Keevil, England, 10 Oct 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 15 Nov 1942; Nouvion, AIgeria, 24 Dec 1942; Matemore, Algeria, 16 May 1943; Goubrine, Tunisia, 2 Jul 1943; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 6 Sep 1943; Brindisi, Italy, 12 Feb, 1944; Ponte Olivo, Sicily, 27 Mar 1944; Gaudo Airfield, Italy, 7 May 1944; Galera Airfield, Italy, 29 Jun 1944; Foggia, Italy, 30 Sep 1944; Brindisi, Italy, 29 Oct 1944; Tarquinia, Italy, 1 Apr 1945; Rosignano, Italy, 25 May 1945; Capodichino, Italy, 6 Oct 1945; Naples, Italy, c. Feb-9 Mar 1946.

AIRCRAFT. C-47, 1942-1946.

OPERATIONS. Included airborne assaults on Sicily and Southern France, support of partisans in Northern Italy and the Balkans, and transportation of personnel and supplies in MTO, during World War II.

CAMPAIGNS. Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Amo; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley; Air Combat, EAME Theater.

EMBLEM. On a light yellow rectangle, corners rounded, long axis horizontal, a caricatured pilot in brown flight suit, red aviator’s helmet and white goggles, with look of satisfaction on face, strutting across a large white cloud formation in base outlined light turquoise blue, and pushing a green and gray camouflaged perambulator, holding three small caricatured paratroopers in uniform, proper, all emitting white speed lines to rear. (Approved 20 Apr 1944.)

Embroidered.

 

Maurer. Air Force Combat Units of World War II.

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7th Troop Carrier Squadron

8th Troop Carrier Squadron

51st Troop Carrier Squadron