439th TROOP CARRIER GROUP


Squadrons of the 439th TCG

 91st Troop Carrier Squadron.
92nd Troop Carrier Squadron.
93rd Troop Carrier Squadron.
94th Troop Carrier Squadron.

Assigned 9th AAF: Feb 1944.

Combat Aircraft:
C-47

Stations

Alliance AAFld, Neb, 1 Jun 1943

Sedalia AAFld, Mo, 15 Jun 1943

Alliance AAFld, Neb, 2 Aug 1943

Laurinburg-Maxton AAB, NC, 16 Dec 1943

Baer Field, Ind, 2-14 Feb 1944

Balderton, England, 21 Feb 1944

Upottery, England, 26 Apr 1944

Juvincourt, France, 8 Sep 1944

Lonray, France, 28 Sep 1944

Chateaudun, France, 4 Nov 1944-11 Jul 1945

Baer Field, Ind, Jul 1945

Sedalia AAFld, Mo, 7 Oct 1945-10 Jun 1946

Group COs

Lt Col Ralph L Zimmerman, 1 Jun 1943

Col Charles H Young, 21 Jan 1944

Col Gordon L Edris, 6 Oct 1945

CAMPAIGNS

American Theater

RomeArno

Normandy

Northern France

Southern France

Rhineland

ArdennesAlsace

Central Europe

DECORATIONS

Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6-7] Jun 1944.

French Croix de Guerre with Palm: [6-7] Jun 1944 ; 15 Aug 1944o French Fourragere

Early History:

Constituted as 439th Troop Carrier Group on 14 May 1943. Activated on 1 June 1943. Trained with C-47's. Moved to England, Feb-Mar 1944, for duty with Ninth AF. Prepared for the invasion of the Continent and began operations by dropping paratroops of 101st Airborne Division in Normandy on 6 Jun 1944 and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day, receiving a DUC and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the group ferried supplies in the United Kingdom until the air echelon was sent to Italy in July to transport cargo to Rome and evacuate wounded personnel. The detachment dropped paratroops of 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment along the Riviera to aid the invasion of Southern France on 15 Aug 1944 and later towed gliders to provide reinforcements; for these missions the group was again cited by the French government. After the air echelon returned to England on 25 Aug, the group resumed its cargo missions. In Sep the group moved to France for further operations in support of the advancing Allies. Dropped paratroops of 82d Airborne Division near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on Holland, 17-25 Sep 1944. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne on 27 Dec 1944. Each aircraft of the group towed two gliders with troops of 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel when the Allies made the air assault across the Rhine on 24 Mar 1945. Continually hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear-zone hospitals when not engaged in airborne operations. Converted from C-47's to C-46's, which were used to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium after V-E Day. Returned to the US, Jul-Sep 1945 Trained with C-46 aircraft. Inactivated on 10 Jun 1946.

Subsequent History:

  Redesignated 439th Troop Carrier Group (Medium). Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active duty on 1 Apr 1951. Inactivated on 3 Apr 1951. Redesignated 439th Fighter-Bomber Group. Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 15 Jun 1952.

SQUADRONS. 91st: 1943-1946;1949-1951; 1952-1954. 92d: 1943-1946; 1949-1951; 1952-1954. 93d: 1943-1946; 1949-1951. 1952- 94th: 1943-1946; 1949-1951. 471st: 1954- 472d: 1954-.

STATIONS. Sedalia AAFld, Mo, 7 Oct 1945-10 Jun 1946. Selfridge AFB, Mich, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951. Selfridge AFB, Mich, 15 Jun 1952-.

INSIGNE. Shield: Azure, a beaver volant proper, holding a missile in his right paw, argent, markings gules and sable and supported in the air with aircraft wings of the third, tanks of the fourth, on the right wing the national aircraft marking in its proper colors. (Approved 2o Apr 1956.)