506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

Hello Everyone!!

Happy Holidays to all of you!!

I was wondering if I might pose a question concerning the Douglas C-47 Skytrains that were used to drop the men of the 506th PIR "Easy Company" troops on "Operation Market Garden" in September of 1944.
I was wondering what Troop Carrier Squadron carried them into Holland that day.

Also, my question centers around the medium gray letter / number designation that was on the front fuselage aft of the flight deck.
Would a Troop Carrier Squadron be intermixed with other Squadrons?
Such as a C-47 with a D8 code be flying with another C-47 with an L3 code?

If anyone has any thought on this it would be greatly appreciated!!

Thanks again!!

Mark Copeland

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

You might also try the forum at Mark Bando's Trigger Time web site.

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

D8 is the code of the 94th TCS, 439th TCG, 50th TCW
L4 is the code of the 91st TCS, 439th TCG, 50th TCW

So they would be likely to be at the same airfield on the same operation

The 101st was carried in the 438th TCG and 439th TCG. The 439th carried "...the tough young paratroopers of Col.Sink..." The words are from Col Young, leading the 439th in D8.Z.

Source Kenn Rust "The 9th Air Force in WW2"

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

E Company was in 2nd Bn, 506th PIR. Main element of 506th PIR left from RAF Membury (3rd Bn from RAF Chilbolton), I gathered.
RAF Membury was station of 436th TCG.

Graham: could it be that 439th TCG carried the troopers on D-Day instead?

Open for suggestions!

Regards,

Leendert

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

I have Ottery (Upottery in RAF parlance) as a base for the 439th, and that is what was quoted as the base for Easy Company in BoB - my son just left me the DVDs, and I watched them over the weekend. Chilbolton I have as P-47s not C-47s, of the 368th FG. Action Stations 6 says nothing about any D-Day transport operations from Chilbolton. The 438th flew from Greenham Common, with the first wave. The 439th was following (second wave?), which wasn't quite the impression given, and the book states that the 101st was dropped on target, Col Sink himself landing within 200 yds of the aiming point, despite a lack of pathfinder lights. Three aircraft were missing from the 439th, there is a picture of another (D8-coded) with flak damage to the outer wing. Overall, despite some scattering, only one unit of the 82nd was "badly dropped". Again, not quite the impression given in the film.

References in Rust to other units has the 434th with gliders from Welford Park, and the 437th with gliders. Freeman in The 9th Air Force in Colour has the 437th at Ramsbury, the 436th at Membury. There is a photo of gliders at Chilbolton for Market Garden, and this is mentioned in Action Stations 6. Does your reference to Membury and Chilbolton apply to Market Garden not Overlord?

Young's aircraft had radar - by implication so would the other formation leaders. Does anyone have information on what this would look like?

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

There are several color profiles (including one of Young's aircraft) and photographs of C-47s with belly radomes in my Osprey on Gooney Birds in the ETO.

Sink sent Young -- by way of an evacuated wounded officer -- a ten pound note that had been the bet that Young would get him to the DZ.

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

Thanks David, but I don't think it was the belly radar. Following a posting on Hyperscale, I've come to believe it was Rebecca/Eureka. The receiver aerials can be seen on your profiles, and yes there are several photos/profiles in there of interest to BoB followers. Sorry I was a bit slow not to look in there earlier.

Can I say what a pleasure it is to see the non-combat types represented in series such as Osprey.

1 hour later - just in case anyone has read this while I've been watching Horizon. David's book does include a profile of Young's aircraft with Rebecca and the belly radar. I was in too much of a rush to post before, and maybe I didn't look into the fold of the page......

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

Thank you very much everyone for your wonderful and enlightening information. Excellent feedback from everyone!! Thank you all very much and have a splendid Holiday Season!!

Mark Copeland

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

Check out Patrick Elie's site:
http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aero....php?page=para

he is trying to account for indiviual aircraft on his site:

regards

Dennis

Re: 506TH PIR Easy Company "Band of Brothers" C-47 Markings
 

Mark

As your original question was for operation Market Garden, on 17th september the 506th PIR was carried by three serials : 45 planes from the 442nd TCG and 90th planes from the 436th TCG
I don't have more information about which squadron carried E Co but the squadron code was one of these:
- 442nd TCG : J7 - V4 - 4J - 7H
- 436th TCG : S6 - 7D - U5 - 3D