US bombers "landed on the continent" - how returned?

[Leendert]

The occasions where American bombers "landed on the continent" or "landed in Allied territory" are numerous. Flak damages, engine trouble and so on.

If the bomber could be repaired at its unexpected landing site, how was the return flight to its home base organized?

Squadron reports rarely (if ever) mention that a crew was sent out to pick up their bomber 'on the continent'.

If there was some sort of pool of pilots (in a Service Command?) to do those return flights, then I'm happy to hear so.

Regards,
Leendert

[JohanSWE]

I’m also interested to know about this question.

For MTO, if returned back, bomber a/c would be sent to a service squadron of one of the service group handling that specific unit.
Or go to depot for repair.
Depending of shortage of a/c, the repaired a/c could end up in a new group/squadron. That’s my understanding.

You had in MTO at first ATC ferrying squadrons, ferrying aircraft, materiel and other supplies.
Later MTO had established MATS, and I think ferrying squadrons was replaced with army air force base units, aafbu later afbu.
/JohanSWE

[Buckeye30]

Eighth AF had a major repair depot in France after D-Day at Merville, this was 5th Strategic Air Depot; it's Mobile Repair and Reclamation Squadrons (MRRS) were sent to other airfields.
Crews were returned to UK by various means, some by the 302 Transport Wing (27th - 31st TGs) from July mostly by C-47 in their Ferry / Transport squadrons. If the planes were too damaged they were salvaged and many parts sent to UK. If repairable they could be returned by Ferry crews or other means eg. RAF transport pilots or Ninth AF, if Airfield Control could arrange movement (or 5SAD / VIII AFSC).
1,221 aircraft were repaired and flown back.


Nick

[Leendert]

Thanks for info.
It indeed appears that 302 Transport Wing was tasked with ferrying crews and a/c, also for 9th AF thru A-40 (Chartres) and A-42 (Villacoublay) and pick up repaired a/c there to take back to England, if home base was still there. This in Oct 1944.

For crews it was necessary to get a flight back soon or at least find some Allied unit to report themselves, lest they'd be posted as missing...

Regards,
Leendert