50th Troop Carrier Wing

50th Air Division
50th Air Division emblem
Active	8 January 1941 – 31 July 1946
Country	United States
Branch	United States Air Force
Garrison/HQ	see "Stations" section below
Equipment	see "Aircraft / Missiles / Space vehicles" section below
Decorations	see "Lineage and honors" section below

The 50th Air Division is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Third Air Force stationed at Pope Field, North Carolina. It was inactivated on 31 July 1946.

Established and activated as the 50th Transport Wing on 14 January 1941, it trained subordinate units in the U.S. In October 1943, the wing moved to England, was assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command, and began training for the invasion of continental Europe. This training involved airdropping paratroops and towing gliders.

In June 1944, subordinate units dropped paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division in Normandy, subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies. During the airborne attack on The Netherlands (Operation Market Garden, September 1944), the 50th dropped paratroops, towed gliders, and flew resupply missions. Several of its subordinate units also participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The 50th supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944. In addition, its units participated in the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 and later flew numerous freight missions to carry gasoline, food, medicine, and other supplies to allied ground forces pushing across Germany.

On 1 September 1959, the USAF redesignated the wing as the 50th Air Division; however, the division was never activated.

History

Lineage

• Established as 50 Transport Wing on 8 January 1941

Activated on 14 January 1941

Redesignated 50 Troop Carrier Wing on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 31 July 1946

Redesignated 50 Air Division on 1 September 1959 (Remained inactive)

Assignments

• Office, Chief of the Air Corps, 14 January 1941
• Air Corps Maintenance Command (later, Air Service Command), 15 March 1941
• Air Transport Command (later, I Troop Carrier Command), 30 April 1942
• Army Service Forces, c. 9–15 October 1943
• Ninth Air Force, c. 15 October 1943
• IX Troop Carrier Command, 16 October 1943
• I Troop Carrier Command, 29 September 1945
• Tactical Air Command, 21 March 1946
• Third Air Force, 28 March – 31 July 1946.

Components

Groups

• 10 Transport (later, 10 Troop Carrier) Group: 14 January 1941 – 5 October 1942
• 60 Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942
• 61 Transport (later, 61 Troop Carrier) Troop: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 12 October – 3 November 1942
• 62 Transport Troop: 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942
• 63 Transport (later, 63 Troop Carrier) Troop: 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942; 4 May – c. 4 June 1943
• 64th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1952
• 89 Transport (later, 89 Troop Carrier) Group: 1 May – 3 November 1942
• 313 Transport (later, 313 Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 20 May – 3 August 1945
• 314 Transport (later, 314 Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 3 November 1942 – c. 13 May 1943
• 315 Transport (later, 315 Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; c. 15 October 1943 – 18 February 1944
• 316 Transport (later, 316 Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 12 October 1942; 9 October 1945 – 15 February 1946

• 317 Transport Troop: 31 March – 15 June 1942
• 349th Troop Carrier Group: 20 May – 28 August 1945; 9 October 1945 – 15 February 1946
• 375th Troop Carrier Group: c. 19 December 1942 – c. 15 June 1943
• 403 Troop Carrier Group: c. 19 December 1942 – 28 June 1943
• 433 Troop Carrier Group: c. 14 March – 20 April 1943; 1 June – 1 August 1943
• 434th Troop Carrier Group: 9 February – 20 April 1943; c. 15 October 1943 – 3 March 1944
• 435th Troop Carrier Group: c. 22 March – 20 April 1943; c. 1 July – 13 August 1943; 4 November 1943 – 21 February 1944
• 436th Operations Group: 3 March – 20 April 1943; 10–13 August 1943; c. 15 January – 13 March 1944
• 437th Troop Carrier Group: January – c. 26 August 1944; 10 – 18 July 1945
• 438th Troop Carrier Group: c. 15 February – 15 March 1944; 10 July – 3 August 1945
• 439th Operations Group: 21 February 1944 – 15 July 1945
• 440th Troop Carrier Group: 11 March 1944 – c. 18 October 1945
• 441st Troop Carrier Group: 17 March 1944 – 9 August 1945
• 442d Troop Carrier Group: 30 March 1944 – 20 May 1945

Squadrons

• 1 Troop Carrier Pathfinder (Provisional): 19 – 26 May 1945
• 2 Troop Carrier Pathfinder (Provisional): 13 April – 26 May 1945
• 29 Troop Carrier: attached 20 May – 12 September 1945
• 806 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 17 November 1943 – 1 February 1945
• 810 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 22 December 1943 – 22 July 1944
• 811 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: unkn – 1 March 1944
• 813 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 1 February – 29 August 1944; 11 September 1944 – 15 September 1945

• 814 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 14 February – 7 April 1944
• 815 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 1 February – 8 April 1945
• 816 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 13 October 1944 – 8 April 1945; 1 July – 3 August 1945
• 817 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 1 October 1944 – 17 May 1945; 1 – 27 July 1945
• 818 Medical Air Evacuation Transport: 22 January – 8 April 1945; 12 May – 3 August 1945

Stations

• Wright Field, Ohio, 14 January 1941
• Camp Williams, Wisconsin, 25 May 1942
• Sedalia Army Air Field, Missouri, 9 September 1942
• Camp Mackall, North Carolina, 27 April 1943
• Pope Field, North Carolina, 28 July 1943 – 29 September 1943
• RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489), England, 17 October 1943

• RAF Bottesford (AAF-481), England, 18 November 1943
• RAF Exeter (AAF-463), England, 26 April 1944
• Le Mans Airfield (A-35), France, 1 October 1944
• Chartres Airfield (A-40), France, 3 November 1944
• Pope Field, North Carolina, 29 September 1945 – 31 July 1946

Aircraft

• C-27, 1941–1942
• C-33, 1941–1942
• C-34, 1941–1942
• C-47, 1941–1945
• C-50, 1941–1942
• C-53, 1941–1945
• C-46, 1944–1946

See also

• List of United States Air Force air divisions

References

 This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

• Maurer, Maurer. Air Force Combat Units Of World War II. Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama: Office of Air Force History, 1983. ISBN 0-89201-092-4.
• Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
• USAFHRA Factseet, 50th Air Division

External links

Invaders: The Story of the 50th Troop Carrier Wing