Image – 22 April 1944 – count the Gliders and C-47s on the photograph below. Image courtesy of this site.
USAAF use
434th Troop Carrier Group
In October 1943, the 434th Troop Carrier Group arrived at Fulbeck from Baer AAF, Indiana. The group was assigned to the 53d Troop Carrier Wing and flew Douglas C-47/C-53 Skytrains. Operational squadrons of the 322d and fuselage codes were:
- 71st Troop Carrier (CJ)
- 72d Troop Carrier (CU)
- 73d Troop Carrier (CN)
- 74th Troop Carrier (ID)
The 434th TCG had 56 C-47s and started training with some detachments elsewhere until finally moving to RAF Welford on 10 December 1943.
442d Troop Carrier Group
At the end of March 1944 the 442d Troop Carrier Group arrived at Fulbeck from Baer AAF, Indiana. The group was assigned to the 50th Troop Carrier Wing and flew Douglas C-47/C-53 Skytrains. Operational squadrons of the 442d and fuselage codes were:
- 303d Troop Carrier (J7)
- 304th Troop Carrier (V4)
- 305th Troop Carrier (4J)
- 306th Troop Carrier (7H)
The 442d received additional training with C-47’s and C-53’s at Fulbeck, and later used these aircraft for operations. The group flew the first missions during the invasion of the Continent, dropping paratroops of the U.S. 82nd Airborne and U.S. 101st Airborne Divisions near Sainte-Mère-Église on 6 June 1944 and flying a resupply mission on 7 June, being awarded a Distinguished Unit Citation for its part in the Normandy invasion.
The 442d TCG moved to RAF Weston Zoyland in mid-June after having taken part in the D-Day operations.
