349th Troop Carrier Group

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History

The 349th Troop Carrier Group reached the European theatre too late to take part in any of the major set-piece airborne assault of the Second World War.

The group was activated in the US on 1 November 1943. It took part in a number of manoeuvres in the United States, and didn't move to Europe until March-April 1945 when it joined IX Troop Carrier Command. It arrived too late to take part in the crossing of the Rhine, the last major airborne assault of the war in Europe, but did take part in the last few weeks of the war, ferrying vehicles and fuel to the advancing armies, and bringing wounded soldiers and former POWs back.

The group ended operations on 15 June 1945 and returned to the US in July-August 1945. It was used to train Chinese crews on the C-46, but was then inactivated on 7 September 1946.

Books

Pending

Aircraft

1943: Douglas C-53 Skytrooper
c.1944: Douglas C-47 Skytrain
1945-1946: Curtiss C-46 Commando

Timeline

23 October 1943 Constituted as 349th Troop Carrier Group
1 November 1943 Activated
March-April 1945 To Europe and IX Troop Carrier Command
15 June 1945 Operations end
July-August 1945 To US
7 September 1946 Inactivated

Commanders (with date of appointment)

Maj Elmer F Estrumse: 1 Nov 1943
Col Leonard J Barrow Jr: 26 Nov 1943
Lt Col Benjamin M Tarver Jr: 29 Aug- 7 Sep 1946.

Main Bases

Sedalia AAFld, Mo: 1 Nov 1943
Alliance AAFld, Neb: 19 Jan 1944
Pope Field, NC: 8 Mar 1944
Baer Field, Ind: 4-15 Mar 1945
Barkston, England: 30 Mar 1945
Roye/Amy Airfield, France: 18 Apr-13 Jul 1945;

Component Units

23rd: 1944-1946
311th: 1943-1944
312th: 1943-1946
313th: 1943-1946
314th: 1943-1946

Assigned To

1945: 52nd Troop Carrier Wing; IX Troop Carrier Command; Ninth Air Force
1946: 52nd Troop Carrier Wing; US Based

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (2 July 2015), 349th Troop Carrier Group, http://www.historyofwar.org/air/units/USAAF/349th_Troop_Carrier_Group.html

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