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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.
Pending
1943: Douglas C-53 Skytrooper
c.1944: Douglas C-47 Skytrain
1945-1946: Curtiss C-46 Commando
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 |
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.
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;
23rd: 1944-1946
311th: 1943-1944
312th: 1943-1946
313th: 1943-1946
314th: 1943-1946
1945: 52nd Troop Carrier Wing; IX Troop Carrier Command; Ninth Air Force
1946: 52nd Troop Carrier Wing; US Based