50th Air Division

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.

History

Established and activated as the 50th Transport Wing on 14 January 1941. Was a major training organization for I Troop Carrier Command, 1942-1943, training subordinate units in the United States prior to overseas deployment. In October 1943, became a command and control organization for IX Troop Carrier Command, Ninth Air Force in England. Subordinate units 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. Returned to the United States in March 1946, became subordinate organization of new Tactical Air Command with responsibility for the theater transport (Troop Carrier) mission. Inactivated 31 July 1946. On 1 September 1959, the USAF redesignated the wing as the 50th Air Division; however, the division was never activated.

Lineage

• Established as 50th Transport Wing on 8 January 1941

Activated on 14 January 1941

Redesignated 50th Troop Carrier Wing on 4 July 1942

Inactivated on 31 July 1946

Redesignated 50th 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

• 10th Transport (later, 10th Troop Carrier) Group: 14 January 1941 – 5 October 1942
• 60th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942
• 61st Transport (later, 61st Troop Carrier) Troop: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 12 October – 3 November 1942
• 62d Transport Group: 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942
• 63d Transport (later, 63d Troop Carrier) Troop: 14 January 1941 – 15 June 1942; 4 May – c. 4 June 1943
• 64th Transport Group: 31 March – 15 June 1952
• 89th Transport (later, 89th Troop Carrier) Group: 1 May – 3 November 1942
• 313th Transport (later, 313th Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 20 May – 3 August 1945
• 314th Transport (later, 314th Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; 3 November 1942 – c. 13 May 1943
• 315th Transport (later, 315th Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 15 June 1942; c. 15 October 1943 – 18 February 1944
• 316th Transport (later, 316th Troop Carrier) Group: 31 March – 12 October 1942; 9 October 1945 – 15 February 1946
• 317th Transport Group: 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
• 403d Troop Carrier Group: c. 19 December 1942 – 28 June 1943
• 433d 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 Troop Carrier 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 Troop Carrier 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

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

• 814th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 14 February – 7 April 1944
• 815th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 1 February – 8 April 1945
• 816th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 13 October 1944 – 8 April 1945; 1 July – 3 August 1945
• 817th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 1 October 1944 – 17 May 1945; 1 – 27 July 1945
• 818th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron: 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 Airbus, 1941–1942
• Douglas C-33, 1941–1942
• Douglas C-34, 1941–1942
• C-47 Skytrain, 1941–1945

• C-50 Skytrain, 1941–1942
• C-53 Skytrooper, 1941–1945
• C-46 Commando, 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 website http://www.afhra.af.mil/.

• 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