US Airborne Forces in the East Midlands, 1943-45

US Ninth Air Force

The US Ninth Air Force was a tactical organization, meaning that its role was to provide offensive and defensive support for ground forces.  This support included the delivery of paratroopers and gliders into combat areas.

The Ninth Air Force had been formed in the United States in April 1942 and had begun operations in the Mediterranean theatre in November 1942.  It subsequently fought in Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy before re-forming in Britain in October 1943.  

While the Headquarters of the Ninth Air Force was at Ascot in southern England, the Headquarters of one of its key components was at Grantham from December 1943 to September 1944: IX Troop Carrier Command (the US Army Air Force used Roman numerals in some organizational names during World War II; in this case, 'IX' is the Roman numeral for '9').

The role of IX TCC was to provide aircraft and gliders to  convey troops and cargo into combat within the European Theatre of Operations, which included British and Polish troops whose own nations had insufficient or no airlift capability of their own.  

IX TCC comprised three Troop Carrier Wings (TCWs) - 50th, 52nd and 53rd TCWs - each of which was made up of several Troop Carrier Groups (TCGs).  As TCGs were classed as combat units, they were used to transport supplies close to the frontlines - delivering essential items such as fuel, whole and dried blood supplies, rations and ammunition - and to evacuate injured personnel from airfields and landing strips close to the fighting. 

The activities of the TCGs based in the East Midlands included:

• Dropping US paratroops into Normandy on D-Day, 6 June 1944, as part of the Allied invasion of western Europe.
• Flying US, British and Polish Airborne troops to the Netherlands during Operation MARKET GARDEN in September 1944.
• Ferrying British troops to Norway on Operation DOOMSDAY and to Denmark on Operation ECLIPSE in May 1945.

In addition, some IX TCC Pathfinder aircraft were deployed to Italy from North Witham to drop US and British Pathfinders behind enemy lines during Operation DRAGOON, the Allied invasion of southern France, in August 1944.

The work of Troop Carrier units should not be underestimated.  Their transport aircraft and gliders were unarmed and unarmoured and they often flew deep into enemy territory at less than 1,000 feet to deliver their troops and equipment.  The glider pilots might need to fight as infantry after landing, helping secure the dropzones and landing-zones.  They were all unsung heroes in an unglamorous role. 

IX TCC was equipped primarily with Douglas C-47 Skytrain and C-53 Skytrooper aircraft, with small numbers of Curtiss C-46 Commandos joining in 1945.  It had a fleet of small CG-4A Waco gliders, supplemented by larger, British-made Horsa gliders.  

Locations of IX Troop Carrier Command Headquarters

IX Troop Carrier Wings in The East Midlands

Pathfinders from North Witham led the US parachute and glider assault on Normandy on 6 June 1944 (D-Day) and a detachment of 12 Pathfinder aircraft were sent to Italy to lead the Allied airborne landings of Operation DRAGOON on 15 August 1944.  The Pathfinders moved from North Witham to Chalgrove in Oxfordshire on 14 September 1944, just three days before they led US Airborne landings in the Netherlands during Operation MARKET GARDEN.

In August 1942, the Division was reorganized and designated the 82nd Airborne Division.  It was shipped to North Africa in May 1943 and then took part in the combined British and American airborne assault on Sicily during Operation HUSKY in July 1943.  In September 1943, the Division’s 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment dropped into the Allied beachhead at Salerno to help strengthen it against German attacks, and then the 504th carried out a successful seaborne assault nearby.

Private Joe Gandara (D Company, 2nd Battalion, 507th PIR) flew into Normandy from Barkston Heath airfield.  He was killed while attacking enemy machine-gun positions and was posthumously awarded a Distinguished Service Cross for his bravery; this was upgraded to a Medal of Honor in 2014. 1

• 1

  Private Gandara was a Latin American and the upgrade followed a review of veteran records to ensure those deserving the Medal of Honor were not denied because of ethnic prejudice.  See ‘Valor 24’ in Medal of Honor: History and Issues, Congressional Research Service, Updated August 18, 2015, p16.

Until 10 November 1944, when they were relieved by Canadian forces, the 82nd patrolled the area around Nijmegen to help secure it.  After 50 days of combat in and around Nijmegen, the Division was then sent to France to recuperate and await further action.

In December 1944, German forces made a surprise counter-attack into the Ardennes - which developed into the ‘Battle of the Bulge’ - and it sent the defending US forces reeling for a while.

The men of the 82nd were rushed into combat with little food, ammunition, and winter clothing.  They endured the German attacks until they eventually took the offensive themselves, and by February 1945, the Division was pushing into Germany.  

During the final months of the war, the Division liberated a forced-labour camp and accepted the unconditional surrender of 146,000 men of the German 21st Army.