Attn: Gary - History of C-47A-70-DL c/n 19603 43-15137 N89HA

[Todd Hackbarth]

Here is what I have found so far regarding the past history of your C-47 nose:

Douglas C-47A-80-DL Skytrain c/n 19603 – delivered 08 Feb 1944 as USAAF 43-15137 – to 8th Air Force 26 March 1944 – to 9th Air Force 306th Troop Carrier Squadron Sept 1944 – this aircraft participated in Operation Market/Garden 17 Sept 1944 as “Chalk Number 76” – to 96th Troop Carrier Squadron May 1945 – to Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, FL 02 Sept 1945 – to Greenville, SC 03 Sept 1945 – to Reconstruction Finance Corporation (RFC) Bush Field, Augusta, GA 18 Nov 1945 – registered as NC36699 to Bruning Aviation, Inc., Hampden, MS 29 Jan 1946 – to Consolidated Air Transit Inc., East Orange, NJ 23 Dec 1947 – to Air Parts Inc., NY 09 Nov 1948 – to Regina Cargo Air Lines Inc., NY 14 April 1949 – to A.J. Williams, trading as British Guiana Airways, Ltd., Miami, FL 13 Oct 1950 – registered as VP-GAG 27 Dec 1950 – to Guyana Airways Corp. 1963 – reregistered as 8R-GAG 1967 – to East West Helicopters Inc., Harrison, OH 22 Feb 1979 – registered to Air Service Center, Inc., Hamilton, OH 22 Feb 1979 – reregistered as N9060Y 01 March 1979 - registered to Hoganair Inc., Hamilton, OH 15 June 1979 – reregistered as N89HA 01 July 1980 – purchased by H.A. Hartley 25 July 1985 – registration pending to estate of H.A. Hartley Jan 1991 – registered to Aviation Consulting & Services, Mineral Wells, TX 15 April 1992 – registration pending to Hal & Vicki Davidson, Weatherford, TX May 1994 – to Confederate Air Force (Rio Grande Valley Wing), Brownsville, TX – registered to City of Brownsville, Brownsville, TX 17 Aug 1998 – stored at Brownsville, TX by Oct 1998 – noted withdrawn from use as Brownsville, TX during April 2005.

All of the above is from the 2006 book: “The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 – The First Seventy Years - Volume 2” By Jennifer M. Gradidge Published by Air Britain (Historians) Ltd. I cannot vouch for the accuracy of this information. Feel free to suggest additions, corrections and deletions.

The following web site is most interesting. I am not sure what language it is in but I believe it is Dutch:
http://users.telenet.be/101airborne/101st.htm
It contains a scan of Plane Loading Manifest dated 17 Sept 1944 showing that this aircraft, 43-15137, "Chalk Number 76", participated in Operation Market/Garden. It would be interesting to read a translation of this web page.

For a photo of this aircraft as 8R-GAG, see:
http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0928635/M/

Another site about this aircraft:
http://www.aerotransport.org/php/go.php ... &orderby=1

Hope this is of assistance and that other WIXers have more to add.

Todd Hackbarth

Last edited by Todd Hackbarth on Mon Feb 12, 2007 10:47 am, edited 2 times in total.

[Jack Cook]

[Randy Haskin]

this aircraft participated in Operation Market/Garden 17 Sept 1944 as “Chalk Number 76” –

If the "language" of the current Air Force is the same as it was then, then the "chalk" was simply an assigned group/time of movement of personnel, and not an identification for the aircraft.

For example, when my squadron deploys, those who don't fly the F-15s will go on the transport. Some people will be part of "Chalk 1" leaving at a particular time, and still others will be part of "Chalk 2" leaving at a different time, depending on when the deployment plan wants certain specialties in place at the deployed location. The type or ID of the aircraft is not relevant to the chalk number, and in fact a chalk might move via a train or boat.

So, I'm hypothesizing that this aircraft was simply the one that moved the troopers assigned to Chalk 76. The scanned manifest seems to support this.

[Mark Cook]

Here's the babelfish translation. It doesn't elaborate too much on the manifest, but it looks like they were 506th I company troopers,

Loading the planes went calmly and masters. Each agent of a plane, the "jumpmaster" called and generally an officer, had and letter with then its people and the cargo which would take along the plane. In the plane 17 troopers sat which one a "stick" called. On the letter mentioned below the names of a stick see and the cargo are which the plane with tail had number 43-15137 at on 17 September 1944.

Here above to see you "loading manifest" of 506the th, I-comp, 3th battalion. The Lt. Anderson Fred Jr. one became

Later the co. of I-comp. And the degree of majoor had at the end of the war. The operation, date and other

information has been all introduced on the manifest. Pay attention to the contents of the containers and the colour of the parachutes. Here is clear see that the "square" A-5 drop containers was really used during

the Market garden operation. (Excuses for the bad quality of the photograph)


ATW
Mark Cook

[Ztex]

Way cool!

(#^@%& The Scrappers)

I know it's only Money...but darned if I wished we had more of it for these birds.

Z

[Archer]

Here's a cleaned up version of that translation:

Loading the planes went calmly and controlled. Each aircraft had one responsible person assigned to it, called the "jumpmaster", usually this would be an officer. He had a manifest with the assigned people and cargo for that particular aircraft. In the aircraft there were 17 paratroopers , called a "stick". On the manifest shown below the names of the stick are shown, along with the cargo which was loaded into aircraft tailnumber 43-15137 on 17 September 1944.



Above is shown the "loading manifest" of the 506th, I-comp, 3th battalion. Lt. Anderson, Fred Jr., later became the co. of I-comp, and attained the rank of major at the end of the war. The operation, date and other information is all shown on the manifest. Note the contents of the containers and the colour of the parachutes. Here it is clearly shown that the "square" A-5 drop containers were really used during the Market Garden operation. (Apologies for the bad quality of the photograph).

[Archer]

this aircraft participated in Operation Market/Garden 17 Sept 1944 as “Chalk Number 76” –

If the "language" of the current Air Force is the same as it was then, then the "chalk" was simply an assigned group/time of movement of personnel, and not an identification for the aircraft.

For example, when my squadron deploys, those who don't fly the F-15s will go on the transport. Some people will be part of "Chalk 1" leaving at a particular time, and still others will be part of "Chalk 2" leaving at a different time, depending on when the deployment plan wants certain specialties in place at the deployed location. The type or ID of the aircraft is not relevant to the chalk number, and in fact a chalk might move via a train or boat.

So, I'm hypothesizing that this aircraft was simply the one that moved the troopers assigned to Chalk 76. The scanned manifest seems to support this.

AFAIK the 'Chalk' numbers used in operation Market Garden were numbers which were chalked onto the side of the transports to identify them for the troopers. This can be seen in the image below where the number 89 is chalked next to the door. (image from website linked to above).

[retroaviation]

Guys, this is abso-freakin'-loutly-awesome! Y'all rock!

I very much appreciate all of the information. I'd love to get a paper copy of that manifest for the airplane, but just having the history here that you all have supplied is amazing. Thank you!

So, now to expose more of my ignorance, what was the primary objective of Operation Market/Garden? Where was it at exactly, and so on?

Thanks again,
Gary

[Swiss Mustangs]

some reading here, Gary - it pretty much sums it up:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Market_Garden

Martin

[TAdan]

Wow Sounds like you hit the jackpot! It is not just another pretty DC-3, it is an authentic C-47 Veteren!

Nice save from the scrapper

I cant imagine how much fun it must be to look out your window and see the Cat and the C-47 nose out there

[Former Member]

Congrats Gary...looks like you hit the jackpot!! Not only is it wartime aircraft but also a veteran of the Invasion of Holland!!

Looks like you got your money's worth which should help curb any "buyer's remorse" you might've been feeling on that long road trip back to Midland.

John

[Swiss Mustangs]

this ship also took part on D-Day....

see ship #40 bottom right

http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus ... p?page=s26

Martin

[Ztex]

Hey Gary... find you a copy of the movie "A Bridge Too Far"
From what I hear it's a pretty good history of Market Garden....of course you'll need a few hours of "free time" to watch it...
Z

[Former Member]

Hey Gary... find you a copy of the movie "A Bridge Too Far"
From what I hear it's a pretty good history of Market Garden....of course you'll need a few hours of "free time" to watch it...
Z

Another good one is to watch the mini-series "Band Of Brothers" which covers the D-Day parachute drop as well as Operation Market Garden. Awesome special affects!!!

John

[Archer]

this ship also took part on D-Day....

see ship #40 bottom right

http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus ... p?page=s26

Martin

Hmm, that's interesting. The pilot's name on that diagram is given as 'Maynard' which seems to be a last name when compared to the others. On the loading manifest for op. Market Garden the pilot is 'Buckley, Maynard A.'. Could this be the same person, with a mixup in his first/last name?