C-47 BRASS HAT--A Tale of a Tail
Wed Jun 22, 2011 10:20 am
Following the recent discussion regarding C-47 markings I received several PMs questioning my comment regarding the C-47 named BRASS HAT which is displayed outside of the Don F. Pratt Museum at Ft. Campbell, KY.
I have been in communication with the Museum staff for years and they are well aware of the historical gaff—so this is no expose’--But perhaps an example of how compound historical errors are created even in the world of airplanes and Museums.
As a display, what you have down there is an olive drab C-47 with nose art, Invasion stripes, a tail number and a bronze dedication plaque under the nose of the plane.
The bronze plaque proclaims the displayed plane to be that which carried General Maxwell D. Taylor of the 101st Airborne Division into Normandy on D-Day.
1: The hardware behind the bronze plaque, while a Douglas-built aircraft of the DC-3 family, is actually a Navy R4D, drawn from military surplus storage inventory for the purpose of having a representative “C-47” for display.
2: General Taylor was flown into Normandy on D-Day by Col. Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG. Col. MacNees was flying a/c 42-92716, a C-47A specially equipped with SCR-717C radar. (Characterized by the large radar pod underside, aft of the trailing edge of the wing.)
“716” did not have a nickname and did not carry nose art.
The tail number on the displayed plane is 348910, designating the a/c as 43-48910—a C-47B—not delivered to the USAAF until 30SEP44 and not deployed overseas until 22OCT44. Therefore the displayed plane with reference tail number can not be Taylor’s Normandy plane.
3: 42-92716—Taylor’s Normandy plane-- was from the 77th TCS which would carry nose code IB. The displayed plane carries nose code CK which was not adopted in the 435th until SEP44.
Fact: General Taylor was flown to Normandy aboard C47A 42-92716 of 77TCS/435TCG with nose code IB, piloted by Col Frank MacNees.
4: General Taylor was flown into Holland during Operation Market-Garden in an a/c again piloted by Col Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG.
Col. MacNees’ a/c for Holland was 43-15196. Nose code was CK. Col. MacNees’ new aircraft was nicknamed BRASS HAT with suitable nose art. As was standard, the D-Day “invasion stripes” across the top of the fuselage and upper wing surfaces had been painted out leaving the old D-Day striping on the underside of the fuselage and wings only. “196” was not a radar-equipped plane.
The displayed aircraft carries the Holland period nose code CK and nose art for the plane flown by MacNees into Holland. The displayed plane carries D-Day striping completely around fuselage and wings. Tail code is 348910 which was not delivered to 9th AF inventory until October 1944—a month after Market-Garden.
5: General Taylor made only two parachute jumps as Commander of the 101st Airborne: Normandy and Holland. In both cases he was flown to his DZ in an aircraft piloted by Col. Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG.
The Normandy plane did not have a nickname or nose art, was coded IB and tail number 292716.
The Holland plane was named BRASS HAT, code CK, and tail number 315196.
General Taylor did not make any other combat jumps in Europe during WW2.
6: As the war progressed, Col MacNees of the 435th TCG drew another new C-47, and named it “BRASS HAT II”. This was a C-47B with s/n 43-48910. Tail number 348910.
With the above information we can take a comprehensive and critical look at the display aircraft at Ft. Campbell.
The bronze plaque declares it to be Taylor’s Normandy plane.
Due to the nose code: Holland; nose art: Holland; and tail number: post-OCT44 it can not be historically representative of Taylor’s Normandy plane.
With the tail number being post-Market-Garden, and carrying D-Day stripes, the plane can not accurately be representative of Taylor’s Holland plane with the exception of the nose art.
Taylor never flew in 348910—the tail number of the displayed plane named BRASS HAT-- because that tail number is for BRASS HAT II.
Summary:
The tail number does not match the nose art.
The invasion stripes do not match the tail number or nose art.
The tail number, nose art and nose code do not match any plane of the 77th TCS that could have carried Taylor to Normandy.
The three-aircraft history represented on the single fuselage more accurately represents the wartime career of Col. Frank MacNees, the pilot, than General Taylor, the commander of the 101st Airborne.
Taylor’s Normandy plane 42-92716 was written off after a landing accident in Paris, France, on 17May45 while flying with 90TCS/438TCG.
Taylor’s Holland plane 43-15196--BRASS HAT—was sold into the civilian market and last registered to Baja Air (XA-HOE) flying junkets from southern CA to Mexico. Photographed in Baja Air livery OCT 1985. Current fate unknown. Anybody south of the border able to track c/n 19662 (XA-HOE) in Mexican aviation records after 1985?
MacNees’ last plane 43-48910--BRASS HAT II—returned to the US after the war and served in Troop Carrier Command. It crashed into a mountain in Saluda, NC, 7FEB48.
The Ft. Campbell C-47 is an historical hybrid.
I am assured that when the new Wings of Liberty Museum is completed the C-47 on display will have historically accurate markings.
I have been in communication with the Museum staff for years and they are well aware of the historical gaff—so this is no expose’--But perhaps an example of how compound historical errors are created even in the world of airplanes and Museums.
As a display, what you have down there is an olive drab C-47 with nose art, Invasion stripes, a tail number and a bronze dedication plaque under the nose of the plane.
The bronze plaque proclaims the displayed plane to be that which carried General Maxwell D. Taylor of the 101st Airborne Division into Normandy on D-Day.
1: The hardware behind the bronze plaque, while a Douglas-built aircraft of the DC-3 family, is actually a Navy R4D, drawn from military surplus storage inventory for the purpose of having a representative “C-47” for display.
2: General Taylor was flown into Normandy on D-Day by Col. Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG. Col. MacNees was flying a/c 42-92716, a C-47A specially equipped with SCR-717C radar. (Characterized by the large radar pod underside, aft of the trailing edge of the wing.)
“716” did not have a nickname and did not carry nose art.
The tail number on the displayed plane is 348910, designating the a/c as 43-48910—a C-47B—not delivered to the USAAF until 30SEP44 and not deployed overseas until 22OCT44. Therefore the displayed plane with reference tail number can not be Taylor’s Normandy plane.
3: 42-92716—Taylor’s Normandy plane-- was from the 77th TCS which would carry nose code IB. The displayed plane carries nose code CK which was not adopted in the 435th until SEP44.
Fact: General Taylor was flown to Normandy aboard C47A 42-92716 of 77TCS/435TCG with nose code IB, piloted by Col Frank MacNees.
4: General Taylor was flown into Holland during Operation Market-Garden in an a/c again piloted by Col Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG.
Col. MacNees’ a/c for Holland was 43-15196. Nose code was CK. Col. MacNees’ new aircraft was nicknamed BRASS HAT with suitable nose art. As was standard, the D-Day “invasion stripes” across the top of the fuselage and upper wing surfaces had been painted out leaving the old D-Day striping on the underside of the fuselage and wings only. “196” was not a radar-equipped plane.
The displayed aircraft carries the Holland period nose code CK and nose art for the plane flown by MacNees into Holland. The displayed plane carries D-Day striping completely around fuselage and wings. Tail code is 348910 which was not delivered to 9th AF inventory until October 1944—a month after Market-Garden.
5: General Taylor made only two parachute jumps as Commander of the 101st Airborne: Normandy and Holland. In both cases he was flown to his DZ in an aircraft piloted by Col. Frank MacNees of the 435th TCG.
The Normandy plane did not have a nickname or nose art, was coded IB and tail number 292716.
The Holland plane was named BRASS HAT, code CK, and tail number 315196.
General Taylor did not make any other combat jumps in Europe during WW2.
6: As the war progressed, Col MacNees of the 435th TCG drew another new C-47, and named it “BRASS HAT II”. This was a C-47B with s/n 43-48910. Tail number 348910.
With the above information we can take a comprehensive and critical look at the display aircraft at Ft. Campbell.
The bronze plaque declares it to be Taylor’s Normandy plane.
Due to the nose code: Holland; nose art: Holland; and tail number: post-OCT44 it can not be historically representative of Taylor’s Normandy plane.
With the tail number being post-Market-Garden, and carrying D-Day stripes, the plane can not accurately be representative of Taylor’s Holland plane with the exception of the nose art.
Taylor never flew in 348910—the tail number of the displayed plane named BRASS HAT-- because that tail number is for BRASS HAT II.
Summary:
The tail number does not match the nose art.
The invasion stripes do not match the tail number or nose art.
The tail number, nose art and nose code do not match any plane of the 77th TCS that could have carried Taylor to Normandy.
The three-aircraft history represented on the single fuselage more accurately represents the wartime career of Col. Frank MacNees, the pilot, than General Taylor, the commander of the 101st Airborne.
Taylor’s Normandy plane 42-92716 was written off after a landing accident in Paris, France, on 17May45 while flying with 90TCS/438TCG.
Taylor’s Holland plane 43-15196--BRASS HAT—was sold into the civilian market and last registered to Baja Air (XA-HOE) flying junkets from southern CA to Mexico. Photographed in Baja Air livery OCT 1985. Current fate unknown. Anybody south of the border able to track c/n 19662 (XA-HOE) in Mexican aviation records after 1985?
MacNees’ last plane 43-48910--BRASS HAT II—returned to the US after the war and served in Troop Carrier Command. It crashed into a mountain in Saluda, NC, 7FEB48.
The Ft. Campbell C-47 is an historical hybrid.
I am assured that when the new Wings of Liberty Museum is completed the C-47 on display will have historically accurate markings.