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By: - 13th September 2011 at 19:52 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Any idea where your friend's father served? I far as i recall that the first use of the C-46 in Europe was for the drop in support of the crossing of the Rhile in early '45.
I tried to make out the serial but any of the combinations i tried didnt seem to be right.:o
By: - 13th September 2011 at 20:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
477642 would make it 44-77642, A C-46D-CU with s/n 33038. That's all I can tell you I'm afraid.
By: - 13th September 2011 at 20:23 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Those ramps by the cargo door say "loading / unloading" vehicles.
By: - 13th September 2011 at 20:32 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
477642 would make it 44-77642, A C-46D-CU with s/n 33038. That's all I can tell you I'm afraid.
Tells me i should have gone to specsavers !:o
By: - 13th September 2011 at 23:17 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Those ramps by the cargo door say "loading / unloading" vehicles.
As does the tail of a jeep sticking out of the cargo door.
By: - 13th September 2011 at 23:35 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
C-46D 44-77530 9th AF 1945 with parapacks on a resupply mission over the Ardennes in 1945. This a/c crashed 1 April 1945.
By: - 14th September 2011 at 00:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Any idea where your friend's father served? I far as i recall that the first use of the C-46 in Europe was for the drop in support of the crossing of the Rhile in early '45.I tried to make out the serial but any of the combinations i tried didnt seem to be right.:o
I think BOAC used one earlier than that on the Leuchars - Stockholm run.
By: - 14th September 2011 at 01:05 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
BOAC purchased the prototype CW-20 and did use it for a while on the Stockholm run....it had less powerful Wright R-2600 engines whereas the production C-46 had P&W R-2800
By: - 14th September 2011 at 07:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
To me it looks more like 44-77842, msn 33238, bt 12/02/45 at Buffalo
Martin
By: - 14th September 2011 at 08:57 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I think it's '842 as well. Both '642 and '842 went to the 8th AF but this was a paper exercise only, as they were immediately passed to 9th AF. Both survived the war and, according to the A-B Commando book, were scrapped at Walnut Ridge, Arkansas.
By: - 14th September 2011 at 10:10 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
The second letter of the nose code looks like a Y. The 313th TCG converted to C-46s early in 1945 and in March a new group, the 349th, arrived and became operational with the C-46. This narrows it down a bit but I don't know all the code letters for their squadrons.
By: - 14th September 2011 at 11:22 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
This C46 Commando belonged to the 314th Troop Carrier Squadron, squadron code LY 349th Troop Carrier Group. If your friend's father was in British special forces this picture may have been taken around the end of the war when the 313thTCG and the 349thTCG were both used to flying the Paras to Norway or Denmark to liberate the countries after the Germans had unconditionally surrendered, this operation was known as Operation Doomsday. These missions were flown from RAF Barkston Heath.
If anybody else has anymore information about the use of the C46 Commando in Europe during WW2 i would like to hear from them as I have been researching there use by these to groups for some years. I have through various sources of the years managed to find about 95% of all serial numbers and squadron allocations for the 313thTCG but the 349thTCG remains a bit of a mystery as I have only managed to find the serial numbers assigned to the 312thTCS.
By: - 14th September 2011 at 11:33 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
44-77642 is one of the C46 serial numbers that I am still trying to find out which squadron and group it was assigned to. From my research i know that the 313thTCG, 314thTCG , 316thTCG, 349thTCG, 439thTCG and the 440thTCG all operated C46s in the ETO during and just after WW2
By: - 18th September 2011 at 22:02 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Many thanks for all the replies and the information therein.
Nightrider have replied to your pm.
Will pass on the info to my friend and am reasonably confident he will let me scan the other two photos he has (not so much aeroplane though) and I'll write down what he tells me next time! - could take some time so please be patient.
Roger Smith.
By: - 19th September 2011 at 11:24 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Quite liked the picture of C46 under the Eiffel Tower-not presently to hand.
By: - 19th September 2011 at 13:19 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Eiffel Static Display
Google is our friend! (...planes Eiffel....)http://www.warbirdinformationexchange.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=34271
2 views of the C-46....wot no C-47?
also
http://www.skylighters.org/history/exhibit/index.html
http://www.al4lions.com/Home/the-earl--bud--hoffman-story
By: - 21st September 2011 at 01:00 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
I would like to know the serial number of the C46 displayed undernesth the Eiffel Tower if anyone knows it. The C46 was part of a USAAF display that was held between August and October 1945, I seem to recall that someone may have written an article about this display in one of the aviation magazines in the last few years but I cannot recall which one, maybe somebody else can?
By: - 8th December 2014 at 22:08 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Sorry to resurect this thread, my mother in law was recently having a clear out and found this photo:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/0gfqla40exwes1n/20141122_122138.jpg?dl=0
which looks strangely similar to the original picture at the start of the thread. It shows MiL's dad (Bill) and his friend, who were part of the 1st Airborne division and had been at Arnhem.
As its a C-46 I am guessing from the information above its during operation doomsday (apparently he always had a soft spot for the Norweigans afterwards) and if it is loading then at Barkston Heath?
Can anyone give any further information on this photo or on operation doomsday? It has really sparked my interest and made me do some reading about Arnhem - apparently he was due to go in with the first wave of troops but had to go to the dentist for a bad tooth so went the next day. I wonder if this saved him? He was a lance sargent 1st Forward (Airborne) Observation Unit, Royal Artillery.
By: - 8th December 2014 at 23:07 Permalink - Edited 1st January 1970 at 01:00
Wow - it looks like a match...
Posts: 2,895
By: RPSmith - 13th September 2011 at 18:32
A friend loaned me this photo (taken by his father) and has asked if I can find anyting out about it. I could tell him it is a C-46 and not a C-47 but not much more. his father was in the special forces.
Over to you.
Roger Smith.