Le 26 novembre 1944, 4 C 47 de retour de France en direction de l’Angleterre se crachaient sur la colline de Leith Hill. 13 hommes perdaient la vie du 436 Th troop carrier group. Voilà leur histoire.
A travers les années, il reste le sac du Lt Thomas Link pour se souvenir d’un homme dont la mort fut tragique.
On 26 November 1944 he was on the crew of the C-47A #43-47975 when they departed in a formation of four from Villeneuve-Advanced Landing Ground in France for Chalgrove Airport in the United Kingdom. Low clouds forced the formation to descend after crossing the English coast.
Three of the aircraft were so low that they impacted on Leith Hill. Some of the men from each of the C-47s were killed. In addition to the C-47 43-47975 the aircraft (42-93754) and (42-92837) were involved in this incident.
436 Th Troop carrier Group – 80th Squadron – The squadron participated in the D-Day operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division paratroops near Sainte-Mère-Église on the Cotentin Peninsula in pre-dawn hours and towing gliders with 82nd Airborne Division paratroops at dusk to drop zones just inland from Utah Beach, then carried out re-supply drops and glider delivery missions the following day. The squadron’s aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England.
From 20 July until 23 August, a detachment from the squadron operated from Voltone Airfield in Italy in support of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, releasing gliders carrying 82nd Airborne Division paratroops in the assault area on 15 August. It flew several resupply missions to France and then dropped supplies to Allied forces in Italy. The detachment then returned to Membury airbase in England.
In late September the squadron carried out airborne operations over the Netherlands, dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division and releasing gliders with reinforcements of troops and equipment in missions during Operation Market Garden. In late December, the squadron flew sorties during Operation Repulse, the resupply of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.
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Histoire d’un sac, une fin tragique : Thomas R Link
Le 26 novembre 1944, 4 C 47 de retour de France en direction de l’Angleterre se crachaient sur la colline de Leith Hill. 13 hommes perdaient la vie du 436 Th troop carrier group. Voilà leur histoire.
A travers les années, il reste le sac du Lt Thomas Link pour se souvenir d’un homme dont la mort fut tragique.
On 26 November 1944 he was on the crew of the C-47A #43-47975 when they departed in a formation of four from Villeneuve-Advanced Landing Ground in France for Chalgrove Airport in the United Kingdom. Low clouds forced the formation to descend after crossing the English coast.
Three of the aircraft were so low that they impacted on Leith Hill. Some of the men from each of the C-47s were killed. In addition to the C-47 43-47975 the aircraft (42-93754) and (42-92837) were involved in this incident.
436 Th Troop carrier Group – 80th Squadron – The squadron participated in the D-Day operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division paratroops near Sainte-Mère-Église on the Cotentin Peninsula in pre-dawn hours and towing gliders with 82nd Airborne Division paratroops at dusk to drop zones just inland from Utah Beach, then carried out re-supply drops and glider delivery missions the following day. The squadron’s aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England.
From 20 July until 23 August, a detachment from the squadron operated from Voltone Airfield in Italy in support of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France, releasing gliders carrying 82nd Airborne Division paratroops in the assault area on 15 August. It flew several resupply missions to France and then dropped supplies to Allied forces in Italy. The detachment then returned to Membury airbase in England.
In late September the squadron carried out airborne operations over the Netherlands, dropping paratroops of the 101st Airborne Division and releasing gliders with reinforcements of troops and equipment in missions during Operation Market Garden. In late December, the squadron flew sorties during Operation Repulse, the resupply of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge.