Warbird Information Exchange

Tomorrow is one of the important day's in our history that get's little recognition, or mention in these time's today, & we all have a lot to be thankful for the huge sacrifice that took place June 6th, 1944, the day's before, the many day's afterword.
I have not posted pics in awhile, but here are a few.
Thank God for this generation of men, that we will never see the likes of again!

All photos are from USFG


C-47s with CG-4 Waco Gliders just before D-Day, 1944, 316th Troop Carrier Group, 37th TCS.


A-20 from the 416th Bomb Group making a bomb run on D-Day, 6 June 1944.


Captain Elwood R. Quesada, assigned to intelligence in the Office of the Chief of Air Corps in October 1940, went on to become commanding general of the 9th Fighter Command where he established advanced Headquarters on the Normandy beachhead on D-Day plus one, and directed his planes in aerial cover and air support for the Allied invasion of the continent. -


P-47 fighter-bomber pilots at a rough airstrip near St. Mere Eglise on June 15, 1944. By the end of August, all 18 of the 9th Air Force’s fighter-bomber and four of its medium bomber groups were based on the continent. -

Well there was another pilot, one of the many that flew that day (the records don't reflect he flew more than one sortie)
Stauart Photo
1st LT Charles F Stuart
381st Fighter Squadron
363rd Fighter Group
B3-E "Stinky"
111 Combat Missions WWII

Thanks Dad!
Miss You A Lot!

Robbie

PS Dad Flew A Spit One Time, So Here Ya Go Pop!

_________________
Fly Fast Make Noise!

From my book;


The allied air forces flew a staggering fourteen thousand seven hundred sorties on Tuesday, June 6, 1944 in support of the Normandy invasion. This impressive number of air movements encompassed all categories of aircraft. In some cases, missions were flown upwards of one hundred miles away from the five American, British and Canadian beach-heads, code named Omaha, Utah, Gold, Sword and Juno. The German Luftwaffe, in the face of this overwhelming aerial onslaught, managed to fly only three hundred and nineteen sorties. Allied air losses on D-Day amounted to one hundred and thirty-two aircraft (fifty-five fighters, eleven medium bombers, forty-one troop carriers and twenty-five heavy bombers). German losses were pegged at twenty-two (eighteen fighters and four medium bombers).

Cheers,

Tom Walsh.

for historical accuracy of photos:
The CG-4A and C-47 image is a Market photo circa Sept 17, 1944 not June 6, 1944. Notice the C-47 fuselage far left under nose 21 shows previous Normandy D-Day full stripes that have upper stripes scrubbed off.

_________________
Charles Day,
Silent Ones WWII Invasion Glider Test & Experiment CCAAF Wilmington Ohio

One of the great honors of my life is being named an honorary "Pathfinder" by the veteran pilots and aircrew of the unit that led every airborne invasion of WW2, with whom I have been associated for nearly 40 years.

I used to get a dozen calls from them on this day...today I anticipate only one....

"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them"
=========================================================================

Note: The first photo above of 37/316 is not pre-Normandy...it is after August 44. Most likely preparing for Market-Garden (Sep44). Note the half stripe paint modification which is indicative of markings after Aug 44.

Let us never forget the sacrifices being made 71 years on the beaches of Normandy.

_________________
Ain't no sunshine when she's gone!

Tom, how many gliders were shot down? Or is that included in the troop transport category? John

I'll be remembering my uncle ...Robert Cote, a CG-4 pilot who landed in France on D-Day and later the invasion of Southern France and Operation Market Garden,.
He remained in the USAF post war and retired as a Chief.

Dutch researchers and the WWII Glider Pilots group who found me via this forum...many thanks for the detail of his wartime service.

_________________
Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.
Note political free signature.
I figure if you wanted my opinion on items unrelated to this forum, you'd ask for it.

Australian contribution on D-Day. Up to 11 RAAF Squadrons directly involved plus hundreds flying for the RAF in all roles...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian ... f_Normandy