Dirty Birds ...

[Mark Allen M]

Below: Douglas C-47A-90-DL Skytrain 43-16123 (MSN 20589) to USAAF 24Jun44? 9th AF OR US US? 31Jul44? no card. USAF Converted to EC-47N from RC-47N May 31, 1967. To MAP Feb 17, 1973.
Parachute training, A.C. Lawson Field, Ft. Benning, Ga. August 1946. 75th Troop Carrier Squadron.



Below: Douglas C-47A-90-DL Skytrain 43-16074 16074 (MSN 20540) to USAAF 14Jun44? TCC? 17Jun44? no card. USAF
Lawson Field, Fort Benning, Georgia, August 1946. 75th Troop Carrier Squadron.

[Mark Allen M]

[Mark Allen M]

These two are interesting due to the door configurations. I believe these two were ex-civilian airliners. Lawson Field at Fort Benning, GA.

[JohnB]

In the first photo, note the early appearance of Buzz numbers.

In the bottom photo, yes both are airliners. The DC-3 on the left does not seem to have a USAF serial, so it might have been a leased/contract airliner.
The one on the right does seem to have a serial, but notice the small Windows in the upper fuselage. Likely a former Sleeper.

[Mark Allen M]

Douglas C-47B-25-DK Skytrain 44-76458 (MSN 16042/32790) to USAAF Mar 8, 1945, to US Navy as R4D-6-25-DK BuNo 50839 Mar 1945.


Douglas C-47B-1-DL Skytrain 43-16333 (MSN 20799) to USAAF 27Jul44. 5th AF 374th TCG 6th TCS as W521 01Oct44. 43-16333 W521 was struck by propellers of 42-24406 while flying in formation near Wakde 08 Jan 45 both landed there 43-16333 had been almost cut in half and was salvaged, propellers of 42-24406 were replaced Tacloban Sep46. WFS 01 Feb 47.

[Mark Allen M]

C-47's from the 436th Troop Carrier Group (mostly 80th Troop Carrier Squadron) preparing for a double glider tow at Membury airfield.


I don't believe this group of C-47's are the same as the group above.

[Ken]

From 93-02, my C-130 unit made countless trips to Lawson AAF at Ft Benning to support the jump school. The sheds where the students geared up and waited were supposedly from the 40s - and looked like it. Eventually, newer buildings appeared. Love the first color image, and the saying comes to mind that “some things never change”; it all feels so familiar.

I had several buddies in ROTC who applied, and did, attend jump school; their stores were many and gave good insight into the other side of the coin. We always joked that they “paid us more to remain in the airplane than they were paid to jump out of it”. Much respect for the Airborne.

Ken