9th Army Airforce

9th Troop Carrier Command

Troop Carrier Command played a major role during the operation. Together with the RAF it dropped the paratroopers over the assigned targets, towed the gliders and flew through heavy flak to drop supplies for the airborne soldiers.

At Arnhem much of the supplies that where dropped got lost since the dropzones had been overrun on the third day of the operation and due to communication problems the British airborne troops hadn't been able to notify England of this fact.

The two American airborne divisions where also very much depending on the supplies that where brought by the troop carrier aircrafts and the gliders. Due to shortage in aircrafs and gliders the American divisions clouldn't bring much artillery and anti tank guns in the first lift so it was not only waiting for the British second army but also for the second and third lift in the following two days.

In order to give you an overview of the involvement of the 9th Troop Carrier Command during the war you will find the Troop Carrier Groups below that took part in operation Market Garden.

We are still working of a short history for every group from the moment of it's activation up to the Market Garden operation.

50th Troop Carrier Wing

439th Troop Carrier Group
    91st Squadron
    92nd Squadron
    93rd Squadron
    94th Squadron

440th Troop Carrier Group
    95th Squadron
    96th Squadron
    97th Squadron
    98th Squadron

441st Troop Carrier Group
   99th Squadron
   100th Squadron | Clifford D. Kantz, pilot (D-day mission) | His war memories
   301st Squadron
   302nd Squadron

442nd Troop Carrier Group
    303rd Squadron | Terrell Noffsinger, co-pilot (D-day mission)
    304th Squadron
    305th Squadron
    306th Squadron

    Attached unit: 1061st Signal Company

52nd Troop Carrier Wing

61st Troop Carrier Group
   14th Squadron
   15th Squadron
   53rd Squadron | Donald W Cox 61st TCG, 53rd TCS ; Market Garden
   59th Squadron | Sgt.James G. Pope Jr.

313rd Troop Carrier Group
    29nd Squadron
    47th Squadron
    48th Squadron
    49th Squadron

314th Troop Carrier Group
   32rd Squadron
   50th Squadron
   61st Squadron
   62nd Squadron

315th Troop Carrier Group
    309th Squadron | Eldon Sellers, pilot; Market Garden | Second Market Garden mission
   310th Squadron
   34th Squadron | T. Sgt. Buford Appleby
   43rd Squadron

316th Troop Carrier Group
    36th Squadron
    37th Squadron
    44th Squadron
    45th Squadron

53rd Troop Carrier Wing

434th Troop Carrier Group
    71st Squadron Marvin Litke, pilot (D-day mission)

    72nd Squadron | The Market Garden experiences of Art Hopper
    73rd Squadron
    74th Squadron

435th Troop Carrier Group
   75th Squadron
   76th Squadron
   77th Squadron
   78th Squadron

436th Troop Carrier Group
   79th Squadron
   80th Squadron
   81st Squadron
   82nd Squadron

437th Troop Carrier Group
   83rd Squadron
   84th Squadron
    85th Squadron | Don Bolce, Radio operator
   86th Squadron

438th Troop Carrier Group
   87th Squadron | Martin George Meier, Gliderpilot
   88th Squadron
   89th Squadron
   90th Squadron

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IX Troop Carrier Command

Lt. John "Jack" Dorr

Gliderpilot standing next to his glider, "the flying coffin" on september 19, 1944. Prior to the landing in Holland.
Picture courtesy, Gary Beesley, his grandson.
Click on the picture to enlarge

c47s towing gliders

Fc47s from the 99th Squadron towing Waco gliders towards Holland.

Picture courtesy Lindsey Lewis

59th Squadron

The men of the 61st TCG pose in front of the X5, the aircraft that was commanded by LtCol. Marcus O. Owens Jr.
Picture courtesy, Bernie Semler, his farther is one of the mecanics in the picture, backrow, fifth from the left.
Click on the picture to enlarge