The Brabant village Oisterwijk and Operation Market Garden

Dakota/Skytrain 43-15137

The pilot of the C47 that towed the Queen-City to the landing-zone was 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard. Lieutenant Maynard belonged to 306 TCS (Troop Carrier Squadron) of the 442nd TCG (Troop Carrier Group). According to the document pictured below Maynard already flew a mission on 17 September, the first day of Operation Market-Garden. for that mission he flew a C-47A with registration number 43-15137. Since lieutenant Maynard also piloted a C-47 on 18 September as a tug aircraft for the Queen-City, it is very well possible that he flew the same aircraft as on the 17th. This C-47 has a long history of service which dates up to decades after the war. After its retirement part of the aircraft was saved from the scrap yard and kept in private property. All that remained was the cockpit, which is nominated to be restored in the future.

 

                                     DOUGLAS C-47A "SKYTRAIN" CARGO AIRCRAFT

                                             A.A.F. SERIE NUMMER 43-15137

 

 

History of C-47A-80-DL, 43-15137:

 

Aircraft Number: 19603

Build under A.A.F. Contract Number: AC-32725

Contract Serial Number Range: 43-15033 to 43-16132

Gross weight 29,300 lbs. Wingspan  95', length 63' 9".

Engine type: (2) Pratt and Whitney R-1830-92. Max speed 220 MPH.

Total cost $101,644 per aircraft. (to include cost of aircraft, engines, propellers and radio’s)

Manufactorer: Douglas Aircraft, Long Beach California

Accepted: February 08, 1944

 

 

C-47A, 43-15137 was assigned to the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron (TCS) 442nd Troop Carrier Group (TCG) of the 50th Troop Carrier Wing (TCW) IX Troop Carrier Command, Royal Air Force (RAF) Station Fulbeck England (also known as USAAF station 488). The 442nd TCG comprised the 303rd TCS (Nose Code J7), 304th TCS (Nose Code V4),305th TCS (Nose Code 4J) and the 306th TCS (Nose Code 7H).

 

CHALK 40:

 

On June 6 1944 43-15137 was assigned the Airborne "Chalk" number 40. 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard (O-529480) with crew; Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. Elmer W. Ambler (O-816197), Navigator 2nd Lt. Donald J. Markey (O-697797), Flight Engineer S/Sgt. Francis A. Kline Jr (13145545) and Radio Operator Sgt. Vernon F. Coss (17098809) took off under Mission "Boston" Serial 26 for Operation Overlord - the invasion of Normandy France.

 

 

The 306th TCS (Nose Code 7H) comprised of 9 aircraft on 6 June 1944. The first "V" was formed by Chalk 37 which was piloted by Major Royal S. Thompson, Chalk 38 by 2nd Lt. Billy Imboden Jr. and Chalk 39 by 1st Lt. Cornell C. Houston.  second "V" formation was led by C-47A 43-15137. Her sister aircraft were Chalk 41 piloted by 2nd Lt. Douglas H. Lippe and Chalk 42 by 2nd Lt. Thomas H. Mills. The last "V" in the entire formation was led by Chalk 43 piloted by 1st Lt. James M. Myers, Chalk 44 by 1st Lt. Ardall C. Tiedeman and Chalk 45 by 2nd Lt. William J. McCormick Jr. Only the lead plane in each "V" had a Navigator on board.

 

The American plane loading manifest of C-47A 43-15137. Date 17 September 1944. Left picture shows the names of the pilots and crew.

The 306th TCS was responsible for carrying all of "B" Company, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment. The destination of 43-15137 (Chalk 40), as well as the other 44 aircraft for mission "Boston" was Drop Zone T, the Merderet Sector of the Cotentin Peninsula.  The objective was Amfreville. The responsibility for this objective was trusted to the members of the 82nd Airborne Division, 507th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR).Their order was to hold the La Fiere causeway in support of the 505th PIR (ordered to seize the town of Sainte-Mere-Eglise) and hold the defensive line between Gourbesville and Le-Hameau-Renouf.


At approximately 02.44 hrs on 6 June Chalk 40 dropped her paratroopers:


Position 1: 2nd Lt. James F. Clarke O-1294267 (KIA 13 June 1944)
Position 2: Sgt. George H. Ratliff 18108127
Position 3: PFC. William J. Siekierski 12073110
Position 4: PFC. Cecil W. Hindman 38232461
Position 5: PFC. Steven P. Paris 36728347
Position 6: PFC. Chris Courneotes 33549442
Position 7: Pvt. Audra Pritchard 20524699
Position 8: Pvt. Michael Tojchak 33077400
Position 9: Pvt. Ezio Fontanella 33264276
Position 10: Pvt. John R. Oxford 34687047
Position 11: Pvt. John M. Jefferson 32808293 (KIA 7 June 1944)
Position 12: Cpl. Robert B. Roussey 33315798
Position 13: T-5 Charles C. Peckham 32281987 (KIA 19 January 1945)
Position 14: PFC. Roy V. Moeller 18017873
Position 15: PFC. Paul L. Collins 14120167
Position 16: PFC. Roland H. Daniel 35622178
Position 17: Pvt. Reinhold W. Bonnell 36569887 (KIA 15 June 1944)
Position 18: Cpl. Edward J. Schwartz 36152479

 

 

CHALK 76:

On 17 September 1944 C-47 43-15137 was again assigned the role of dropping paratroopers but this time it was for Operation Market-Garden - the Allied invasion of Holland. 43-15137 was assigned the Chalk number 76. 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard was again the pilot of this aircraft, but with a different crew:  

Co-Pilot 2nd Lt. John A. Bolt,

Navigator 2nd Lt. Robert D. Marrington

Flight Engineer  TSgt. Francis A. Aline Jr.

Radio Operator Cpl. Joseph J. Calder.

 

For this mission C-47 43-15137 (Chalk 76) ferried members of "I" Company, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR), 101st Airborne Division from Chilbolton airfield to Drop-Zone B near Son, Holland. Unfortunately, the troops were mis dropped on Drop-Zone C that was designated to the 502nd PIR. Troops of the 502nd PIR were also mis dropped. They landed on dropped Drop-Zone B with in between Landing-Zone W for gliders.

 


Airborne troops onboard Chalk 76 where;

 

Position 1: 1st Lt. Fred Anderson Jr. O-1283357
Position 2: Pvt. Frederick Olszewski 32673022
Position 3: Pvt. David M. Dillon 35800403
Position 4: Pvt. Edmond T. Riley 38471475
Position 5: PFC. Carmel J. Curtis 34037831
Position 6: Cpl. Harry D. Watson 16110874
Position 7: Cpl. John H. Siesennop 16096286
Position 8: Pvt. George E. Albers 36859775
Position 9: Pvt. Victor J. Deluca 36177147 (KIA 18 September 1944)
Position 10: Pvt. Merrill A. Goldsmith 39714847
Position 11: Pvt. Martin J. Descant 38486267
Position 12: Pvt. Robert A. Cerio 39535536
Position 13: Pvt. Paul J. Jackson 38599152
Position 14: SSgt. Alexander W. Engelbrecht 12138873
Position 15: Sgt. Murton J. McCarty 17108479
Position 16: T/5 Lawrence F. Lane 19127572
Position 17: (No Rank Listed) Peter C. Pzaszynski 32071402

 

 

On 18 September 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard towed Waco glider Queen-City to Holland. They took of from Chilbolton airfield and most presumably the same crew was onboard C-47A, 43-15137.

A “V” formation of Skytrain aircraft on June 6 1944 for Operation Overlord, D-Day. To the right Chalk 40 with 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard as leader of his “V” formation. To the left chalk 44 piloted by 1st Lt. Ardall C. Tiedeman. Tiedeman was the officer that wrote an interrogation report on 19 September 1944 regarding the crash of the Queen-City (Document page 5, The crash of the Queen-City). Tiedeman was by then promoted to Captain.
Dakota/Skytrain43-15137
cockpit of C47A, 43-15137  
C-47 of 306 TCS nose code 7H.
Parts info courtesy of Questmaster, for more info:

http://www.questmasters.us/index.html