The Curtiss Commando Page
The Curtiss Commando Page

Commando 42-101226

Aircraft Identification

VARIANT: Curtiss C-46D-5-CU Commando

USAAF SERIAL NUMBER (S/N): 42-101226

CURTISS CONSTRUCTION NUMBER (C/N): 30681

COMMANDO LINE NUMBER (L/N): CU1217

FATE: Unknown

Operational Record

  October 1944 to April 1946

  42-101226 - USAAF (USA)


18 October 1944

Delivered from the Curtiss-Wright factory in Buffalo, NY.

Assigned to the 4th Combat Cargo Group, 14th Combat Cargo Squadron based at Bowman Field, KY.

Mid-November 1944

Ferried from Morrison Field, FL to Sylhet, Bengal, India.

Crew:
1st Lt. Orval L. Rice, Pilot
2nd Lt. Kenneth C. Nagel, Copilot
Cpl. Elmer J. Book Jr., Crew Chief
Sgt. Frank S. Shuman Jr., Radio Operator

3 December 1944

Ferried through Karachi, Sindh, India.

Early December 1944

Arrived in Sylhet, Bengal, India with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported reinforcements and supplies for Allied forces in Burma.

December 1944

Transported material and equipment for the Ledo Road.

Early January 1945

Moved to Agartala, Tripura, India with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Late January 1945

Moved to Chittagong, Bengal, India with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.

February 1945

Transported men, mules, and boats to support the Allied crossing of the Irrawaddy River, Burma.

31 March 1945

Received major damage in Chittagong, Bengal, India in a taxi accident.

Pilot: Orval L. Rice

May 1945

Dropped Gurkha paratroops during the assault on Rangoon.

June 1945

Moved to Namponmao, Burma with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Transported ammunition, gasoline, mules, and men to China.

November 1945

Moved to RAF Ondal, Bengal, India with the 14th Combat Cargo Squadron.

Early 1946

Assigned to Chungking, Sichuan, China.

  April 1946 to unknown date

  42-101226 - ROCAF (REPUBLIC OF CHINA AIR FORCE) (CHINA)


15 April 1946

Purchased.

1948

Withdrawn from use.