403rd Troop Carrier Group

  December 1942 to October 1946

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Bowman Field, KY (1942), Alliance AAF, NE (1942-1943), Pope Field, NC (1943), Baer Field, IN (1943), Camp Stoneman, CA (1943), Pekoa Airfield, Espiritu Santo, New Hebrides (1943-1944), Momote Airfield, Admiralty Islands (1944), Mokmer Field, Biak, Netherlands East Indies (1944-1945), Leyte, Philippines (1945-1946), Clark Field, Luzon, Philippines (1946), Nichols Field, Luzon, Philippines (1946)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: 403^rd Troop Carrier Group, Medium (redesignated May 1949, reactivated June 1949)

Commandos operated, squadron unknown:

• Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando: 44-77750 (probable), 44-77751 (probable), 44-77755 (probable), 44-77756 (probable), 44-77757 (probable), 44-77759 (probable), 44-77760 (probable), 44-77763 (probable), 44-77764 (probable), 44-77765 (probable), 44-77768 (probable), 44-77769 (probable), 44-77771 (probable), 44-77773 (probable), 44-77777 (probable), 44-77778 (probable), 44-77779 (probable), 44-77783 (probable), 44-77786 (probable), 44-77788 (probable), 44-77789 (probable), 44-77790 (probable), 44-77791 (probable), 44-77792 (probable), 44-77793 (probable), 44-77794 (probable), 44-77795 (probable), 44-77796 (probable), 44-77797 (probable)

The 403^rd Troop Carrier Group was established on 7 December 1942 and activated five days later. It started off with a complement of C-47 Skytrains under the auspices of I Troop Carrier Command, training for overseas troop carrier operations at various US bases until the spring of 1943. It then deployed to the Southwest Pacific as part of the 13^th Air Force. By May 1943, the Group was based on Espiritu Santo. It transported men and supplies to forward areas in the Solomon Islands and flew passenger and cargo routes to New Zealand, Australia, Fiji, and New Caledonia. From August 1943 to July 1944, the 403^rd was attached to the South Pacific Combat Air Transport Command (SCAT), earning a Navy Unit Commendation. It supported campaigns in New Guinea and the Philippines by transporting men and cargo to combat areas, evacuating casualties, and landing or dropping supplies for guerrilla forces. On 23 February 1945, dropped paratroops at Laguna de Bay, Luzon, to free civilian internees held by the Japanese.

Commandos started flying alongside the C-47s from 1945. After the war ended, the Group remained in the Philippines, assigned to the 54^th Troop Carrier Wing starting January 1946. From there, it ferried occupation troops to Japan, evacuated liberated prisoners, and flew cargo and passenger routes to Japan and Australia. The Group was inactivated on 15 October 1946.

During that period, the 403^rd TCG was assigned eight troop carrier squadrons:

• 6^th Troop Carrier Squadron (May 1946 to October 1946)
• 9^th Troop Carrier Squadron (May 1946 to October 1946)
• 13^th Troop Carrier Squadron (August 1943 to October 1946)
• 19^th Troop Carrier Squadron (May 1946 to October 1946)
• 63^rd Troop Carrier Squadron (December 1942 to May 1946)
• 64^th Troop Carrier Squadron (December 1942 to May 1946)
• 65^th Troop Carrier Squadron (December 1942 to July 1943 & February 1945 to January 1946)
• 66^th Troop Carrier Squadron (December 1942 to July 1943 & February 1945 to January 1946)