The Curtiss Commando Page
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433rd Troop Carrier Group

Usa before 1960  January 1943 to January 1946

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Florence AAF, SC (1943), Sedalia AAF, MO (1943), Laurinburg-Maxton AAB, NC (1943), Baer Field, IN (1943), Port Moresby, New Guinea (1943), Nadzab, New Guinea (1943-1944), Mokmer Field, Biak, Dutch East Indies (1944-1945), Tanauan Field, Philippines (1945), Clark Field, Philippines (1945), Tachikawa AB, Japan (1945-1946)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: 433rd Troop Carrier Group, Medium (reactivated July 1947, redesignated June 1949)

Commandos operated, squadron unknown:

The 433rd Troop Carrier Group was established on 22 January 1943 and activated on 9 February 1943. It started off with a complement of C-47 Skytrains under the auspices of I Troop Carrier Command. It trained to tow gliders and to transport and drop supplies and paratroops between February and July 1943 at various US bases. It then deployed to the Southwest Pacific as part of the 5th Air Force, 54th Troop Carrier Wing, ferrying its aircraft via Hawaii, the Fiji Islands and Australia to New Guinea between August and September 1943. The ground echelon sailed from the West Coast on 25 September 1943, arriving at Brisbane, Australia on 10 October 1943. By early November 1943, the two echelons had rejoined at Nadzab, New Guinea.

The Group transported troops and carried cargo such as gasoline, ammunition, medicine, food, equipment, and construction materials. It also evacuated wounded personnel. The group moved forward progressively, to Biak Island from October 1944, and to Leyte Island in the Philippines in January 1945. Operations in the Philippines included delivering ammunition, food, and other items to Filipino guerrilla forces, evacuating former allied prisoners of war and civilian internees, transporting combat units from New Guinea, the Dutch East Indies, and the Solomon Islands. A single combat glider tow mission was flown on 23 June 1945 to Aparri on Luzon Island, Philippines. The 433rd finished the war transporting troops to Okinawa between June and August 1945, and occupation forces to Japan after V-J Day.

From November 1943 to February 1945, the 433rd TCG was assigned six troop carrier squadrons, rather than the more normal four. It later lost operational control over two squadrons, between July and November 1944: