52nd Troop Carrier Wing

May 1942 to August 1946

United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Daniel Field, GA (1942), Bowman Field, KY (1942), Pope Field, NC (1942-1943), Oujda Airfield, French Morocco (1943), Kairouan Airfield, Tunisia (1943), Agrigento Airfield, Sicily (1943-1944), RAF Cottesmore (AAF-489), England (1944-1945), Amiens Glisy Airfield (B-48), France (1945), Baer Field, IN (1945), Kellogg Field, MI (1945), Sedalia AAF, MO (1945-1946), Bergstrom Field, TX (1946)

FORMER NAME: Nil

SUBSEQUENT NAME: 52^nd Fighter Wing (when reconstituted in August 1946)

Commandos operated, group, squadron or station unknown:

Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando: 44-77473, 44-77533 (probable), 44-77540 (probable), 44-77566 (probable), 44-77571 (probable), 44-77577 (probable), 44-77586 (probable), 44-77599 (probable), 44-77600 (probable), 44-77601 (probable), 44-77608 (probable), 44-77609 (probable), 44-77610 (probable), 44-77611 (probable), 44-77613 (probable), 44-77617 (probable), 44-77627 (probable), 44-77639 (probable), 44-77643 (probable), 44-77644 (probable), 44-77646 (probable), 44-77647 (probable), 44-77649 (probable), 44-77651 (probable), 44-77652 (probable), 44-77655 (probable), 44-77657 (probable), 44-77658 (probable), 44-77659 (probable), 44-77660 (probable), 44-77663 (probable), 44-77664 (probable), 44-77665 (probable), 44-77666 (probable), 44-77667 (probable), 44-77669 (probable), , 44-77670 (probable), 44-77671 (probable), 44-77673 (probable), 44-77675 (probable), 44-77676 (probable), 44-77677 (probable)

The 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing was an airlift unit constituted on 30 May 1942 and activated on 15 June 1942. It acted as a training organization for I Troop Carrier Command between 1942 and 1943, training various troop carrier units in the USA prior to overseas deployment. The wing deployed to North Africa in 1943 as part of the 12^th Air Force, engaging in combat operations in the North African and Tunisian Campaigns. The wing's five groups also carried US Army paratroopers and towed gliders during Operation Husky in July 1943, and supported allied operations in the subsequent Italian Campaign.

The wing was reassigned to the 9^th Air Force and moved to England in February 1944, preparing for the invasion of continental Europe. It trained at airdropping paratroopers and towing gliders. The wing subsequently took part in Operation Overlord in June 1944 and Operation Market Garden in September 1944. Some of its groups also participated in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944. The 52^nd then supported the 101^st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies to Bastogne on 27 December 1944. Finally, it participated in Operation Varsity, the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 and later flew numerous aerial resupply and casualty evacuation flights of wounded personnel as well as theater troop transport operations. After VE Day, it returned to the USA until inactivation in 1946.

The 52^nd Troop Carrier Wing was composed of several units that operated Commandos: