Domestic Wing / Ferrying Division

  December 1941 to unknown date

  United States of America

TYPE: USAAF unit

IATA/ICAO CODES: Nil

HEADQUARTERS: Unknown

OTHER NAMES: Domestic Division (1941-1942), Domestic Wing (1942), Ferrying Division (from 1942)

The unit was initially established on 28 December 1941 as the Air Corps Ferry Command Domestic Division, redesignated Army Air Force Ferry Command Domestic Wing on 26 February 1942 and Air Transport Command Ferrying Division on 1 July 1942. Its mission remained to ferry military aircraft throughout the continental USA.

From 28 May 1942, the Domestic Division initially split the continental USA into six regions, served by ferrying groups numbered from 2^nd to 7^th:

• 2^nd Ferrying Group based at Logan Field, MD
  • 12^th Ferrying Squadron based at Logan Field, MD
  • 27^th Ferrying Squadron based at New Castle AAB, DE
  • 89^th Ferrying Squadron based at New Castle AAB, DE
• 3^rd Ferrying Group based at Romulus AAF, MI
  • 74^th Ferrying Squadron based at Romulus AAF, MI
• 4^th Ferrying Group based at Berry Field, TN
• 5^th Ferrying Group based at Hensley Field, TX
  • 2^nd Ferrying Squadron based at Fairfax Field, KS
• 6^th Ferrying Group based at Long Beach AAF, CA
• 7^th Ferrying Group based at Boeing Field, WA

Of these, the 3^rd Ferrying Group was the one responsible for delivering Commandos produced in Buffalo, NY and the 4^th Ferrying Group for those produced in Saint Louis, MO & Louisville, KY. The Ferry Division was reorganized on 22 October 1944 into three component ferrying wings (East, West, and Central). On 27 November 1944, it absorbed the Domestic Transportation Wing, thereby adding to its mission the transport of military passengers and cargo within the continental USA.

The wing / division was operated primarily by civilian contract pilots, including the Women Airforce Service Pilots (WASP). It moved aircraft and parts from manufacturing plants to and between various training bases within the USA and to ports of embarkation for overseas shipment (Hamilton Field, CA, Morrison Field, FL, Presque Isle AAF, ME, and Anchorage-Elmendorf Field, AK). From these ports of embarkation, aircraft were flown to final overseas destinations primarily by contracted civil airline pilots or former airline pilots serving in the USAAF.

1943 to 1945

• Curtiss C-46A-1-CU Commando: 41-5185, 41-5194
• Curtiss C-46A-10-CU Commando: 41-12355
• Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando: 41-12405, 41-12430
• Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando: 41-24683
• Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando: 41-24707
• Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando: 42-3669 (probable)
• Curtiss C-46A-40-CU Commando: 42-60967, 42-61074
• Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando: 42-96535, 42-96671, 42-96681, 42-96692, 42-96725
• Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando: 43-47170
• Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando: 44-77498, 44-77526, 44-77533