| 47th Liaison Squadron | |
|---|---|
 L-5 Sentinel as flown by the squadron | |
| Active | 1943–1948 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Courier |
| Engagements | European Theater of Operations |
| Insignia | |
| 47th Liaison Squadron emblem(approved 19 January 1944)[1] |  |
The47th Liaison Squadron is an inactiveUnited States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was withTactical Air Command atLangley Air Force Base, Virginia, where it was inactivated on 25 August 1948. Thesquadron was activated in July 1943. It trained in the United States until the spring of 1944, then deployed to theEuropean Theater of Operations. It served as a courier and communication unit for various headquarters. AfterV-E Day, it remained in Germany as part of theoccupation force until 1947, when it returned to the United States as a paper unit. It remained in that status until inactivating.
The47th Liaison Squadron was activated atGainesville Army Air Field, Texas on 1 July 1943 as one of the foursquadrons of the426th Reconnaissance Group. The following month the squadron was reassigned toII Air Support Command, as the 426th Group was inactivated without fully equipping or being brought up to strength.[2] The squadron was equipped with a variety of light aircraft, primarilyStinson L-5 Sentinels andPiper L-4 Grasshoppers, but it also flew a fewStinson L-1 Vigilants andTaylorcraft L-2 Grasshoppers. The 47th trained at bases in Texas and Louisiana until late March 1944, when it departed for theEuropean Theater of Operations.[1] Squadron training was informal and extended due to the absence of a formal training program until January 1944, and the absence of a definition of the squadron's mission. Because the squadron was nearing its overseas deployment, it received little benefit from the formal training program.[3]
After its arrival atCheltenham, England in early April 1944, the squadron moved toRAF Heston, west of London. From late May, six aircraft were detached toOatlands Hill, nearStonehenge in Wiltshire.[4] The squadron provided courier service for Headquarters Command, European Theater of Operations,U.S. Army until afterD-Day, primarily with L-5 Sentinels.[1] Other squadron missions included transport of personnel,aeromedical evacuation, visual reconnaissance, providing commanders with information to control advancing columns and checking passive air defense measures.[3] In late July, one flight moved to the European continent, flying fromColombieres Airfield, France to supportFirst Army Group. The squadron followed in August, when it moved toSaint-Sauveur-Lendelin. For the remainder of the war, it was attached toTwelfth Army Group.[1]
Just beforeV-E Day, the squadron moved toWiesbaden Air Base, Germany where it became part of theoccupation forces. After August 1945, it was attached to attached to Headquarters Command, European Command and supported that headquarters until May 1947.[1]
The squadron became non-operational and was moved toLangley Field, Virginia in June 1947. The squadron was not manned or equipped at Langley, and was finally inactivated on 25 August 1948.[1]
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|
| Campaign Streamer | Campaign | Dates | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Northern France | 25 July 1944–14 September 1944 | [1] |
| Rhineland | 15 September 1944–21 March 1945 | [1] |
| Ardennes-Alsace | 16 December 1944–25 January 1945 | [1] |
| Central Europe | 22 March 1944–21 May 1945 | [1] |
 | World War II Army of Occupation (Germany) | 9 May 1945–25 June 1947 | [1] |
This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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