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| 51st Troop Carrier Squadron | |
|---|---|
 C-47 Skytrains andWaco CG-4 gliders | |
| Active | 1942-1946 |
| Country |  United States |
| Branch |  United States Air Force |
| Role | Airlift |
| Engagements | Mediterranean Theater of Operations |
| Insignia | |
| 51st Troop Carrier Squadron emblem(approved 20 April 1944)[1] |  |
The51st Troop Carrier Squadron is an inactiveUnited States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with the Naples Air Force General Depot atCiampino Airport, Italy, where it was inactivated on 9 March 1946. The squadron was activated in the spring of 1942 as the51st Transport Squadron, when the62d Transport Group expanded from three to foursquadrons. After training in the United States, the squadron moved briefly to England, then to theMediterranean Theater of Operations, where it served untilV-E Day. It remained in Italy after the war until inactivating.
Activated in June 1942 as aI Troop Carrier CommandDouglas C-47 Skytrain troop carrier squadron, trained in the United States until being deployed to England. Assigned toVIII Air Support Command,Eighth Air Force in October 1942.
Trained briefly in England until theOperation Torch landings in North Africa during November 1942. Was reassigned toTwelfth Air Force and moved toTafaraoui Airfield, Algeria on 15 November 1942. The squadron's aircraft flew supplies to front-line units in Algeria and Tunisia during theNorth African Campaign as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties back to rear area field hospitals.
Squadron engaged in combat operations, dropping airborne units into Sicily duringOperation Husky invasion and later into areas aroundAnzio, Italy as part ofOperation Shingle, the invasion of mainland Italy and the initiation of the Italian Campaign, January 1944. Moved north through Italy, 1944-1945 in support of Allied ground forces, evacuated wounded personnel and flew missions behind enemy lines in Italy and the Balkans to haul guns, ammunition, food, clothing, medical supplies, and other materials to the partisans and to drop propaganda leaflets.
Participated in the airborne assault of Southern France, August 1944, dropping airborne forces into the Rhone Valley. With the end of combat in May, 1945, aided in the redeployment of personnel after the war and also hauled freight and mail. Personnel demobilized in Italy on 14 November 1945 and placed in non-operational status, inactivated as an administrative unit in March 1946.
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This article incorporatespublic domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
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