[font "Times New Roman"]Looking to contact others who have info on the 438th TCG...[font "Verdana"] [font "Times New Roman"] [font "Times New Roman"]My step-grandpa, but the only grandfather I ever knew, was John M. Donalson. He was the commanding officer of the 438th TCG at the time of the Normandy drop. I thought it was interesting that the commander of the 87th TCS, Lt. Col. David E. Daniel, was co-pilot with John M. Donalson in the Belle of Birmingham, the lead plain in the Normandy invasion. I was wondering if there is any possible information or photographs that you could give me regarding my papa, John M. Donalson? I'm sure my grandmother, who is still alive at 93, had some photographs and information lying around that may be helpful to you as well. I have a recording or Wright Bryant who rode over on the Belle of Birmingham making initial reports regarding troop landings. Any information or contact would be appreciated. Could you contact me at this email address, thanks: [url "mailto:jameswood33@hotmail.com"][font "Times New Roman"][#000099]jameswood33@hotmail.com[/#000099][/url] [signature]

Dear Mr. Donalson and others interested in the 438th Troop Carrier Group.

Sorry I couldn't reply to you sooner but the 438th just had a reunion in Florida in early April 2005. The reunion was held in Fort Walton (?), Florida. It was organized by the last surviving squadron commander, Col. Bob Gates, who lives there. Here is some information about him and what I hope is his current e-mail, I haven't emailed him for a couple of years.

Bob Gates is the last surviving Squadron commander (88th TCS) of the 438th Troop Carrier Group. He led his squadron to deliver the first elements of the 502nd PIR of the 101st Airborne into Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944. Retired Colonel, USAF (former Army Air Corps). He flew Bob Hope and his entertainers to the troops in 1940-41 and after WWII. He has a great deal of first-hand documentation of the Troop Carrier training for D-Day, the D-Day flights and paratroop drops that Ambrose and many of the other "historians" have ignored in their maligning of the troop carrier pilots and crews.

His email is/was Robert W. (Bob) Gates [bobgates@cox.net].

My father, Orlando H. "Bill" Allin was a first pilot who flew as co-pilot for his buddy's plane on D-day. He was a pilot in the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron. He and his buddy flew wing for Donalson and the squadron commander who were in the in the "Belle of Birmingham". My dad has a squadron photo with the pilots and ground echelon around the "Belle". Dad still flies his own plane and attended the reunion.

Gary Allin

Hello James and Gary

My father was a pilot in the 438th Troup Carrier Group.  His name was Sam Ballard.    I have the picture of the 87th squadron taken underneath the Belle of Birmingham.  My father is on the back row, right between the nose of the plane and the right engine (facing the plane).  That pic hangs with pride above my fireplace.  My Dad died in 1999, but he always talked about his service with the great men of the 438th.  I will check with my Mom to see where his pictures and other documents are.  I remember seeing flight plans for the Normandy invasion and other related items.  My email is bulldog_923@yahoo.com. 

Regards

Joe Ballard

Hello Joe

I will be also very interested if you find some document about the Normandy invasion, such as field order or formation charts for the 438th TCG.
I am trying to build the complete formation charts for that day :
http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus/en_formation.php

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

I wanted to let you folks know what has been happening with my father, Lt. Orlando "Bill" Allin, pilot in the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 438th Troop Carrie Group.  He flew right wingman for the Squadron commander on D-Day.  The 87th TCS was the lead squadron of the 438th TCG which was the lead group into Normandy flying the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment in from Greenham Common.
 
I found out a year ago the Paddy Green, a businessman from Leeds, England had purchased the actual C-47 my Dad flew during the Normandy campaign.  My Dad had named it his plane the "Drag 'em Oot" which was later given to the British where it was flown during Operation Market-Garden into Holland.  It later was transferred to the Canadian Air Force and then into civilian use.  Paddy purchased it in 2005 from gentleman in Arizona. 
 
My Dad and I flew his private airplane to Great Falls, Montana to meet up with Paddy and the plane on its way to England via Canada, Greenland, Iceland and Scotland.  It is now undergoing restoration and will be flown in Normandy in June for the D-Day anniversary celebrations.  Dad and Mom have been invited to attend and will be leaving for Britain and France in a few days.  Following is a web site with information on the planes history and restoration in England: http://www.ruudleeuw.com/dc3-n5831b.htm
 
Here is link to a couple of news stories about the reunion in Great Falls: http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articleAID=/20050530/NEWS/505300301
and in an Olympia, WA paper: http://www.theolympian.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050530/NEWS/505300301
 
Gary Allin
FellowVet
 

Hello Gary

Do you have the formation chart for the D-Day flight? with chalk numbers, aircraft serial numbers and names of pilots?

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

To Patrick Elie,
 
I do not have that type of information you are looking for.  That would have been classified information at the time of disbursement and not permitted of the pilots to keep. 
 
My father does have a set of orders he was issued to retrieve a glider using his specialy-equipped C-47, the "Drag 'em Oot!"  The aircraft had a retrieval mechanism in the rear of the plane that let out a cable and hook that would snag an elevated lanyard betweem two 10-15 foot poles set up near the glider.  The lanyard was attached to the glider and my father would fly the "Drag 'em Oot!" in at less than tree-top level, lower his cabled hook, snag the line and pull the glider out of the field. 
 
The mechanism inside the plane had a tension guide on it that would let the cable hook play out a bit after snaging the line which would enable the glider to be "dragged out" and off of the ground without tearing it apart, thus the name my Dad gave the aircraft: "Drag 'em Oot!"  Took a bit of skill to do that, and my father was the only one in his squadron permitted to do it. 
 
The orders he has are for a glider landing zone in the vicinity of Isigny.  The orders detail specific routes to fly and map coordinates of the field but there are no maps as they were controlled documents. 
 
There is a book titled "The 438th Troop Carrier Group In World War II" by Austin J. Buchanan (a pilot in the 90th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 438th TCG).  It lists by name and rank the the original crews and their planes (with plane serial numbers) that flew overseas to England in January-February 1944.  Mr. Buchanan and the 438th are also the subjects of a book titled "Into  Fields of Fire" by fellow 438th member W. L. George Collins.  You can find information about it at this web site: http://www.moaa.org/magazine/June2005/member_books.asp

 
FellowVet

Hello Gary

Thanks for the information..
I am also very interested about the LZ in the vicinity of Isigny?? Do you have the map coordinates? I have the maps.

PS : below is a photograph of the C-47, taken at Amfreville - Normandy - France on June 7, 2006 for the celebrations of the 62nd anniversary of the landings.
http://img100.imageshack.us/img100/6669/14646460zv.jpg

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

Dear Patrick,
 
The orders reference three maps:
GSGS 3957 - Sheet 12 - ENGLAND and WALES.
GSGS 3982 - Sheet M30/9 - CHERBOURG.
GSGS 4250 - LA HAYE DE PUITS, Scale - 1/50,000.
 
"Glider location - GSGS 4250 - Sheet 6E/5, LA HAYE DE PUITS - Scale 1/50,000, coodinates - 39.5 - 95.5"
 
The orders from which this informationis excerted are date 7 July 1945 and titled Special Mission, Number 14.  it had a SECRET rating.

Patrick,
 
I forgot to mention with my last message:  GREAT PHOTO of the Drag 'em Oot back in action!  Eill anymore be posted on your website?
 
FellowVet

Dear Gary

The coordinates indicate a landing East of Ecoquenauville and North East of Boutteville. A few miles from Ste Mere Eglise

PS : give me your email address and I will send you the picture of the Drag 'em Oot full size ! The pictures of the jump at Amfreville will be, among other of the 62nd anniversary, on my website soon.

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

ORIGINAL: FellowVet
I wanted to let you folks know what has been happening with my father, Lt. Orlando "Bill" Allin, pilot in the 87th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 438th Troop Carrie Group.  He flew right wingman for the Squadron commander on D-Day. 

Dear Gary

Can you look at this page http://www.6juin1944.com/assaut/aeropus/en_page.php?page=s7 and tell me if I have understood well when you say : "right wingman"
It's correct?

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

To Patrick Elie (patelie)
 
I tried sending you a separae e-mail but don't know if you got it.  Yes, you have my father's position correctly.  He was flying with another pilot, his best friend, by the name of Beach.  The left wingman for the Group Commander Donalson was another Lt. by the name of Norman Arvidson.  Lt. Arvidson's D-Day flight and other stories are on the following web page: http://www.rb-29.net/HTML/75ArivdsonMem/00.03arvmem.html.  Chapter 5 has some additional information about my Dad's D-day experiences.
 
Gary aka FellowVet

Gary

Yes of course I got it and I answered also..
I sent you also four photographs of Drag 'Em Oot but, If I understood well, it seems that you did not receive them.... The email address you put in the contact page was good?

Patrick Elie - Normandy - France
http://www.6juin1944.com
http://www.the-snafu-special.com

2006 Reunion
The 2006 Troop Carrier Reunion will be held October 1-5, 2006 at the Ramada Beach Plaza Resort, Fort Walton Beach, Florida. It will be hosted by the last surviving Squadron Commander, Bob Gates. For more information try the following: Mr. Robert W. Gates 254 Yacht Club Dr NE Fort Walton Beach, FL 32548-6452 Ph 850-243-7465 email bobgates@cox.net