Members of this list may be interested in a new book:

C-47/R4D UNITS OF THE EUROPEAN/MEDITERANEAN THEATERS OF OPERATION by David C. Isby

Published in 2005 by Osprey, the well known British publishers, it covers the rise of US military airlift and its commitment to battle in 1942-45 in North Africa, Sicily, Italy, D-Day. Operation MARKET-GARDEN, the Rhine Crossing and many other operations. Its deals with US C-47s (and its derivatives) and it covers all its users: the Troop Carrier Command, transport groups, Air Transport Command, the Naval Air Transport Service (where it was designated the R4D), special operations and many others.

It is available from AMAZON.COM in both the US and UK and a number of major bookstores (including chains) and hobby stores.

The book is number 54 in Osprey’s Combat Aircraft series and is a slender (96 pages) eight-by-ten-inch paperback with a color cover, a color illustration section (with 30 original side-view drawings, insignia and markings), and over 100 black and white maps, diagrams and photographs. Appendixes include a listing of all major units equipped with C-47/R4Ds in the ETO/MTO and three-view plan drawings. A one-page bibliography helps with follow-on research.

While the book’s brief length and broad scope preclude an in-depth treatment, it aims to provide insights on a critical element of the air war in Europe that is too often overlooked in favor of coverage of bombers and fighters. At the time of decisive battles in the ETO, there were more C-47s than P-51s in theater. The C-47’s airdrop, resupply, casualty evacuation, and special operations missions made them a critical part of what we today recognize as joint operations.

In addition to the narrative, the book includes a number of first person accounts of significant C-47 missions. This includes Capt John Evans of the 60th Troop Carrier Group describing his dogfight with a Vichy French fighter over Algeria, Lt Col Raymond Nowotny, commanding officer of the 8th Troop Carrier Squadron, describing a night airdrop mission to Italian partisans, and Col C.H. Young leading the 439th Troop Carrier Group on D-Day. The first person accounts include also one from a medical evacuation crewman, another being a mission in which nothing historic happened, but was as good a day’s flying in the bright Mediterranean sky of July 1943 as could be had.

The side-views are also intended to provide a wide sample, with all different types of US insignia, OD, sand-and-spinach, natural metal and field modified paint jobs; aircraft from troop carrier, transport, special operations, NATS, ATC, air depot/service group, VIP transport and other operators.

One caveat is that the book does not cover RAF or other units; Dakota Units of the ETO/MTO still needs to be done.

The book aims to be an introduction and overview of a classic aircraft’s role in the US air war in Europe, the units that flew it, and how it was used. While it is brief (and, I regret to say, there is no single in-depth work I can refer you to) I hope it will be of interest to veterans, model builders, airplane buffs, military historians, and anyone looking for a starting place for research.

David,
I'm glad to hear that you have written this book. There is not alot of information about this plane but I believe we are beginning to hear more about the courageous missions that these pilots and crews flew. My father was killed in 1950 in the service. He arrived in Europe in August 1942 and took part in the Invasion of North Africa. I knew he was a pilot growing up but I just assumed he was fighter or bomber pilot due to that was the only pilots that were talked about. I discovered in the last 5 years that he flew C47's and was a ferrying pilot, troop carrier, and air transport. He was in the 27th ATG in the later part of the war and their motto was basically anything, anywhere, anytime. I'm certainly going to get your book.
Ellie MacCourt

David, great book, and I'm thoroughly enjoying it. Thank you.

I have posted separately regarding 41-18385. Perhaps, you are the man to lead me in the right direction!

I have a couple of questions for you, which are relevant to the above aircraft. I am finding it hard to determine what markings were used when. It seems that the very early C-47s had the USAAC star roundel with red disk in the middle; then the star roundel without the red disk (from '42?) ; then the star roundel with 'wings', from '43 onwards. Am I correct? Furthermore, some roundels - particularly from early aircraft, have a yellow band; what is the signficance of this?

The only picture purported to be of 41-18385 in USAAC colours, that I have found to date, shows her in glider training over the US somewhere; you will be aware of this picture, credited to Harry Gann at Douglas and shown here as used by Discovery Channel:



This is not the best rendition of this picture ... it's about elsewhere in larger format and showing the gliders, although I can't find the shot offhand. I'm not convinced this is her, personally, as I believe she was painted in pinkish brown for N. Africa, although maybe that came later; but you'll notice the '8' on the nose. I note that your cover painting also shows this '8' .... what is its meaning, David? Not Eighth Army, surely? I can't find any reference to this ....

Thanks for any help. And again, thanks for the book.

Kind regards
Mark Beaumont

P.S. Last question (I promise!) ... what are the white patches sometimes seen around the doors of C-47s? White paint to show jumpers where the hinges were, so that they didn't get caught up? Or pads, to cover hinges? This is unclear from pictures that I've seen ....

Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumont
VP Fleet
DC-3 Airways
www.dc3airways.com

This answers my question on markings ... don't know why it took me so long to find this!

http://www.wpafb.af.mil/museum/research/insignia.htm

I'd still like to know about the '8' and the white patches, though, if anyone can help ..... thanks.

Mark

Mark "Dark Moment" Beaumont
VP Fleet
DC-3 Airways
www.dc3airways.com

David,

I am interested in locating specific information concerning airframe
paint schemes and tactical markings of all seven TCG's that served
in the MTO during WWII.

Did your research come across anything along these lines?

Bob

Some interesting questions, so while we are at it, I have a few more.

The ETO insignia shown widely in the book demonstrates that there were many different color schemes. Some with white painted letters and some yellow, some mixtures of both.  Was there any particular reason for this or was it just because crews used whatever paint they had to hand?

Also, on the tail, each aircraft had a large alpha character painted above the registration number.  Does anybody know the true purpose of this letter?

Better still, does anybody have access to the original order that were issued with regard to C-47 painting in ETO or any idea where such a record may reside?


Thanks


Gordon

Mark...........the yellow surround to the insignia began with Eighth AF Spitfires in 1942; the RAF insignia on the fuselage was overpainted by a star and filled in with blue.Sometimes the 2" yellow surround was painted out with camouflage  but some retained it to match the British . The RAF cocarde was 36" overall diameter so the US one without borders was 32". The first P-47s in England had the yellow added as extra recognition along with the white bands; in the MTO many Ninth (but not all) planes had it as did Twelfth AF for "Torch" in Nov. 1942.
In this area the width of the ring varied considerably , some being much wider (on many B-25s, Invaders  and Apaches ).
The practice of adding the yellow outline gradually declined and ended with the adding of bars to the insignia in June-July 1943 ( though there were a few examples of the yellow borders even on them ).

Regards    Nick

gogs


Some interesting questions, so while we are at it, I have a few more.

The ETO insignia shown widely in the book demonstrates that there were many different color schemes. Some with white painted letters and some yellow, some mixtures of both.  Was there any particular reason for this or was it just because crews used whatever paint they had to hand?

Also, on the tail, each aircraft had a large alpha character painted above the registration number.  Does anybody know the true purpose of this letter?

Better still, does anybody have access to the original order that were issued with regard to C-47 painting in ETO or any idea where such a record may reside?


Thanks


Gordon

Hello Gordon,
 
I assume when you mention 'letters' you are referring to the Squadron codes applied to the nose? These were usually applied in white or light grey, NOT YELLOW, this is a modern misconception brought about by the restoration of various C-47s in the '70s and '80s and their interpretation of schemes taken from B&W WWII photos. Such methods have caused many 'interesting' interpretations over the years.
 
The Tail Letter applied above the serial number was usually applied in the same colour as the Squadron Codes and each is unique to that aircraft eg: Col Young's 'The Argonia' serial: 43-15159 coded: 'D8' - 94th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 439th Troop Carrier Group, individual letter: 'Z'.
 
There is a copy of the 9th AF instructions for the application of Invasion Markings in the Schiffer book by VICTOR G. ARCHER - Usaaf Aircraft Markings and Camouflage, 1941-1947 : The History of Usaaf Aircraft Markings, Insignia, Camouflage and Colors which is a very good reference for all questions regarding the subject.
 
All C-47s used in the ETO & MTO were usually painted with OD (as received from the factory) which faded to all kinds of different colours, one P-38 Group in North Africa reported their aircraft fading from OD to a shade of purple, this is all remarked upon in the above mentioned book.
 
Regards Tom

Tom: Yes, I have seen some restorations with Yellow letters. Here is a sample of a C-47 now at the Travis AFB  Museum.

Attached Image(s)

Hey Bill,
 
Classic example there, attached are a couple of issues sort of highlighting how this issue came about, there are some great shots of both Grey and White coded C-47s in Roger Freeman's book - The 9th Air Force In Colour if anybody is interested.
 
Tom

Attached Image(s)

Tom
Gordon is speaking about the tail letter :
Quick identification and radio callsign

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

Hello Pat,
 
Well spotted, I noticed it upon first viewing Gordon's question but then got onto the subject of colours and promptly forgot! memory's going downhill fast.....
 
Be on the lookout for some rollout pics of 43-15211 next week, she's up at Norwich being painted at the moment.
 
Tom