27th Air Transport Group

Group
A C-47 Skytrain (serial number 43-8386) and a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29780) nicknamed "Silver Queen" of the 95th Bomb Group. 

Image via Mark Brown, AFA. Written on slide casing: 'C47 43-8386. Heston- 38D Silver Queen.' media-395276.jpg FRE 7546 A C-47 Skytrain (serial number 43-8386) of the 27th Transport Group and a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29780) nicknamed "Silver Queen" used as a hack by General Curtiss Le May.

Double yellow bar on the tail of the C-47 marked the aircraft as a member of air service command, while the insignia on the nose is that of 86th Transport Squadron, 27th Air Transport Group.

Image via Mark Brown, AFA.

Written on slide casing: 'C47 43-8386. Heston- 38D Silver Queen.' Roger Freeman Collection

References
Gooney Birds & Ferry Tales, The 27th Air Transport Group in WW2 by Jon A. Maguire, Schiffer Publishing 1998
Gooney Bird Driver, by Jon A Maguire, Elm Grove Publishing, 2019
The Mighty Eighth, by Roger Freeman, Doubleday 1970

Object Number - FRE 7546 - A C-47 Skytrain (serial number 43-8386) of the 27th Transport Group and a B-17 Flying Fortress (serial number 42-29780) nicknamed "Silver Queen" used...

The 27th Air Transport Group and the 31st Air Transport Group were unique in the ETO and operated differently from other US Army Air Force units.

As the war progressed, it became apparent there was not a cohesive structure in place to serve the transportation, medevac and combat cargo needs across the theater. The logistics involved in supplying Patton’s drive across Europe was nothing short of miraculous. The 27th ATG started life in the 8th Air Force to handle ferry and transport services. It ultimately ended up under the 302nd Transport Wing, along with the 31st ATG, under USSTAF, serving the supply and transport needs of the European Theater of Operations (ETO) and beyond. The 31st ATG was formed under the 9th Air Force. The 27th ATG was made up of the 86th, 87th, 320th, and 321st Transport Squadrons, and the 310th, 311th, 312th, 325th and the 2920th (Provisional) Ferrying Squadrons. By late 1944 the 311th and 312th were functioning as C-47 transport squadrons. There were also two Service Squadrons, the 519th and the 520th.

Connections

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Unit stations

Station Location Date

Based

Abbots Ripton

Based

Burtonwood

Based

Cranford

Based

Heston

Based

Kenley

Based

Langford Lodge

Based

Prestwick

Based

St Mawgan

Based

Troston

Based

Warton

Encompassing

People

  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 87th Air Transport Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-885293
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 310th Ferry Squadron 321st Air Transport Squadron
  • Highest Rank: Corporal
  • Role/Job: Radio Operator
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 310th Ferry Squadron
  • Service Numbers: O-794470
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Pilot
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group
  • Highest Rank: Technical Sergeant
  • Military/Civilian/Mascot: Military
  • Nationality: American
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 353rd Fighter Group 352nd Fighter Squadron
  • Service Numbers: 32001562 / O-665386
  • Highest Rank: First Lieutenant
  • Role/Job: Fighter pilot

Aircraft

 The nose art of a P-51B Mustang (serial number 43-6623) nicknamed "Spare Parts". Handwritten caption on reverse: 'P-51B-15-NA nose on 43-6623.' Printed caption on reverse: '0-sox N-Spare Parts nose art U-.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Spare Parts
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 310th Ferry Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 4th Fighter Group 310th Ferry Squadron 336th Fighter Squadron
A P-51 Mustang (VF-L, serial number 44-14350) of the 336th Fighter Squadron, 4th Fighter Group. Handwritten caption on reverse: '336th F.S., 4th F.G., 8th Air Force.'
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Nicknames: Connie II
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group 4th Fighter Group 310th Ferry Squadron 336th Fighter Squadron
  • Aircraft Type: P-51 Mustang
  • Unit: 27th Air Transport Group Base Air Depot 2 310th Ferry Squadron

Revisions

Date
Contributor27ATG
Changes
Sources

References
Gooney Birds & Ferry Tales, The 27th Air Transport Group in WW2 by Jon A. Maguire, Schiffer Publishing 1998
Gooney Bird Driver, by Jon A Maguire, Elm Grove Publishing, 2019
The Mighty Eighth, by Roger Freeman, Doubleday 1970

Date
Changes
Sources

Merged with duplicate entry to include details from:
- the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia.

Updates and amendments to associations from:
- www.ddaymuseum.co.uk/documents/US-units-June-44.doc
List supplied courtesy of Mr Phil Grinton from California, February 2004. From the website of the D-Day Museum, Portsmouth (www.ddaymuseum.co.uk).

Date
ContributorCater
Changes
Sources

By my site about the 302 transport wing.

Date
ContributorAAM
Changes
Sources

Drawn from the records of the National Museum of the Mighty Eighth Air Force, Savannah, Georgia / Units in the UK from ETOUSA Station List, as transcribed by Lt. Col. Philip Grinton (US Army, Retired) and extracted by IWM; air division data from L.D. Underwood, based on the 8th Air Force Strength Report of 6th August 1944, as published in 'The 8th Air Force Yearbook' by Lt. Col. John H Woolnough (1980)

27th Air Transport Group: Gallery (28 items)