60th Troop Carrier Group

Constituted as 60th Transport Group on 20 Nov 1940. Activated on 1 Dec 1940. Prepared for duty overseas with C-47's. Moved to England in Jun 1942. Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group in Jul 1942. Received additional training in England, then assigned to Twelfth AF for operations in the Mediterranean theater. Flew its first mission on 8 Nov 1942, transporting paratroops from England and dropping them at Oran during the early hours of the invasion of North Africa. Operated from bases in Algeria, Tunisia, Sicily, and Italy until after V-E Day. Participated in the battle for Tunisia, dropping paratroops near the combat area on two occasions. Trained with gliders during Jun 1943, then towed gliders to Syracuse and dropped paratroops behind enemy lines at Catania when the Allies invaded Sicily in Jul. Dropped paratroops at Megava during the airborne invasion of Greece in Oct 1944. When not engaged in airborne operations, the group transported men and supplies and evacuated wounded personnel. Flew to northern Italy in Oct 1943 to drop supplies to men who had escaped from prisoner-of-war camps. Received a DUC for supporting the partisans in the Balkans, Mar-Sep 1944: flew at night, unarmed, over unfamiliar and mountainous enemy territory and landed on small, poorly-constructed airfields to provide guns, ammunition, clothing, food, medical supplies, gas, oil, jeeps, mail, and mules for underground forces in Yugoslavia, Albania, and Greece; evacuated wounded partisans and escaped prisoners; also dropped propaganda leaflets. Moved to Trinidad in Jun 1945 and assigned to Air Transport Command. Inactivated on 31 Jul s945.

Activated in Germany on 30 Sep 1946. Assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe. Equipped first with C-47's, then (late in 1948) with C-54's. Participated in the Berlin airlift, Jun 1948-Sep 1949. Redesignated 60th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) in Jul 1948, 60th Troop Carrier Group (Heavy) in Nov 1948, and 60th Troop Carrier Group (Medium) in Nov 1949. Re-equipped with C-82 aircraft in 1949 and with C-119's in 1953.

Squadrons. 10th: 1940-1945; 1946. 11th: 1940-1945; 1946-. 12th: 1940-1945; 1946-. 28th: 1942-1945.

Stations. Olmsted Field, Pa, 1 Dec 1940; Westover Field, Mass, c. 20 May 1941-Jun 1942; Chelveston, England, Jun 1942; Aldermaston, England, Aug 1942; Tafaraoui, Algeria, 8 Nov 1942; Relizane, Algeria, 27 Nov 1942; Thiersville, Algeria, May 1943; El Djem, Tunisia, Jun 1943; Gela, Sicily, c. 30 Aug 1943; Gerbini, Sicily, 29 Oct 1943; Brindisi, Italy, 26 Mar 1944; Pomigliano, Italy, 8 Oct 1944-May 1945; Waller Field, Trinidad, 4 Jun-31 Jul 1945. Munich, Germany, 30 Sep 1946; Kaufbeuren AB, Germany, 14 May 1948; Wiesbaden AB, Germany, 15 Dec 1948; Rhein/Main AB, Germany, 26 Sep 1949; Dreux AB, France, 22 Sep 1955-.

Commanders. Lt Col Samuel C Eaton Jr, 1 Dec 1940; Capt Arthur L Logan, 16 May 1941; Lt Col Russell L Maughari, 28 Jul 1941; Lt Col A J Kerwin Malone, 15 Apr 1942, Lt Col T Schofield, 11 Oct 1942; Lt Col Julius A Kolb, 2 Dec 1942; Lt Col Frederick H Sherwood, 29 Mar 1943; Col Clarence J Galligan, 26 Jul 1943; Lt Col Kenneth W Holbert, 8 Dec 1944; Lt Col Charles A Gibson Jr, 11 Jan 1945-unkn. Col Casper P West, 30 Sep 1946; Col Bertram C Harrison, Sep 1947; Col Theron H Coulter, Dec 1948; Lt Col Lawrence G Gilbert, Jan 1949; Col Robert D Forman, Mar 1949; Lt Col Reesor M Lawrence, 26 Aug 1950; Col Jay D Bogue, 5 Dec 1950; Col Donald J French, 29 Feb 1952; Lt Col John W Osborn, 14 Jun 1952; Col Lorris W Moomaw, 25 May 1953; Lt Col Robert L Olinger, 13 Jun 1954; Col Howard J Withycombe, 1 Jul 1954; Col Randolph E Churchill, c. 5 Jul 1955-.

Campaigns. Air Combat, EAME Theater; Algeria-French Morocco; Tunisia; Sicily; Naples-Foggia; Rome-Arno; Southern France; North Apennines; Po Valley.

Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: MTO, 28 Mar-25 Sep 1944.

Insigne. Shield: Azure a pale of seven variegated pallets proper, black, yellow, red, white, blue, orange, and green, the pale fimbriated and surmounted by three symbols of flight or, in bend, all within a narrow border of the last. Motto: Termini Non Existent - Boundaries Do Not Exist. (Approved 7 Sep 1955.)

Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986