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Constituted as 439th Troop Carrier Group on 14 May 1943. Activated on 1 June 1943. Trained with C-47's. Moved to England, Feb-Mar 1944, for duty with Ninth AF. Prepared for the invasion of the Continent and began operations by dropping paratroops of 101st Airborne Division in Normandy on 6 Jun 1944 and releasing gliders with reinforcements on the following day, receiving a DUC and a French citation for these missions. After the Normandy invasion the group ferried supplies in the United Kingdom until the air echelon was sent to Italy in Jul to transport cargo to Rome and evacuate wounded personnel. The detachment dropped paratroops of 517th Parachute Infantry Regiment along the Riviera to aid the invasion of Southern France on 15 Aug 1944 and later towed gliders to provide reinforcements; for these missions the group was again cited by the French government. After the air echelon returned to England on 25 Aug, the group resumed its cargo missions. In Sep the group moved to France for further operations in support of the advancing Allies. Dropped paratroops of 82nd Airborne Division near Nijmegen and towed gliders carrying reinforcements during the airborne attack on Holland, 17-25 Sep 1944. Participated in the Battle of the Bulge by releasing gliders with supplies for 101st Airborne Division near Bastogne on 7 Dec 1944. Each aircraft of the group towed two gliders with troops of 17th Airborne Division and released them near Wesel when the Allies made the air assault across the Rhine on 24 Mar 1945. Continually hauled food, clothing, medicine, gasoline, ordnance equipment, and other supplies to the front lines and evacuated patients to rear-zone hospitals when not engaged in airborne operations. Converted from C-47's to C-46's, which were used to transport displaced persons from Germany to France and Belgium after V-E Day. Returned to the US, Jul-Sep 1945. Trained with C-46 aircraft. Inactivated on 10 Jun 1946.
Redesignated 439th Troop Carrier Group (Medium). Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 27 Jun 1949. Ordered to active duty on 1 Apr 1951. Inactivated on 3 Apr 1951.
Redesignated 439th Fighter-Bomber Group. Allotted to the reserve. Activated on 15 Jun 1952.
Squadrons. 91st: 1943-1946; 1949-1951; 1952-1954. 92d: 1943-1946; 1949-1951; 1952-1954. 93d: 1943-1946; 1949-1951; 1952-. 94th: 1943-1946; 1949-1951. 471st: 1954-. 472d: 1954-.
Stations. Alliance AAFld, Neb, 1 Jun 1943; Sedalia AAFld, Mo, 15 Jun 1943; Alliance AAFld, Neb, 2 Aug 1943; Laurinburg-Maxton AAB, NC, 16 Dec 1943; Baer Field, Ind, 2-14 Feb 1944; Balderton, England, 21 Feb 1944; Upottery, England, 26 Apr 1944; Juvincourt, France, 8 Sep 1944; Lonray, France, 28 Sep 1944; Chateaudun, France, 4 Nov 1944-11 Jul 1945; Baer Field, Ind, Jul 1945; Sedalia AAFld, Mo, 7 Oct 1945-10 Jun 1946. Selfridge AFB, Mich, 27 Jun 1949-3 Apr 1951. Selfridge AFB, Mich, 15 Jun 1952-.
Commanders. Lt Col Ralph L Zimmerman, 1 Jun 1943; Col Charles H Young, 21 Jan 1944; Col Gordon L Edris, 6 Oct 1945; Lt Col Lester C Messenger, 16 Apr 1946; Lt Col William M Massengale Jr, 28 May-10 Jun 1946.
Campaigns. American Theater; Rome-Arno; Normandy; Northern France; Southern France; Rhineland; Ardennes-Alsace; Central Europe.
Decorations. Distinguished Unit Citation: France, [6-7] Jun 1944. French Croix de Guerre with Palm: [6-7] Jun 1944; 15 Aug 1944. French Fourragere.
Insigne. Shield: Azure, a beaver volant proper, holding a missile in his right paw, argent, markings gules and sable and supported in the air with aircraft wings of the third, tanks of the fourth, on the right wing the national aircraft marking in its proper colors. (Approved 20 Apr 1956.)
Data from Air Force Combat Units of World War II By Maurer, Maurer, Published 1986
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