Courtesy Photo | Members from the 402nd Expeditionary Depot Maintenance Squadron out of Robins Air...... read more read more
A C-47A Skytrain aircraft journey takes it from flying during World War II over the beaches of Normandy, France, to a museum in an austere location in Alaska to its final resting place at the Museum of Aviation at Robins Air Force Base, Georgia.
In June of this year, three military installations across the U.S. came together to pick up the aircraft from the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, a city with a population barely peaking 9,000.
Teams from Dover AFB, Delaware, Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska, and Robins AFB joined forces to bring the C-47A from its prior home down to its new home in Georgia where it will receive a full restoration before being put on display.
The restoration of the historic aircraft is expected to take a few years, during which time the MoA team will work to gather more on the history of this specific C-47A.
A Storied History
The C-47A Skytrain with a tail number of 43-15200, which was more commonly referenced by the nose art it wore during World War II as “Francis L,” has an impressive history.
The aircraft was delivered to the U.S. Army Air Forces Feb. 18, 1944, and then assigned to the 9th Air Force in England as part of the 441st Troop Carrier Group shortly after that. The aircraft flew numerous exercises over the next few months, some of which flew members of the 101st Airborne Division.
After the exercises, the aircraft took part in a few major operations, carrying men from the 82nd Airborne Division and the 101st Airborne Division.
“We know that it participated in Operation Overlord, taking battle damage while dropping paratroopers in Normandy, and resupplied American forces during the Siege of Bastogne,” said Arthur Sullivan, a curator with the Museum of Aviation. “Our research also indicates it likely flew in Operation Market Garden and Operation Varsity.”
Sullivan also added that after the war, Francis L was assigned to other units across the country, including Fort Wayne, Indiana, before being placed in storage in 1947. It was taken out of storage in 1949 and flew for several units in New York, including the 114th Fighter Interceptor Squadron of the New York Air National Guard.
In 1957, it was transferred to the 144th Air Transport Squadron of the Alaska Air National Guard in Anchorage, Alaska. In April 1961, it was officially dropped from the U.S. Air Force inventory and placed in museum status.
The National Museum of the Air Force put the aircraft on loan to the Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry in Wasilla, where the aircraft remained until this year. The aircraft will now undergo a full restoration at the Museum of Aviation located at Robins AFB and stay on display at the Air Force’s second largest aviation museum.
“We’ve had this C-47 for years, and now it’s going to be restored,” said James Grogan, Museum of Alaska Transportation and Industry executive director. “Having it go back and get a full face lift and restoration is part of preserving that part of history we have to remember.”
A 3,500-Mile Journey
Teams from Dover AFB, JBER and Robins AFB worked in tandem to ensure the safe move of the 80-year-old aircraft across its nearly 3,500-mile journey to Robins AFB.
According to Sullivan, it took a lot of proper planning to make this recovery possible. He and his staff coordinated communication and operations across various Air Force, DoD, state, local and commercial agencies.
“Thankfully we had a few MOA staff who have helped manage similar aircraft recoveries before,” he said. “We leaned heavily on their experience, but it was also a valuable learning experience and training opportunity for the rest of us. We also received tremendous support from the National Museum of the Air Force, the 78th Air Base Wing, the Warner Robins Air Logistics Complex, the 512th Airlift Wing at Dover AFB, and many people at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, Alaska.”
The 773rd Logistics Readiness Squadron at JBER had vehicle operators embedded with the recovery team that traveled to Alaska for the C-47A pickup. They operated forklifts and other equipment to help with the disassembly of the aircraft and hauling the plane back to JBER. JBER also arranged the line haul movement for the equipment and the aircraft between Wasilla and the installation due to the oversize nature of the convoys.
The 773rd LRS, along with the 732nd Air Mobility Squadron at Alaska, also helped to prepare the cargo for its movement and loading onto the C-5 for its transport down to Robins AFB.
“Overall, it was a huge success and required the efforts of many organizations,” said Lt. Col. Austin Buck, 773rd LRS commander. “We were thankful for the opportunity to preserve Air Force history.”
Capt. Nick Schiavone, 709th Airlift Squadron pilot and Hagar 91 flight commander from Dover AFB, said he was excited to be the flight commander. He and his team flew the C-5 aircraft responsible for transporting the C-47A down to Robins AFB.
“This has been a fantastic opportunity to participate in the movement of this particular C-47,” he said. “When I found out about this aircraft and its participation in the Normandy landings, it became an honor to preserve a piece of history.
“In addition, the timing of our flight lined up with the anniversary of D-Day made it an extra special occasion for me and the crew of the 709th AS,” he continued. “I can think of no better way to remember the sacrifice our predecessors gave for us to enjoy the freedoms we have today. My hope is that the surviving aircraft will provide the same feeling of honor I feel to those who get to enjoy viewing it at the Museum of Aviation at Robins AFB.”
The WR-ALC 402nd Expeditionary Depot Maintenance Squadron at Robins AFB sent a team up to Alaska. They were responsible for palletizing the C-47A aircraft and helping move it down to JBER to load it onto the C-5 for transport.
Tech. Sgt. Teodoro Morales, a 402nd EDMS depot craftsman, said the dismantling process started prior to the team arriving in Alaska by reviewing technical data of how the aircraft is broken down on a structural level.
“We have EDMX personnel who are qualified in crash damaged or disabled aircraft recovery, which basically means we are trained to respond to a crashed aircraft,” he said. “With this skillset we were able to apply those uncommon maintenance practices to recovering the C-47 aircraft.”
Morales said their structures personnel, whom they also refer to as sheet metal personnel, specialize in disassembling and assembling an aircraft. They were able to assist in the recovery since it needed to be broken down on a structural level.
Being in Alaska, though, created challenges for the entire recovery team in the disassembling and maneuvering of the aircraft.
“Some of the difficulties we faced in Alaska were not having the appropriate support equipment, such as cranes or maintenance stands,” he said. “Also, the field conditions and the austere location were more challenges that we had to overcome, which made it difficult for us to maneuver our support equipment, as well as the actual aircraft.”
To help overcome these challenges, the team planned well in advance for the full movement of the aircraft.
Morales shared that over the course of four months, the planning included how to break down and transport the aircraft via a truck from Wasilla, Alaska, to JBER, and then from there, onto a C-5 aircraft. They also coordinated with trucking companies that could support a large load and sourced a C-5 aircraft from Dover AFB to transport it back to Robins AFB.
The C-5 arrived at Robins in the middle of the night July 19 with teams from the 78th Logistics Readiness Squadron and the Museum of Aviation ready to unload the aircraft, but due to weather conditions, the C-47A unloading had to wait until the following day to be removed. As part of a well-orchestrated effort, teams removed pallets and large aircraft parts and brought them over to storage or to areas where they would begin their restoration.
A Story to be Celebrated
Now that the C-47 aircraft is at the Museum of Aviation, the restoration will begin. Sullivan said their focus isn’t about how fast they will complete it, but rather on its historic accuracy.
“World War II aircraft restorations can face many obstacles, including correcting corrosion issues that are present after outdoor display and the scarcity of parts for aircraft that are no longer produced,” Sullivan said. “Thankfully we have a resourceful restoration team, made up of mostly volunteers, that is great at thinking outside the box and fabricating parts when needed.”
Sullivan added they want to add a piece of history to the aircraft as part of its restoration, hoping it can tell a powerful story about the U.S. Air Force heritage and personal courage.
“One of our other main areas of focus is the paratroopers the aircraft dropped during Operation Overlord,” he said. “We know that Francis L dropped men of C Company, 1st Battalion, 501st Parachute Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, during the night of June 5-6, 1944. We don’t yet know their names however, and we want to put that piece of the puzzle in place.”
Sullivan hopes the aircraft’s journey and history will be saved for future generations to enjoy.
“The Francis L will stay at the MOA once restoration is complete,” he said. “The process will take a few years, so we are still developing plans for exactly how it will be displayed. We truly want Robins and the greater community to enjoy the restoration journey with us.”
The Museum of Aviation is located at 1942 Heritage Boulevard, Robins Air Force Base, Georgia. It is free and open to the public. For more information on the museum, please visit their website at https://museumofaviation.org.
| Date Taken: | 10.04.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 10.04.2024 17:40 |
| Story ID: | 482588 |
| Location: | ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE, GA., GEORGIA, US |
| Web Views: | 17 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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