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U.S.A.A.F. Combat Cargo Groups of the Second World War

2nd Combat Cargo Group, 54th Troop Carrier Wing, 5th Air Force, Pacific Theater

A Short History from the "Air Force Units of World War II"

by USAF Historical Division, Air University, Department of the The Air Force  1959

Edited by Maurer Maurer

     Constituted as 2nd Combat Cargo Group on 25 Apr 1944.   Activated on 1 May 1944. Trained with C-47 and C-46 aircraft.  Moved to the Southwest Pacific, Oct-Nov 1944, and assigned to Fifth AF.  Operated from Biak to fly passengers and cargo to US bases in Australia, New Guinea, the Admiralties, and the Philippines.  Also dropped supplies to US and guerrilla forces in the Philippines.   Moved to Leyte in May 1945.  Maintained flights to bases in Australia, New Guinea, and the Philippines; transported personnel and supplies to the Ryukyus, and evacuated casualties on return flights.  Moved to Okinawa in Aug 1945. Transported personnel and equipment of the occupation forces to Japan and ferried liberated prisoners of war to the Philippines.  Moved to Japan in Sep 1945.  Inactivated on 15 Jan 1946. Disbanded on 8 Oct 1948. 

SQUADRONS. 5th: 1944-1946.  6th: 1944- 1946. 7th: 1944-1946.  8th: 1944-1946.

STATIONS. Syracuse AAB, NY, 1 May 1944; Baer Field, Ind, 9-27 Oct 1944; Biak, Nov 1944; Dulag, Leyte, May 1945; Okinawa, c. 20 Aug 1945; Yokota, Japan, c. 22 Sep 1945-15 Jan 1946.

COMMANDERS. Col. William J Bell, May 1944: Maj. Arthur D Thomas, 10 Dec 1945-unknown.

CAMPAIGNS. Air Offensive, Japan; New Guinea; Western Pacific; Leyte; Luzon; Southern Philippines; Ryukyus.

DECORATIONS. Philippine Presidential

Unit Citation.

INSIGNE. None.

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  I am looking for former members of the 3rd Combat Cargo Group,  1st, Combat Cargo Group, 2nd Combat Cargo Group and the 4th Combat Cargo Group.  In fact I would like to hear from anyone who flew over the Hump during WW II, or flew any Combat Cargo Missions at any time (Berlin Air-Lift, Korea, etc) 

Please e-mail comment, suggestions, corrections,etc to: bill@comcar.org

Copyright © 1999 Bill Bielauskas (bill.b@erols.com) All rights reserved.

Bill Bielauskas  10 Cayuga Trail, Wayne,  NJ.   07470-4406

Images unless otherwise mentioned are property of Bill Bielauskas. Images from the Combat Cargo site are not for public distribution or publication without permission of the images owner.