pPlane that led-normandy-invasion-discovered-restored

[birdie]

https://www.military.com/daily-news/...0rjyKtXw.email

[pete]

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Awesome

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[Greg]

Great to see another air warrior restored, thanks for posting!

Locally in Titusville, Florida we have the "Tico Belle," which dropped 82nd Airborne paratroopers on D-Day and also fought in Operation Market Garden, supply airdrops to Bastogne, and participated in the Berlin Airlift. https://www.valiantaircommand.com/c-47-tico-belle

[fusilier1944]

We have W7 at the National Warplane Museum a short drive from my home. It’s in flying condition though can still use some refurbishments. “Whiskey 7” dropped paratroopers from the 82nd airborne on D-Day and a few years ago went back to France for anniversary activities. It’s great to see that there are more of these planes in flying condition!

Here’s a short video done in conjunction with the National Warplane Museum and a veteran named Les Cruise. He’s an 82nd paratrooper who actually jumped from W7 on D-Day. https://vimeo.com/242317654

Edit: didn’t mean to embed the video, tried to fix it.

[pete]

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I'm glad you embedded the video....

I hear the same from people in third world or conflict, recovering conflict countries who I've had the pleasure of working with in the field and whose life has become continuous war....

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[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

more actual facts about "That All, Brother", courtesy of the kickstarter.com page :

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects...d-day-invasion

"That All, Brother", serial number 42-92847, led "Mission Albany" a formation of 432 aircraft that, just after midnight on D-Day, dropped more than 6,600 paratroopers behind enemy lines on the Cotentin Peninsula of Normandy. Named "That's All, Brother", this airplane led the first major blow in the Allied liberation of Europe.

In researching the history of the aircraft we discovered an amazing piece of film shot at Greenham Common airfield in England at dusk on June 5th, 1944. It shows “That's All, Brother” departing on its historic mission to launch the liberation of Europe.

We know that one of the pilots of “That's All, Brother” took his dog along for the historic flight on D-Day! The dog is shown in the film shot at Greenham Common airfield.

The airplane was commanded by Col. John M. Donalson of Birmingham, Alabama. For superior flying skills exhibited in extensive daylight and night training, his unit had been selected to lead the American airborne landings in Normandy. The full flight crew of “That's All, Brother” on D-Day was:
•Lt. Col. John M. Donalson, Command Pilot (438th Troop Carrier Group Commander)
•Lt. Col. David E. Daniel, Pilot (87th Squadron Commander)
•1st Lt. Barney Blankenship, Co-Pilot
•2nd Lt. John N. Shallcross, Navigator
•S.Sgt. Harry A. Chalfant, Crew Chief
•2nd Lt. Robert G. Groswird, 2nd Navigator
•S.Sgt. Woodrow S. Wilson, Radio Operator (wounded by flak during the D-Day mission)

The men that jumped from the airplane were paratroopers of the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment, with the 101st Airborne Division. We don't know their names but believe several of them were in leadership positions.

The only person we know, for sure, jumped from "That's All, Brother" is Raymond S. Hall. As a unit Chaplain, he was prohibited from making a combat jump. But "Chappie" Hall believed passionately that his men would never accept him unless he jumped with them. After months of wrangling, permission was granted, and he reported a doubling of church attendance!

“That's All, Brother” actually flew two missions on D-Day. In the evening of June 6, 1944 it towed a glider carrying men of the 82nd Airborne Division as part of "mission Elmira".

“That's All, Brother” had an impressive combat record after D-Day. It participated in Operation Market Garden, the relief of Bastogne during the Battle of the Bulge, and Operation Varsity.

In 1946, the airplane was sold into civilian hands. It passed through sixteen different owners before being acquired in 2008 by Basler Turbo Conversions LLC of Oshkosh, WI.

The airplane's place in history had been forgotten, and it was placed in Basler's outdoor boneyard awaiting conversion to a modern BT-67 turboprop.

Below are two screenshots taken from the original movie filmed on the evening of June 5th, 1944.

See You

vince

[FrenchVolunteer]

Hi,

jpeg taken from the kickstarter campaign PDF.

See You

Vince

[FrenchVolunteer]

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[FrenchVolunteer]

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