C-47 43-16369

I don’t believe it’s the actual aircraft (which was c/n 15586/27031 43-49770 and appears to have gone to the SVAF in 1969).

I gather c/n 20835 was in preservation and with EAA WoA when painted as AC-47 043-770 “Spooky770” with side-firing guns to represent the machine in which your hero’s actions resulted in his honour.

Thank you for the clarification.

I don’t believe it’s the actual aircraft (which was c/n 15586/27031 43-49770 and appears to have gone to the SVAF in 1969).

I gather c/n 20835 was in preservation and with EAA WoA when painted as AC-47 043-770 “Spooky770” with side-firing guns to represent the machine in which your hero’s actions resulted in his honour.

That was the plane Levitow was on? Correct?

According the the recently published and massive two-volume publication “The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 The First Seventy Years”, your aircraft did indeed serve with the 436th TCG.

The 436th. comprised the 79, 80,81 & 82 TCS activated on 1 April 43 and went from the US to 50th TCW, IX TCC, 9th AF on 4 Feb 44 and to Bottesford and Membury in the UK on 3 March 44. Transferred to 53rd TCW, IX TCC, 9th AF in Feb 44 and to PTCAD on 31 Aug 44. They inactivated 15 Nov 45.

The publication gives a history of your airframe:

“c/n 20835
43-16369 Baer 806 BU D 7 Aug 44 – ATC Dow 1379 BU 27 Aug 44 – 9 AF 1 Sep 44 – 436 TCG – ATC Hunter 302 BU 16 July 45 – ATS S Bernardino 4126 BU 20 July 45. …………..”It goes on to provide unit and location changes up to its release onto the civilian market and mentions its civilian career with the US Dept of Agriculture as N2805J and its shift into preservation.

I commend the book (but I would as an Air-Britain member) to give you the background you’re seeking and help explain all the abbreviations in my extract. Hope this helps.

Sorry can’t help with individual aircraft but the following may help. It is an extract from the RAF Kemble station diary from September 1944.

Bad weather on the morning of the 8th delayed aircraft from taking off from their base. The first Dakotas arrived back at Kemble at 13.07hrs when 90 aircraft of the 53rd TCW arrived; the aircraft belonged to the 436th and 438th TCW and came from Bottesford, Membury, Welford and Greenham Common. The first loaded aircraft took off at 14.10hrs, with 64 proceeding to France and 32 returned to their base. Between the hours of 19.30 and 23.59hrs a further 75 aircraft landed and were loaded to take off the following morning. The 75 Aircraft, which had landed the previous night, took off again at 07.19hrs. Between 11.55 and 16.53hrs, another 133 American Dakota’s landed and by 17.17hrs these were duly dispatched from the station fully loaded. On the morning of the 10th September 86 aircraft landed and were dispatched completely loaded by 12.54hrs. Later, between 12.49 and 16.29hrs a further 160 Dakota’s landed and were dispatched with freight by 17.45hrs.

More and more Dakota’s came and went over the next few days with 158 on the 11th and 200 on the 12th. At 07.20hrs on the 13th, 125 Dakota aircraft, in batches of six, took off and were duly dispatched. At 09.15hrs a heavy mist obscured the airfield and permission was obtained from No.10 Group to divert the aircraft, as they could not be seen when circling Kemble, 108 Landed at Thorney Island, 13 at Netheravon and 4 at Moreton Valance. At 12.30hrs the weather cleared and arrangements were made for the aircraft at the diversion stations to be recalled, and shortly after 14.00hrs there were approximately 200 aircraft parked on the airfield. These were all dispatched by 21.00hrs, and later that night another 42 landed and were loaded ready for take off the next morning.