History
Activated in August 1943 at Sedalia AAF, Missouri as an I Troop Carrier Command C-47 Squadron. After training in Missouri and later North Carolina, was sent to Baer Field, Indiana for final equipping with aircraft, personnel and other equipment. Deployed to Ninth Air Force in England, assigned to IX Troop Carrier Command in March 1944 during the build-up prior to the Invasion of France.
The squadron participated in the D-Day operation, dropping 101st Airborne Division paratroops near Cherbourg, then carried out re-supply and glider delivery missions the following day.
The squadron's aircraft flew supplies into Normandy as soon as suitable landing strips were available and evacuated casualties to England. On 17 July the air echelon flew to Grosseto airbase in Italy to prepare for operations connected with the invasion of southern France returning to England on 24 August.
Squadron moved to France in September 1944 and for the balance of the Northern France Campaign and the Western Allied invasion of Germany was engaged in combat resupply of ground forces, operating from Advanced Landing Grounds in northern France. Delivered supplies to rough Resupply and Evacuation airfields near the front lines, returning combat casualties to field hospitals in rear areas.
After V-E Day, the squadron was based in the Leipsig area, then when Leipsig was turned over to the Soviet Union as part of its occupation zone, was moved to the American Zone of Berlin where it was the first American air unit to occupy Tempelhof Airdrome on 4 July 1945.
Demobilized in Berlin, and returned to the United States in March 1946 as an administrative organization, was inactivated at Bolling Field, DC.
Reactivated as a C-46 Commando reserve transport squadron in 1949, activated as part of the Korean War mobilization in 1951. Unit personnel and aircraft were assigned as fillers to active-duty units and the squadron was quickly inactivated afterwards.
Since 1969 the 301st has trained in the Reserve to fly global strategic airlift missions, performing routine channel flights, contingency and humanitarian relief operations, and joint training exercises.
Read more about this topic: 301st Airlift Squadron
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