2nd Aircraft Delivery Group
C-123 Provider, one of the types delivered by the group during the war in Southeast Asia[note 1]
Active1942–1944; 1969–1994
Country United States
Branch United States Air Force
RoleDelivery of aircraft to tactical units
Part ofTactical Air Command (1969–1992)
Garrison/HQLangley Air Force Base, VA (1969–1994)
DecorationsAir Force Outstanding Unit Award
Insignia
2nd Aircraft Delivery Group emblem

The 2nd Aircraft Delivery Group is an inactive group of the United States Air Force (USAF). While it was established in 1969—as a continuation of USAF's ferrying mission dating back to 1948—it also constituted the reactivation of a unit first established as the Northeast Sector, Air Corps Ferrying Command in February 1942 (during World War II). As the 2nd Ferrying Group, it was the first regular U.S. Army unit to employ the Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron pilots, who flew all models of aircraft until that group was disbanded in 1944. Its role was to deliver aircraft to combat units. It was made inactivate in June 1994.

History

World War II

The group's origins can be traced to 3 January 1942, when Air Corps Ferrying Command, in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor, divided its Domestic Division into six sectors. The Northeast Sector was established at Logan Field in Dundalk, Maryland and was responsible for ferrying aircraft produced by Glenn L. Martin Company in Baltimore, Maryland; as well as Fairchild Aircraft in Hagerstown, Maryland; Piper Aircraft in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania; and Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation and Republic Aviation plants located in Bethpage and Farmingdale on Long Island, New York.[1] On 21 February, this office was formally organized as a unit, the Northeast Sector, Ferrying Command and Ferrying Command's Domestic Division became the Domestic Wing, Air Corps Ferrying Command.[2] The 4th and 12th Air Corps Ferry Squadrons were organized in early April and assigned to the group.

Ferrying Command requested the AAF to reorganize its sectors as groups, including with assigned squadrons. Accordingly, the sector became the 2nd Ferrying Group on 26 May 1942. Shortly after this, the group moved to New Castle Army Air Field, Delaware, which was more centrally located to the plants the group served. In addition to support units, the group added the 27th Air Corps Ferry Squadron in July, the 63d Ferrying Squadron in November, and the 89th Ferrying Squadron in April 1943. The group was the first unit selected to use Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron (WAFS) pilots to ferry aircraft. The 2nd Group commander limited them to flying liaison and primary training aircraft. The first leader of the WAFS detachment at New Castle was Nancy Love, who had established the program. However, she soon departed for the 5th Ferrying Group, where she was able to operate advanced trainers lie the North American AT-6 Texan.[3] these women pilots eventually flew essentially every plane in the AAF inventory.[4][note 2]

By 1944, the Army Air Forces (AAF) was finding that standard military units like the 2nd Group, whose manning was based on relatively inflexible tables of organization were not well adapted to support missions. Accordingly, the AAF adopted a more functional system in which each base was organized into a separate numbered unit.[5] As part of this reorganization the group's headquarters was disbanded on 31 March 1944 along with its subordinate units and its resources were absorbed by the 552nd Army Air Forces Base Unit (2nd Ferrying Group) which was designated and organized on the same day. The base unit was redescribed as the 552nd AAF Base Unit (Ferry Group) then discontinued after the end of World War II on 31 December 1945.[6][7]

Aircraft Delivery Group

Background

Patch with 1708th Ferrying Wing emblem

Shortly after the Air Force became an independent service, Air Materiel Command (AMC) established the 3075th Ferrying Squadron at Tinker Air Force Base, Oklahoma.[8] The squadron was assigned directly to AMC. In 1949, it ferried the Enola Gay to the Smithsonian Institution.[9]

F-84F supplied to the Belgian Air Force under the MDAP program

During the Korean War, the growth of the United States Air Force called once more for the expansion of units dedicated to the delivery of aircraft to combat units. On 24 September 1950, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) formed the 1737th Ferrying Squadron at Kelly Air Force Base, Texas and assigned it to the Continental Division, MATS.[10][11] On 16 June 1951, MATS expanded this operation by forming the 1708th Ferrying Group at Kelly and adding the 1738th Ferrying Squadron at Long Beach Municipal Airport, California.[11] On 1 July 1952, the 3075th Ferrying Squadron at Tinker was transferred to the group and redesignated the 1739th Ferrying Squadron.[12] The 1739th moved to Amarillo Air Force Base, Texas in September.[13] The group also began delivering aircraft under Project Drop Kick, which initially focused on delivering Republic F-84 Thunderjets to NATO allies under the Mutual Defense Assistance Program.[12] When the target date of December 1952 was not met for Drop Kick, it was replaced by Project High Flight, and the group established detachments across the North Atlantic to support it.[14]

On 20 October 1955, the 1708th expanded to become the 1708th Ferrying Wing.[15] On 1 July 1956, the 1738th was discontinued at Long Beach and organized the next day at Kelly.[10]

Patch with 4440th Aircraft Delivery Group emblem

MATS discontinued its ferrying units on 1 July 1958, and the aircraft delivery mission was transferred to Tactical Air Command (TAC)'s 4440th Aircraft Delivery Group, which had been organized at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia on 15 January 1958.[16][17][note 3] The group had no squadrons assigned, but performed its mission through detachments located at key points.[18] Its mission extended worldwide and included the delivery not only of USAF aircraft, but also aircraft supplied as part of the Military Assistance Program.[19]

In December 1964, the 4440th Group added Special Air Missions to its aircraft delivery mission, with the assignment of the 4432nd (Chanute Air Force Base, Illinois), 4433rd (Dobbins Air Force Base, Georgia), 4434th (Randolph Air Force Base, Texas), and 4435th (Hamilton Air Force Base, California) Air Transport Squadrons.[20][note 4] These squadrons operated aircraft transporting senior military officials throughout the United States, particularly for the United States Army.[21]

Reactivation of the Group

However, the 4440th was a "MAJCON" unit, whose existence was controlled by TAC, not the Air Force. Under the USAF organization and lineage system of the time, MAJCON units' lineages (histories, awards, and battle honors) ended with their discontinuance and could never be revived.[22]

HQ TAC decided to replace the group with an Air Force Controlled (AFCON) unit whose lineage could be revived if it were inactivated. On 15 October 1969, the group, now named the 2nd Aircraft Delivery Group was again activated[7] and absorbed the personnel and equipment of the 4440th Group, which was simultaneously discontinued.[23] At the same time, the 10th (Chanute), 13th (Dobbins), 21st (Randolph), and 26th Air Transport Squadrons (Hamilton) were activated to[7] replace the 4432nd, 4433rd, 4434th and 4435th Squadrons. The Special Air Missions task was ended in September 1970 and the squadrons were inactivated. The group mission expanded to include movements of United States Navy and United States Marine Corps aircraft and the deployment of units for exercises and movement of aircraft for depot level maintenance.[18] The group continued to manage aircraft movements, including arranging for air refueling and air rescue, and en route maintenance support[23] until inactivating in June 1994. The group's last delivery was a General Dynamics F-111F to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio the day it was inactivated.[24]

Lineage

  • Constituted 14 February 1942 as Northeast Sector, Air Corps Ferrying Command
Activated 18 February 1942
Redesignated Northeast Sector, Domestic Wing, Air Corps Ferrying Command on 25 April 1942
Redesignated 2nd Ferrying Group on 26 May 1942
Disbanded 31 March 1944
  • Reconstituted on 5 September 1969 and redesignated 2nd Aircraft Delivery Group
Activated on 15 October 1969[25]
Inactivated on 30 June 1994[24]

Assignments

Stations

  • Logan Field, Maryland, 18 February 1942
  • New Castle Army Air Field, Delaware, 29 May 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, 15 October 1969[26] – 1 July 1994

Components

  • 4th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 4th Ferrying Squadron), 7 April 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 10th Air Transport Squadron, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1970[7]
  • 12th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 12th Ferrying Squadron), 8 April 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 13th Air Transport Squadron, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1970[7]
  • 21st Air Transport Squadron, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1970[7]
  • 26th Air Transport Squadron, 15 October 1969 – 30 September 1970[7]
  • 27th Air Corps Ferry Squadron (later 27th Ferrying Squadron), 17 July 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 63d Ferrying Squadron, 1 November 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 89th Ferrying Squadron, 15 April 1943 – 31 March 1944
  • 344th Air Base Squadron (later 344th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron), 29 May 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 891st Guard Squadron, 28 July 1942 – 31 March 1944
  • 343rd Sub Depot, c. 1 January 1944 – 31 March 1944

Awards and Campaigns

Award streamerAwardDatesNotes
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 January 1985 – 31 December 19862nd Aircraft Delivery Group[27]
Air Force Outstanding Unit Award1 June 1991 – 31 May 19932nd Aircraft Delivery Group[27]
Campaign Streamer Campaign Dates Notes
American Theater without inscription21 February 1942 – 31 March 1944Northeast Sector Air Corps Ferrying Command (later 2nd Ferrying Group)

References

Notes

Explanatory notes
  1. ↑ Aircraft is C-123K (originally a C-123B), serial 54-696 of the 19th Air Commando Squadron at Phan Rang Air Base in 1968.
  2. ↑ The Women's Auxiliary Ferrying Squadron pilots should not be confused with the Women Airforce Service Pilots program.
  3. ↑ It was originally intended to name this unit the 4440th Ferrying Group, but the name was changed before the group was activated.
  4. ↑ These squadrons had been formed in 1948 and had operated under various designations as the mission transferred from Bolling Field Command to Continental Air Command to TAC. See Tactical Air Command General Orders 41, 22 June 1960.
Citations
  1. ↑ Administrative History, pp. 64–66
  2. ↑ Administrative History, p. 67
  3. ↑ England & Reither, pp. 37–39
  4. ↑ "Abstract, History Air Transport Command, Jan 1942 – Jan 1944". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 7 September 2022.
  5. ↑ Goss, p. 75
  6. 1 2 Kane, Robert B. (12 April 2010). "Factsheet Twenty-Second Air Force (AFRC)". Air Force Historical Research Agency. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 AFOMO Letter 194p, 5 September 1969, Subject: Activation of the 2d Aircraft Delivery Group.
  8. ↑ "Abstract, History 3075 Aircraft Ferry Squadron [sic]Sep–Dec 1948". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  9. ↑ "Abstract, History 3075 Aircraft Ferry Squadron [sic] Jan-Ju 1948". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  10. 1 2 Mueller, p. 283
  11. 1 2 "Abstract, History 1708 Ferrying Group Nov–Dec 1951". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  12. 1 2 "Abstract, History 1708 Ferrying Group Jul–Dec 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Abstract, History 1739 Ferrying Squadron Jul–Dec 1952". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  14. ↑ "Abstract, History 1708 Ferrying Group Jan–Jun 1953". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  15. ↑ "Abstract, History 1708 Ferrying Wing Jul–Dec 1955". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  16. ↑ "Abstract, History 1708 Ferrying Wing Jul–Dec 1957". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Abstract, History 4440 Aircraft Delivery Group Jan–Jun 1958". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 30 August 2022.
  18. 1 2 "Abstract, History 2 Aircraft Delivery Group Jul–Dec 1992". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Abstract, History 4440 Aircraft Delivery Group Jan–Jun 1967". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  20. ↑ Mueller, pp. 84, 108, 492
  21. ↑ "Abstract, History 4440 Aircraft Delivery Group Jul–Sep 1969". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  22. ↑ Ravenstein, p. 12
  23. 1 2 "Abstract, History 2 Aircraft Delivery Group Oct–Dec 1969". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  24. 1 2 "Abstract, History 2 Aircraft Delivery Group Jan–Jun 1994". Air Force History Index. Retrieved 23 August 2022.
  25. ↑ Mueller, p. 316
  26. ↑ Mueller, p. 316
  27. 1 2 "Air Force Personnel Services: Unit Awards". Air Force Personnel Center. Retrieved 23 August 2022. (search)

Bibliography

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