On July 10, 1944, the organization was transferred to Ciampino airport near Rome, Italy, where the usual theater transportation missions continued. A number of personnel replacements had been received and further rotation of some aircrews to the states continued. Training was also accelerated for Operation Dragoon, which was to be the invasion of Southern France. During the first part of August very large scale practice missions involving both gliders and paratroopers were flown. On August 15th and 16th, 1944, the Group participated in the invasion of Southern France. Extracts from the official history are quoted "the Group committed a lead serial of 36 aircraft and a second serial of 27 aircraft--the Group made a good drop--later in the day the Group with an estimated 50 airplanes, participated in a very large scale glider operation towing more than 300 Waco gliders--because of obstructions placed in the glider landing zones all of the gliders were damaged or destroyed, 11 glider pilots were killed and approximately 100 glider troops were injured. The large quantities of material delivered had very little damage. There was some damage from anti-aircraft fire but all Group planes returned safely."

Italy, 1944. C-47 aircraft of the 17th Troop Carrier Squadron, 64th Troop Carrier Group, parked on the grass at Ciampino airfield (Rome), Italy. Click on photo to see larger version. (Photo courtesy of Mrs. William A. "Genevieve" Hitchcock)*

On September 6, 1944, the air echelon was sent from Ciampino airport to the Istres Le Tube airfield in southern France. From this large grass field we supplied our rapidly advancing ground forces and fighter units with gas and ammunition. Just as in the India operation the job was accomplished smoothly and rapidly. Notification was received on September 5, 1944, to move to Southern France and the first two squadrons were in place on September 6th and had delivered 164,000 pounds of cargo to the front lines by the end of the day.

On January 9, 1945, the Group was transferred from Rome to Rosignano, which was just south of Leghorn in Italy. We continued normal theater support missions and greatly expanded re-supply operations to partisan forces behind German lines in Italy and to the partisan forces of Marshall Tito in Yugoslavia.

Mt. Vesuvius, 1944, Naples, Italy. Mt. Vesuvius had a massive eruption in March of 1944, while the 64th TCG was in Italy. Lava flowed for days and covered many villages and farms. Reportedly, the eruption destroyed all of the B-25s of the 340th Bombardment Group (Medium), that was based nearby. The first aircraft in history to be destroyed by flying missiles-rocks! (Photo by Roger Coleson, 35th TCS)

Drop Zone in Yugoslavia.

Photo courtesy of Roger Coleson

We landed behind the lines on a number of missions to bring back various Allied personnel and an ever-increasing number of US and Allied aircrews. These crews had been shot down at different times, and had either escaped or had been hidden by Partisans until we could bring them out. Many of these aircrew members had existed under the most primitive conditions with inadequate food and medication. When we picked them up it was an extremely emotional experience for all of us, with warm embraces between strangers, which sometimes meant that all of us had to go through the delousing chambers when we returned to a recovery base. Concerning re-supply to Partisan and other forces behind the lines, this history can only deal with Group efforts and not to the many squadron and individual missions that were flown at different times during the war. This not only pertains to re-supply operations, but to the thousands of various kinds of missions flown by Group air crews.

On the night of April 20th and 21st, 1945, the 64th conducted the last paratroop mission of the war when we dropped 220 men into the Po valley, in small sticks or groups of 8 to 10. As I recall, these were elite Italian paratroopers who spoke the language, and they were very effective in harassing and in guerrilla tactics to hasten the end of the war. The war did end during early May 1945, and we continued theater support missions with the addition of emergency missions to provide food and medical supplies to newly liberated cities such as Milan, and to POW camps such as Klagensfort, Austria.

Turin, Italy, in 1945, after VE Day. Commander, Colonel John Cerny, in middle, wearing a "fifty mission crush" service cap and jacket, visits with Italian Partisans Various 35th Troop Carrier Squadron members are interspersed with the Italians. (Photo and story courtesy of Roger Coleson.) Click on photo to see a larger version.

Officer's Service Cap

At the end of the war there were some frantic calls for assistance. We were assigned this one, which was to bring in medical and other urgently needed supplies to Turin, Italy. We had about twenty-five airplanes and arrived in Turin just before noon on the day after the surrender in Italy. This was one or two days before the official VE day or Victory in Europe day. There were no allied forces anywhere near, so we were the first friendly faces these people had seen in a long time.

The Partisans did not have much to offer us but were insistent that we partake of chocolate, which was made in the building behind the group in the photo. And, they wanted to share the always available cognac. So, after several hours of touring the factory and partaking of the "spirits," it was high time to split, since the cognac was strong. I suggested to the Chief (Colonel Cerny) that we give them a small air show, which we did after returning the short distance to the airfield. I sent up two of my best hedge-hoppers, Vito Scuro and Ellis Widney, and they put on quite a show. They flew just a few feet off the deck and then met head on in the middle of the airfield. It was time to go home after that seemingly close encounter.

The Italian Partisans had used this chocolate factory as a headquarters since it had been used to make candy for only the high level Communist officials and their families. It was inconceivable that anyone would be audacious enough to operate in the enemy's own building. But, the Partisans did just that! (Photo and story courtesy of Roger Coleson.)

On May 21, 1945, the 64th left the Mediterranean Theater of Operations and flew planes and equipment to Trinidad via the Ascension Island and the South Atlantic route. In June 1945, the 64th Troop Carrier Group was inactivated and personnel and planes were assigned to the Air Transport Command (ATC). For the next few months former 64th personnel operated out of a number of ATC airfields between Natal, Brazil, and Miami in support of the Green Project, which was the mission to transport veterans from the European area, via the southern route, to discharge points in the US. In August 1945, some of the remaining 64th members were sent from their Green Project station in Puerto Rico, to Morrison Field, West Palm Beach, Florida. This was in support of the Vegetable Project, which flew veterans to their homes. This operation terminated on September 22, 1945.

While overseas, the 64th received the Distinguished Unit Citation for its efforts in India/Burma and up to 13 Bronze Service (Battle) Stars which were: Algerian-French Moroccan, Tunisian, Sicilian, Central Burma, India-Burma, Southern France, Rome-Arno, North Apennines, Po Valley, Central Europe, Ardennes-Alsace, Rhineland and Foggie-Naples. In addition, to numerous citations from commanders up through General Eisenhower, which were presented to the Group, or to individual squadrons. Members of the Group were awarded more than 500 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 200 clusters to the DFC, 1000 Air Medals, 1,500 clusters to the Air Medal, 20 Legion of Merit Medals, 5 Purple Heart Medals, 35 Bronze Star Medals, and 20 Soldier Medals. In earning these decorations, the Group flew more than 135,000 hours, transported more than 48,000 tons of freight and 320,000 passengers, patients, and troops.

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