1942
8-24/9-3 1942	Due to an excess of pilots, they must fly on a rotational basis; only enlisted crewmembers are assigned to a permanent aircraft. Aircrews conduct combat training exercises, and fly normal transport missions throughout the island. The base is located on a gently rolling plateau above the town of Ramsbury. Following the contour of the farmland, the runway is far from level. One of my fatigue details was to paint a ten-foot white ball at either end of the asphalt strip, to aid pilots in making spot landings on short runways. Poor weather over the British Isles prevails, leading to our unofficial slogan, "We fly when the birds are walking!"
3 Sep 1942	The 51st TCW is transferred to newly-activated 12th Air Force, and moves to the Twelfth's base at Greenham Common on 9 Sep 1942.
	The 17th Troop Carrier Squadron patch was suggested by a popular ditty. Members would sing the ditty following an unusual occurrence. The patch was designed by Theron P. Hess at RAF Greenham Common during November of 1942. The original did not contain the duck. He was added later on. This particular example was painted on the lid of a C-ration can, especially for Captain Urban S. Bond. ------------------------------------------------------------
	17TH TROOP CARRIER SQUADRON 12th AIR FORCE Brig. General Jimmy Doolittle, Commandinq General RAF Greenham Common, England
9 Sep 42	The 17th ground echelon moves to Greenham Common via troop train from Hungerford Station, while the air echelon flies the short distance to Greenham. This is a much larger base, with asphalt taxiways and ramps. The only permanent building is the manor house, a large three-story brick affair that we call the "Castle" housing Wing and RAF Base Headquarters. We are quartered in Quonset Huts, again, heated by coal stoves. The weather is growing colder and residents stand guard over the stoves each night, stoking them as necessary.
9-9/11-8 1942	Aircrew training intensifies in preparation for an air assault on an as yet undisclosed target. Rumors run rampant as we attempt to solve the mystery; everywhere from Norway to Greece. To further confuse the issue, orders are rescinded nearly as quickly as they are issued, to be replaced by still others. Crews are issued Arctic gear, then summer clothing, on a continuing basis. At last it is made known that the Wing will participate in OPERATION TORCH, the invasion and occupation of North Africa. Fuselage tanks are again installed; flame suppressors are attached to engine exhausts, and small escape kits, containing among other items, rubberized maps of the area; a small magnetic compass; a length of cable hack-saws, and two French or Swiss gold coins, to be used to bribe the way to freedom, if necessary.
	OPERATION TORCH The Invasion and Occupation of North Africa North African Command Lt. General Dwight D. Elsenhower, Commander-in-Chief
8 Nov 42	Flight crews depart on the longest airborne assault mission of the war, carrying elements of the British First Airborne Army 1500 miles to North Africa. Remaining well out to sea until reaching Gibraltar, the 17th is prepared to drop their troops on Maison Blanche Airdrome, Algiers, Algeria. However, when they arrive, the base has already been occupied, and they land under light ground fire. While crossing the Algiers harbor. Allied gunners fire on them and the C-47s take a number of hits, none of them serious. After the aircrews refuel their aircraft using five-gallon cans, they prepare for another drop the next day. Meanwhile, one aircraft is lost enroute to North Africa: C-47 #41-18353; Lt. Dal O. Hollingsworth (P); Lt. William B. Crooks, Jr. (copilot); T/Sgt. Frank Judd (crew chief) and Corporal LeRoy Hollingsworth (radio operator) [no relation to the pilot] lost an engine beyond the point of no return, circled over a Portuguese freighter until dawn, and then successfully ditched beside the ship. The freighter skipper delayed rescuing the downed personnel for over an hour, later stating that he thought the C-47 was a German amphibian, practicing water landings. The crew was taken directly to Lisbon, where they were given a red-carpet reception, placed aboard a Pan American Clipper and returned to London, in time to join the ground echelon aboard the huge former luxury liner HMS Monarch of Bermuda for transport to Oran, Algeria, where they arrived 6 December 1942 . (*See Frank Judd's version, below) There were two airfields near Oran, La Senia Airdrome, and Tafaroui Airstrip. The ground echelon bivouacked at Tafaroui, "where the mud is red and gooey," departing for Blida 12-15 -------------- *Frank Judd's Story By Roberta Judd (wife) Cottonwood Falls, Kansas Emporia Gazette November 4, 2000 Late on the night of November 10, 1942, a C-47, #41-18353, left Lands End, England, with a crew of four Americans: Captain Dal 0. Hollingsworth (pilot), Lt. William B. Crooks (CP), Corporal LeRoy Hollingsworth (radio operator), Tech. Sgt. Frank E. Judd (flight engineer ), and a British navigator. They were carrying ten British paratroopers. It was raining, and they were told not to return to Lands End under any circumstances. After flying through a severe storm for five hours, they realized that they were lost. As they were running low on fuel, all luggage, tools, and personal belongings were pushed out to lighten the load. The British navigator took out the aircraft's sextant to determine their location - only to find out that he could not read an American sextant. This was when the pilot broke radio silence and asked for directions to the nearest land. He was given directions in perfect English. The directions were followed, but no land was sighted, so they broke radio silence again and challenged with the code of the day. There was complete silence, so the crew knew that the enemy had sent them further out into the Atlantic. It was then November 11, 1942. They soon saw a fishing boat and dropped flares only to have them ignored. The pilot belly-landed the plane in the ocean, and the last flare was fired toward the Spanish fishing boat. This time it was seen by a crew member and the boat circled the plane and took the men on board and they watched their beloved C-47 sink to the bottom of the Atlantic. The men gave the captain of the boat their watches, cameras and gold coins from their escape kits, and he notified the American attache' in Lisbon, Portugal, 250 miles away. After three days on the boat, they were taken to the three-mile limit off the coast of Lisbon and were met by the American military attache' in a boat. The British were met by the British attache'. The Americans were taken to a hotel room with black drapes covering the window and were given civilian clothes. After two-and-a-half days in the room, they were taken out at night, put on a flying boat, and sent to Ireland, landing on the river Shannon. From there they were sent to London, then back to Scotland, where they took a boat to Oran, Morocco, and rejoined their unit.
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