That’s All, Brother Returns
Restored C-47 in Flight – Photo credit: Airwolfhound
The lead C-47 troop carrier That’s All, Brother was at the head of the fleet of planes flying into Normandy on D-Day, to drop paratroopers into the area ahead of the landing parties not far behind them.
That’s All, Brother, originally piloted by the late Lt. Col. John Donalson of Birmingham, Al, was the lead plane of 900 departing planes, carrying a total of 13,000 paratroopers.
The full story of the recovery and restoration of this historic plane is here:
Here’s something about the D-Day drop from some of the 82nd Airborne Division’s WWII veterans.
Category: Blue Skies, Historical
Cool story and linkies Ex. Thanks! Imagine finding, not just a D-Day C47, the aircraft that “lead the parade.” Imagine also, the awe of the grandchildren of the pilot, being in an historic aircraft that he flew on that day in history. Wonder how the powers that be chose the pilot that will fly this plane on 6 June 2019? Bet THAT was a contest.
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed that most of the comments on the Military Times Articles is from people bragging on how much money they making on the webz? You would think that a spam filter or moderator would be in order.
5th:
Have noticed the same thing.
Am guessing the Company that now owns those publications does not care…
Thank goodness TAH has great Moderators…🤗
😉
TAH moderators are the SOG of intetwebz moderators.
Great post Ex-PH2. The Airborne assault at Normandy is the ancient military proverb, “No battle plan survives contact with the enemy,” writ large.
IMO.
Thanks. D-Day comes up soon.
Thank you for sharing that with us, Ex-PH2!
You’re welcome.
900 planes. That’s just the paratroopers, one of the smaller elements of the invasion (relatively speaking). The scale is just so incomprehensible.
When I think about the invasion armada; the cargo ships, troop carriers, landing craft, net layers, LSTs and then all those planes and paratroopers it really blows my mind. What a sight that must have been in person.
Right…! Just think of the logistics to get 900 planes airborne (pre-aerial refueling) let alone pointed in the right direction….
You know there were also bombers launching to do their missions too… England was one giant airfield.!
The Scale …Staggers the mind.
When it comes to pointing them in the right direction, I actually know the answer to that. Just learned it recently too.
They called them “assembly ships”. Google image search and you’ll see some wild paint jobs. These obnoxious, over the top, impossible to miss painted planes would take off first, then all the planes of the wing would form up behind them, then the assembly plane would head back home after getting them all set off.
https://www.warhistoryonline.com/war-articles/formation-ships.html
Pretty ingenious. Of course, it would only work for the US, since all the other belligerents in the war didn’t have any excess aircraft to use just for that purpose.
Thank You for the info. Googly-Fu’d up the images and then got my morning laugh from the Wiki-Poo entry about assembly ships.
It said: However, there is an instance where a B-24 nicknamed “Spotted Ass Ape” continued with its bomber formation all the way to its target in Germany.
“Spotted Ass Ape” – Hee Hee
Then: we used an island nation as an airfield and staging area for a world war. Now: we have legislators worried that Guam could tip over due to the weight of troops…
There was a proposal being looked at to make a massive aircraft carrier out of pykrete (sawdust and water, frozen).
No island? We’ll just build our own out of saw dust and sea water.
There were also gliders of several types, that were used to get troops and equipment into France on a one-way trip.
^word^ The logistics indeed. And Ike was the man for that job. As General George Smith Patton Jr (accuracy counts) stated, “Ike was the best clerk he ever had.”
Even the Navy showed up with what a coupla five thousand ships? The bosun mates driving the LCs…BZ..making several trips back and forth. A special BZ to the destroyer Captains that brought their ships in close to shore and provided direct fire floating artillery support for them poor dog faces crossing a landscape rained on by steel and watered by blood. Mind boggling.
Got to jump from one three times. I was surprised how small the interior was compared to every other troop/cargo plane I jumped.
I’m jealous.
Save me a jump seat!
EVERY time I see a C47 whether it’s in a photo or a Museum Exhibit I wonder if it’s one of the Birds that my Grandad helped build, he worked for McDonnel Douglass during WWII!