33d Troop Carrier Squadron The 33d Troop Carrier Squadron is an active United States Air Force unit , redesignated as the Air Mobility Command Test and Evaluation Squadron . It is assigned to the Air Mobility Command . During the Second World War the 33 TCS was with the 374th Troop Carrier Group , based at Nielson Field , Luzon , Philippines . It was last reactivated on 1 October 1994 . History . Operational history . Aerial transportation in South and Southwest Pacific during World War II . Formation - Stateside On 14 February 1942 , the 33d Transport Squadron was activated at Middletown Air Depot , Pennsylvaina and became a unit of the 315th Transport Group . The original cadre was selected from the 2nd Transport Squadron , with First Lieutenant Elmer F . Estrumse , from the 6th Transport Squadron , in command . Shortly after activation , the squadron began to operate with C - 39 ' s , loaned by the 2nd Transport Squadron , hauling cargo from Middletown to widely scattered points in the United States as well as Newfoundland , Haiti , Cuba , and other foreign air fields . The squadron ' s first plane , a C - 53 Skytrooper , was assigned during the first week of June 1942 . On 17 June 1942 , the squadron changed its station to Bowman Field , Kentucky . And influx of personnel increased the organization from a cadre to approximately half its T / O strength . The organization continued to haul cargo to diverse points while at Bowman Field , and , in addition , instituted an extensive training program for both flying and ground personnel . Training for pilots and enlisted men began for the operation of C - 47 transport aircraft . In early July 1942 , the squadron was redesignated the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron . On 3 August 1942 , the squadron moved from Bowman Field , Kentucky to the Army Air Base , Florence , South Carolina . The movement was completed on 5 August . The squadron began to gather its required strength of pilots and enlisted man as combat crews , and its allotted quota of aircraft . An intensive overseas training program was immediately undertaken . Flying personnel engaged in night flying and dropped paratroops in southern maneuvers . Ground personnel were given infantry and commando training . While at Florence , the number of aircraft in the unit was raised to a maximum of thirteen . The squadron sustained its first loss of personnel when Sergeant Joseph Archembault died on 29 August 1942 , at Florence , S . C . , as a result of injuries received in a motor vehicle accident . In September 1942 , seventy - two officers and enlisted men formed an air echelon and departed for Hamilton Field , California , for overseas transition training . Two weeks later , on 20 October 1942 , the ground echelon departed Florence , S . C . by rail , arriving at its destination , Pittsburg , California , on 27 October 1942 . Departure for the South Pacific On 18 October 1942 , the air echelon , under the command of Captain Eugene R . Jackson , departed Hamilton Field with thirteen planes headed for the Southwest Pacific . Upon arrival at Canton Island , the evening of 21 October 1942 , ten planes and crews assisted for two days in the search for Captain Eddie Rickenbacker whose B - 17 had ditched in the Pacific . The air echelon arrived at New Caledonia on 25 October 1942 . Seven of the squadron ' s planes and crews were delayed there until 29 November 1942 to ferry personnel and supplies to Guadalcanal and New Hebrides Islands , using Tontouta as a base . Wounded personnel were returned from Guadalcanal . Here the squadron sustained its first casualties in the Southwest Pacific Area . On 8 November 1942 , a C - 47 with S / Sgt . Pilot Ray V . Hensman at the controls , was seen to burst into flame after takeoff , as it passed over the northerly end of Henderson Field , Guadalcanal , then in the hands of the Japanese . It has been struck by enemy ground fire . Two weeks later , on 22 November 1942 , another plane was totally demolished in a take - off crash at New Hebrides carrying a load of hand grenades . the crew was seriously injured , but there were no fatalities . On 29 November , the five remaining planes departed Tantouta , joining the rest of the air echelon at Wards Drome , Port Moresby , New Guinea on 2 December 1942 . The remaining six planes continued on to Brisbane , Queensland , thence to Cairns , Queensland , and operated from there and New Guinea until 10 December 1942 when they were sent to their permanent station in New Guinea . On the first of November these six planes began to operate from Port Moresby in support of the Papuan and Buna New Guinea action . The ground echelon departed the Golden Gate early on the morning of 3 November 1942 aboard the USS Tjisdane ; arrived in Auckland , New Zealand on 22 November where it remained for four days , arriving at Brisbane , Australia on 1 December . Billited at Camp Doomben , three weeks elapsed during which training was continued ( hikes , drill , weapons instructions , etc . ) The squadron embarked on the supply ship Isaac Coles on 21 December . There were no troop facilities on board , and the men slept in one of the holds on strips of plywood laid on the floor . Strict smoking orders were enforced since there were thousands of tons of live ammunition , torpedoes , and bombs on board . After a seven day strenuous trip , Port Moresby , New Guinea was reached on 28 December 1942 . The meeting of the air and ground echelons was a never - to - be - forgotten moment . The ground echelon was informed that although an area had been assigned , no camp had been established . The air echelon had slept in the planes , eating cold c - rations or eating occasionally at Camp Arcadia whose small kitchen appeared to be the only one on the island . The men immediately set up pup tents and prepared sites for permanent quarters to be put up as soon as the pyramidal tents would be unloaded from the boat . The unit was notified that it had become a part of the newly designated 374th Troop Carrier Group , pursuant to General Order No . 32 , Hq . Fifth Air Force , 12 November 1942 , which was being built up in Brisbane . Early Combat Losses During this month , two of the six aircraft , with crews , were lost . Nine enlisted men had been killed and one officer and two enlisted men were missing . One was the result of an attack by Japanese Zero s , while the other crashed in the Owen Stanley Range . Of the latter , on 10 November 1942 , " The Flying Dutchman , " loaded with 20 Americans of the 126th Infantry regiment crashed near Dobodura , New Guinea . Second Lieutenant George W . Vandervort and Sgt . Steven J . Pitch were killed , while Sgt . George R . Kershner , radio operator , was miraculously spared . Sgt . Kershner wandered through the New Guinea jungles for 38 days before he was rescued . Remains of Sgt . Pitch and nine infantry men were recovered in July 1944 . During the month of January 1943 , the war was brought to the men in the form of air raids . These raids resulted in little damage but they did manage to keep the men up most of the night . During these early months , a dispute arose as to who was Commanding Officer of the squadron . Captain Eugene R . Jackson had been placed in command of the air echelon at Hamilton Field by order , of the I Troop Carrier Command at Indianapolis , Indiana . At about the same time , Captain Robert L . Ward was also assigned to the squadron at Florence , S . C . and placed in command by order of Lt . Col . Hamish McLelland , Commanding Officer of the 315th Troop Carrier Group . The issue was settled by Colonel Paul H . Prentiss , Commanding Officer , 314th Troop Carrier Group . His decision placed Captain Ward in command . His tenure of office was short due to the early promotion of Captain Jackson to Major . The air echelon had welcomed the arrival of the ground echelon for they had been flying daily , without rest , since their departure from the states . Now they would be able to get more rest because of the crew members who had come over with the ground echelon . Their exuberance was short lived for the battle for the Wau strip was in process and all the unit ' s planes were busy flying in Australian troops until the Japanese were eventually driven out , in February . It was during the height of this battle that another of our planes was lost to enemy action . On 1 February 1943 , several flights of the squadron ' s planes reached the Wau strip simultaneously with 20 Japanese bombers and several fighters . The bombers dropped their loads on the strip and the fighters took after the squadron ' s aircraft . All escaped except for " Early Delivery , " piloted by Lt . Robert H . Schwensen . The plane was last seen with two Zeros on its tail . Coincident with the Wau battle , the 33d planes were required to carry supplies to Kakoda , Doboduro , Buna , and dropping missions on the various battle fronts in Papua inaccessible to air strips . Casualties were usually evacuated on the return trips from these strips . The planes , upon approaching Wards Drome , would fly a distinctive colored streamer , indicating wounded aboard , and would be met innned1ately upon landing by American and Australian ambulances . Group Citation For its vital part in the Papuan Campaign between 19 September 1942 and 22 December 1942 , the 374th Troop Carrier Group was cited in par . III , War Department General Order No . 3 , 15 January 1943 . Also included in citation , lID Co . 1 / : 21 , 6 May 1943 . Operations was separated from Engineering in January and Lt . Cartwright was appointed Operations Officer . Communications was also established as a separate unit under the direction of Lt . Richard Krolik . The 33d continued to fly unprecedented numbers of troops and tons of supplies to Dobodura and Wau and Bulolo , where the enemy were being gradually pushed back into Salamau and Lae . To the Allied troops on the front lines of this sector , daily dropping missions kept them in supplies and ammunition . Enemy activity over the Port Moresby area was being gradually reduced to hit and run night raids of one , two and occasionally three planes . Day raids were a thing of the past so personnel had become lax in the upkeep of their slit trenches . This proved to be unfortunate when at 1000 hours on 12 April 1943 forty odd Japanese bombers and sixty - five Zeroes raided Seven Mile Strip and Wards Drome . Personnel on the strip crowded into several culverts . The 33d suffered no damage to installations or equipment . In July 1943 , squadrons of the 375th Troop Carrier Group arrived . The 56th and 58th Squadron ' s were attached to the 33d for rations , quarters , and flying . These squadrons flew operational missions with the 374th Group , and under the guidance of the group ' s old pilots , built up experience and knowledge necessary for safe flying over the Owen Stanley Range and the southwest Pacific area in general . At the end of the month the 375th Group departed Moresby and moved to Dobodura . Ground and air operations against Lae and Salamua increased in tempo until the early weeks in September when Lae capitulated on the 16th . The Group ' s planes were soon hauling equipnent and personnel on a regular shuttle between Moresby and Lae . The Move to Australia In October 1943 , the entire Group moved to Australia . Headquarters and the 6th , 22d and 33d Squadrons went to Townsville and the 21st Squadron to Brisbane . The 33rd made a complete exchange of equipment with the 41st Troop Carrier Squadron , 317th Troop Carrier Group at Townsville . They in turn moved into the 33d ' s area at Port Moresby , taking over the equipment left by the 33rd . Although still under the administrative control of the Fifth Air Force , the Group was placed under the operational control of the Directorate of Air Transport . A heavy schedule of operations was undertaken by the Group , and men and equipment were moved in a steady flow to all parts of Australia , especially Darwin and other West Australian military establishments . Another shuttle schedule was made between Moresby and Townsville . To the Group also fell the task of ferrying personnel from Moresby to the rest area at Mackay , Queensland . Flights from Townsville were altogether different than those from Moresby . All were at least four hours long . Here the Group would take a load to one station , offload , reload and head on flying until darkness or weather forced the crew to remain overnight . While stationed at Townsville , the number of aircraft assigned to the Squadron was increased . This enabled the 33d to step up production . Air miles flown and flying hours were almost doubled . This change came without any increase in personnel . Gradually , however , new men were added and manpower problems were overcome . During the period from October 1943 to April 1944 , the squadron learned to maintain and operate twice as many aircraft as ever before , and during this period , only one major accident occurred over the Coral Sea probably as the result of bad weather . The Move from Townsville to Port Moresby On 14 April 1944 the 33rd Troop Carrier Squadron movement from Townsville to Port Moresby began and was completed on 16 April , except for heavy vehicles and equipment scheduled to come by boat . April 20 the organization moved from temporary billets at HQ . Fifth Air Force to the permanent base at the old 54th Troop Carrier Wing area . Camp construction was started immediately . Diligent and cooperative work resulted in one of the best camp areas in New Guinea . Major Wamsley was appointed Base Commander of Wards Airdrome effective 17 April 1944 . In the middle of May 1944 , squadron operations , intelligence , and engineering moved from Wards to Jackson Drome . The move involved hauling several buildings approximately a mile and a half . At Wards Drome the Intelligence Department had ample space on the second floor of the Base Operations Building . At Jackson , the space allocated by DAT was so insufficient that it required construction of a new building . New materials being unavailable for construction , salvage from the old 6th and 33d Troop Carrier Squadrons was utilized . An interesting sidelight was the utilization of about 30 transient natives to move an old tent floor , pay being in cigarettes . During the month , in cooperation with Graves Registration and ANGAU , a thorough air search was made of the area in which the " Flying Dutchman " crashed 10 November 1942 in a mountainous region east of Port Moresby . Though there were survivors who eventually reached civilization , the plane has never been located , but another crashed plane hitherto not located was seen and photographed . For about four days out of the month of July 1944 the 33d flew Jack Benny , Carole Landis , and company to different bases in New Guinea . The highlight of the Communications Section activities for the month was the opening of its Radio Operator ’ s Training School under the supervision of Sgt . Ralph Harmon . The course covered radio repair and maintenance , theory and procedure , as well as the use of code . Training included practice in the air , as well as on the ground . Flights to the Philippines The squadron was ordered to make a change of station to Finschhafen , New Guinea . Two detachments ( 25 enlisted men and 2 officers ) departed for Finschhafen on 20 and 21 August 1944 . On 22 August the movement orders were postponed by the commanding general of the Far East Air Forces . Fourteen enlisted men returned to the squadron next day . During September 1944 , preparation of the new camp site at Finschhafen progressed favorably in steady rain and mud . The parachute department is the only complete department that moved up to Finschhafen . Between the 15th through 18 October 1944 , the squadron moved to Hollandia . The new camp Site , at the base of the Cyclops Mountain Range , was formerly occupied by the 2lst Infantry Division . During October , 13 new pilots were received in the Squadron . Capt . Claude Patterson , 1st Lt . Eric Pearson and 2d Lt . Richard Bledsoe were the first personnel from the squadron to fly into the Philippines . On the 26th of November , flying a FEAF Headquarters plane , they took off for Palau and remained overnight there . On the following morning , they took off for Leyte , remained there almost an hour and flew back to Hollandia via Palau . On 17 December 1944 a new courier run was initiated : Holiandia - Biak - Morotai - Leyte and return . Toward the end of the year the squadron pilot roster increased from about 55 pilots to 105 . For the year 1944 , the Engineering Section maintained 90 percent of planes in commission , and there were 87 engines changed during the year , averaging 7 engines per month . During August through September , write - ups and photos were sent to home - town newspapers of various members of the squadron . The much expected cancellation of Australian leaves and furloughs for flying personnel came when the leave ship scheduled to take - off on 26 February 1945 was ordered cancelled . Along with this cancellation , word was received that there would be no further vacations to the mainland . The rest area at MacKay was ordered closed . While flying over Mindoro , W - 588 , piloted by 1st Lieutenant Frank R . Miller , was hit by enemy anti - aircraft fire on 16 February . The right aileron was almost completely shot off and a large hole shot in the right wing . Both aileron and wing had to be replaced . No injuries received by crew . During March 1945 , the squadron flew an average of sixteen airplanes a day and logged over 4 , 000 hours , the equivalent of 600 , 000 airline miles . The hours flown exceeded those of any single month in squadron history by 750 hours . Moved to Nielson Field , Manila , Philippines April 1945 was hardly underway when the squadron received its movement orders to make a change of station to Nielson Field , Manila , Philippine Islands . The organization was relieved from operational flying on the 7th and the first planeload departed at 0600 . Aboard were the advance echelon of Lt . Osborne and four enlisted men with their personal equipment . Their specific duty was that of liaison with base officials . The actual movement was begun on the 8th . The advance echelon had set up a few tents just off Nichols strip where the equipment was being unloaded . Planes were unable to land on Nielson since repairs to the strip had not been completed . Lt . Barwick with the aid of several enlisted men , commenced on the 12th to survey and lay out the camp , area . Unnecessary delays were encountered when a shortage of center and corner poles for the tents was discovered . It was possible to put up only fifteen tents . Requisitions were returned " out of stock . " The shortage was overcome when 144 poles were borrowed from the 9lst Engineer Battalion . Construction got under way again and six rows of tents , approximately seven tents in each row , were set up . The move was completed by the 20th with exception of three or four loads that was necessary to maintain the small detachment at Hollandia . Two new C - 46 ' s were received in April . Until pilots became acquainted with them , they were used for transition only . Mr . Hadely , the Curtiss - Wright representative , gave ground school for engineers and flew with Capt . Samuels and Lt . Thompson explaining and demonstrating flight operations of the Curtiss propellers . The movement of the organization to a civilized area after a protracted stay in New Guinea was responsible for an improvement in morale . VE and Redeployment The construction of the new camp area , began in April , was carried on without interruption . Buildings began mushrooming in an orderly fashion all over the area during the month of May 1945 . Normal operation of the squadron was disrupted by the defeat of Germany and the subsequent introduction of the Redeployment " bombshell " . Ninety enlisted men and five officers had Adjusted Service Rating scores above 85 . Of this group , 98 % had been in the Southwest Pacific Area since November 1942 . The remaining 2 % attributed their high score to dependent children . The plan was responsible for a terrific upswing in the morale of the men with long overseas service . For the second time in the history of the squadron , an enlisted man was given a direct commission . Master Sergeant Harry Friedman was commissioned a Second Lieutenant . The only other direct appointment made was in August 1942 at Florence , South Carolina when Master Sergeant George Conley was commissioned a Second Lieutenant . The excellent record of the squadron ' s aircraft during this period reflected Friedman ’ s tireless efforts toward maintaining the desired degree of efficiency of maintenance . Within a few days of his appointment , Lt . Friedman was transferred to the 333d Repair Squadron , 4th Air Depot Group in Manila . Three C - 46 aircraft were received during the month making a total of five in the squadron . During June 1945 , “ Redeployment and Readjustment " assumed the position of highest importance to the personnel of the unit . The first quota was announced on 16 June — two men , S / Sgt . Preston H . Yawn with a score of 126 and Sgt . Wallace F . Costello with a score of 123 . Morale of the squadron nosedived since everyone had anticipated a much larger quota in view of the fact that the 374th Group was the original and oldest troop carrier organization in the Southwest Pacific Area . A total of 17 men had over 100 points . S / Sgt . James J . Murphy , Cpl , Francis H . Emmerich , and Pvt . Orville G . Griffith , the only men eligible under the War Department ' s announcement of discharging men over 40 year - of - age , were returned to the United States . During July 1945 , the squadron released thirteen enlisted men under the Redeployment Policy . This surpassed last month ' s by eleven men . Of the thirteen men released , three had scores of 111 while the lowest man had 100 points . End of Hostilities One BT - 13 was assigned to the squadron to be used as an instrument trainer . On 27 July the BT - 13 was demolished in a landing accident when it struck construction equipment at the end of the runway . A B - 25 was also received to be used for a food ship . A considerable amount of work was done on this ship . All paint was removed and all moveable surfaces were replaced with new surfaces . Nielson Field , upon which the 33d Squadron is based became exceedingly congested , resulting in traffic blocks that kept aircraft attached to the squadron from getting off on time . August 1945 all hostilities ceased in the Southwest Pacific Area . The affect this news had on the men in the squadron was one of relief , but not great exuberance . On 31 August the squadron lost a C - 46 aircraft missing on a routine flight from Merotai , Halmahera to Nielson Field . One night courier and one day courier schedule to Okinawa was added . The Japanese acceptance of Allied surrender terms in August alerted the Intelligence Department to preparing maps to Formosa and Japan . These maps were made ready and were used on August 28 when the squadron ' s first plane flew into Tokyo . This was the sixteenth Allied plane to land in Japan . The big business for the month of September 1945 was the releasing from the squadron of personnel on the Redeployment System . The aircraft that was listed as missing on a routine flight in August from Merotai , Halmahera to Manila was discovered on 25 September 7 1 / 2 miles from Del Monte , Mindanao airstrip where it hit a mountain at very low altitude . All crew members were killed . Courier runs to Tokyo , Morotai , and Del Monte constituted most of the flights for the month . So many key personnel were returned to the United States that the Engineering Section was very shorthanded . This month saw the lowest percentage of planes in commission , 63 % , because of the personnel shortage . The 33d Troop Carrier Squadron was inactivated at APO 323 , effective 15 February 1946 . Statistics Some interesting statistics on record flying time , weight hauled , and miles flown by the 33d Troop Carrier Squadron are : Flying Time , 4 , 039 : 05 hours in March 1945 ; Weight Hauled , 6 , 951 , 103 pounds in May 1944 ; and , Miles Flown , 471 , 474 miles in January 1945 . Commanding Officers . 1st Lt . Elmer F . Estrumse - 17 Feb . 42 1st Lt . Campbell N . Smith - 1 Sep . 42 Capt . George C . Kimball - 30 Sep . 42 ( Acting CO , Ground Echelon ) Capt . Robert L . Ward - 7 Oct . 42 ( Ground Echelon ) Capt . Eugene R . Jackson - 11 Oct . 42 Capt . Eugene R . Jackson - 28 Dec . 42 ( complete command ) Capt . George W . Wamsley , Jr . - 15 Oct . 43 Capt . Robert E . Carlson - 17 Jul . 44 Capt . William J . Samuels - 28 Jan . 45 Capt . Robert T . Best - 19 May 45 2d Lt . Fred Zorn - 2 Jan 46 to 15 Feb 46 ( Acting CO )