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Reminiscent Of An English Sky
this C-47 with tail number 42-93096. seems to be waiting for
it's stick of ;paratroopers to board.
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One Famous Load
was this stick of Pathfinders in the Normandy run with chalk number 17
scribbled on its fuselage.
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Restored To Former Glory
'096' sits on a ramp and looks as though it is raring to go
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Civilian and Military
numbers now mark the vertical stabilizer
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| January 19, 2006 - Greetings!!
This is Dave Berry writing from Dayton, OH. I have unbelievable news
for the 508!
For about a year-and-a-half there has been a C-47 for sale on eBay.
It is painted OD (Olive Drab) Green and carries Invasion stripes. It
was [used after the war as] a freight hauler in Burlington, VT and Charlotte,
NC.
It has just passed to a new owner.
The tail number is 42-93096.
This plane flew with the Pathfinder Group on Operation VARSITY (507); the
resupply mission to the 101st at Bastogne; and carried 506 Pathfinders into
Holland for Market-Garden.
This morning I spoke with the wartime Pathfinder pilot of plane 096 and he
CONFIRMED that he flew the same plane all through the war --- INCLUDING NORMANDY.
He was co-pilot on Normandy flying Pathfinder Chalk #17. Chalk 17 (Plane
096) was the PF [Pathfinder] plane for 2/508 and carried Elbert F. Hamilton
and Lloyd Pollette.
This aircraft is still going strong and will be maintained (and restored)
by the new owners in it's pathfinder configuration and toured around the country
on the air show circuit.
I've known the story of the men aboard CHALK 17 for 25 years --- but I never
knew until this morning that Chalk 17 was "096".
Just fantastic!
Dave Berry
Pathfinder Historian
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