The 52d Troop Carrier Wing (52 TCW) is a disbanded unit of the United States Air Force. It was last assigned to the New York Air National Guard (NY ANG) as the 52d Fighter Wing, being stationed at Westchester County Airport, New York. It was inactivated on 31 October 1950 and the unit designation withdrawn and returned to the Air Force by the National Guard Bureau. It was disbanded on 15 June 1983.
The wing was established and activated as an airlift unit, the 52d Transport Wing on 15 June 1942. It was a major training organization for I Troop Carrier Command, from 1942 to 1943, training subordinate units in the United States prior to overseas deployment.
The wing deployed to North Africa in 1943 and was assigned to Twelfth Air Force. Its units subsequently engaged in combat operations, supporting Fifth Army units in the North African and Tunisian Campaigns. The wing's five groups also carried Army parachutists and towed gliders during Operation Husky. It provided supply transportation during the subsequent Italian Campaign during the balance of 1943
In June 1944, subordinate units of the wing dropped paratroopers in Normandy, subsequently flying numerous missions to bring in reinforcements and needed supplies. During the airborne attack on the Netherlands (Operation Market Garden), in September 1944, the 52nd dropped paratroops, towed gliders, and flew resupply missions. Several of its subordinate units also participated in the invasion of southern France in August 1944. The 52nd supported the 101st Airborne Division in the Battle of the Bulge by towing gliders full of supplies near Bastogne on 27 December 1944. In addition, its units participated in Operation Varsity, the air assault across the Rhine River in early 1945 and later flew numerous aerial resupply and casualty evacuation flights of wounded personnel as well as theater troop transport operations. It operated until V-E Day, then returned to the United States until inactivation in 1946.
The wartime 52d Troop Carrier Wing was allotted to the New York Air National Guard, on 28 August 1946. It was re-designated as the 52d Fighter Wing and organized at Westchester County Airport, New York, being extended federal recognition on 3 October 1947 by the National Guard Bureau.
At the end of October 1950, the ANG converted to the wing-base (Hobson Plan) organization. As a result, the wing was inactivated on 31 October 1950 and the allocation was withdrawn from the New York ANG. The 106th Bombardment Wing at Brooklyn, and 107th Fighter Wing at Niagara Falls formed and were simultaneously allotted to the NY ANG and activated to replace the 52d, reporting directly to the New York National GuardAdjutant General in Albany.
The NY ANG 52d Fighter Wing should not be confused with the 52d Fighter Wing first activated in June 1948 and currently active.
Maurer, Maurer (1983). Air Force Combat Units of World War II. Maxwell AFB, Alabama: Office of Air Force History. ISBN0-89201-092-4.
Johnson, David C. (1988), U.S. Army Air Forces Continental Airfields (ETO), D-Day to V-E Day; Research Division, USAF Historical Research Center, Maxwell AFB, Alabama.
United States
United States Air Force
This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency
