| Into The Valley Site Map |
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Introduction to the book, Into The Valley, and to this Web site. |
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Biographical information on Col. Charles H. Young, including the barnstorming era, the Army Air Corps in the 1930s, the airlines, and the war. Also includes links to a short description of the duties of IX Troop Carrier Command units and a brief profile of the pioneering phase of transport aviation, with emphasis on the Airmail era. |
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Author’s Wartime Diary |
The current passage features a description of Normandy from the cockpit of a lead aircraft shortly after midnight on 6 June 1944, as the airborne assault began, spearheading history’s most famous invasion. The current page includes a link to a map of the routes that American and British Troop Carrier serials flew on the Normandy missions. Also see a selection of entries from the author's diary leading up to and including the invasion of Holland on 17 September 1944. |
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Book reviews of Into The Valley. Includes USAF, WWII scholars, and TC and Airborne authors. Note: At the bottom of the page, click the button to hear the sound of a C-47 engine start. |
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Written by Gen. John R. Galvin, this is the Foreword for Into The Valley. It offers a concise description of the book’s content, and places it in historical context. A short bio of Gen. Galvin is linked to this page. |
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The current selection commemorates the heroic defense of Bastogne by the American 101st Airborne and attached units, and the gallant efforts of Troop Carrier aircrews to get urgent supplies across German lines which encircled Bastogne. The first-hand accounts include stories by the pilot and co-pilot of a C-47 that was flown while on fire for an extended period to get the glider it towed into American-held territory. By the time this was accomplished, the entire cabin was on fire, closing the usual escape route for the pilot who was the last to leave. The glider pilot’s account is also included. These stories include photos and historical background, both of the Battle of the Bulge and of the fateful Troop Carrier glidertow mission that was mistakenly routed over the heaviest German artillery concentration at Bastogne. Maps are included. Selections “From the Book” will change periodically to correspond to IX Troop Carrier Command’s major missions, and will feature first-hand accounts of the action. |
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This is a summary of the evolution and development of Troop Carrier with emphasis on the European theater of war. Written by the editor of Into The Valley, this page includes links to photographs of each Airborne-Troop Carrier operation described. |
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Brief descriptions of major events in the development of Airborne-Troop Carrier, from 1918-1945. This chronology, which is linked to the Historical Overview, covers all theaters of war in WWII and includes the major airborne operations of both Allied and Axis powers. |
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Maps & Photos |
Photographs are displayed on the Home, Author, and in the selection From the Book, many of which are linked to the historical descriptions of the Battle of the Bulge and the Troop Carrier missions to Bastogne in December 1944. In addition, many other photos display from links in the Historical Overview. A number of these photos are rare. The U.S. and British Troop Carrier Normandy route map is linked to the Author’s wartime diary: D-Day, Normandy. A map of the Ardennes incursion (the “bulge”) is included in the historical material in the current selection from the book, as is a route map of the 27 Dec 1944 50-ship glidertow to Bastogne. Note: To expand the maps, wait for the map to load. The Expansion icon will then display in the lower right portion of the map, or you will see "Change Zoom Level"; click this icon to display the full-size map, or zoom out to the desired size. |
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The main body of the 50th TC Wing Field Order No. 1, adapted by Wing from the IX TCC field order of the same name. This document contains at least one surprise in it’s instructions to pilots who missed the intended DZ or LZ on the initial run-in. Hint: Even Warren, USAF Study No. 97, missed this one. This document is available for viewing in graphic format (jpg files), or as a PDF file. |
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The Bibliography for Into The Valley. The historical narratives in the current selection in From the Book cite the sources listed here. |
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The order form for the book, Into The Valley, The Untold Story of USAAF Troop Carrier in World War II, From North Africa Through Europe, by Col. Charles H. Young. |
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A list of sites that may be of value to folks who are interested in the history of USAAF Troop Carrier operations in World War II. |
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News that pertains to USAAF Troop Carrier. Currently this includes information about posting of an original copy of “Field Order No. 1,” a historic document pertaining to the Normandy air assault missions. |
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