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Revised 7/11/2023

The 34^th Troop Carrier Squadron

To view the official War Diaries of the 34th TCS, click on 34th TCS War Diary

Veteran Members (((Forthcoming)))

Historical Summary The 34th Troop Carrier Squadron was created in 1940(?) as one of two squadrons in the 6th Air Transport Command (the 43^rd TCS being the other). Originally based in Middletown, PA, at Olmstead Field, the squadron deployed to Florence, then to Aldermaston, England in 1942, via Greenland. The squadron's departure from Greenland was delayed for bad weather. Upon arrival in Aldermaston, Lord Ha-ha (British turn-coat radio announcer) welcomed its arrival over the air and even announced that the clock on the operations room wall was 15 minutes slow, which it was. An echelon of the 34^th deployed to Blida, Algiers, North Africa in fall of 1943. During that time, the 34^th and the 43^rd moved from Aldermaston, England, to Spanhoe, England, where the North Africa echelon rejoined the squadron in the spring of 1944. At that time, two new squadrons – the 309^th TCS and 310^th TCS – were created to join the 34^th and 34rd in forming the 315^th Troop Carrier Group at Spanhoe. Many of the personnel from the two squadrons moved to the two new squadrons. In March 1945, with the Continent well-secured, the Group, including the 34^th, moved its entire operations to Amiens, France. Operating in field conditions, they were instrumental in Operation Varsity, crossing the Rhine into Germany itself. With the surrender of Germany on May 8, 1945, the squadron began to stand-down and returned to the States in the summer of 1943, spending some time in the Carribean as a support base for troops and materiel in transit from Europe. The squadron was finally disbanded in August 1945.

(Right) Maj. Henry G. Hamby, 34th TCS, in front of Detachment “A” operations hut in Blida, Algeria, 1943. (refer to letter above). Hamby would become the first commander of the newly created 310th TCS created in May 1944 in anticipation of the Normandy invasion. See “Memoirs” page for anecdotes by Hamby regarding his experience at Blida.

(Above) 34th TCS aircraft (NM) at Spanhoe.

(Above) Messhall at Spanhoe (indicated by the arrow)

34th TCS aircraft (NM) at Spanhoe.

34th TCS aircraft (NM) on left with 43^rd TCS aircraft (UA) on right at Spanhoe just prior to D-Day.

(Right, L to R) Glen Davis, Robert 'Doc' Cloer and Merylyn Krueger

(Above) Goldberg, 34^th TCS, at Aldemaston

(Above) 34^th TCS personnel in front of 34^th Engineering Office, Spanhoe

(Right) 34^th TCS support personnel. (Head of top center person was inadvertently scratched out when the photo album was opened)

(Left) 34^th TCS crews at Spanhoe

(Right) 34^th crews at Spanhoe

(Left) 34^th TCS crews at Spanhoe. (Right) Russ Lane, 34^th electrician, on leave in Scotland. Russ had the presence of mind to take so many of these photos during the war.

(Left) Unidentified and H.A. Moore on leave in Hydepark. (Right) H.A. Moore at his Victory Garden

(Left) 34^th TCS cook Stam Bruch (Right) 34^th TCS cooks at Amiens

(Left) 34^th Personnel at Aldemaston

(Left and right) John (?) and (?) at Spanhoe.

(Left) 34^th personnel at Amiens (Right) Unidentified and Agrussa at Spanhoe

(Right) 34^th personnel

(Left) Ororke and others (Right) Ororke and others in Amiens

(Left) Outside the 34^th ‘Quackshack’ at Amiens (Right) Grainger and others at Amiens

(Left) Kluzwatrz(?) in Amiens (Right) Softly and others

(Left) Unidentified persons outside the 34^th TCS V.I.P. tent at Amiens