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Revised 7/5/2023

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The 34th Troop Carrier Squadron

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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 43rd 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 34th deployed to Blida, Algiers, North Africa in fall of 1943.  During that time, the 34th and the 43rd 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 309th TCS and 310th TCS – were created to join the 34th and 34rd in forming the 315th 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 34th, 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.

 

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

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

 

 

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34th TCS aircraft (NM) at Spanhoe.

 

 

 

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

 

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

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(Above) Goldberg, 34th TCS, at Aldemaston

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

 

 

 

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

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(Left)  34th TCS crews at Spanhoe

 

 

 

(Right)  34th crews at Spanhoe

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(Left)  34th TCS crews at Spanhoe.

 

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

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(Left) Unidentified and H.A. Moore on leave in Hydepark.

 

 

(Right)  H.A. Moore at his Victory Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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(Left)  34th TCS cook Stam Bruch

 

(Right) 34th TCS cooks at Amiens

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(Left)  34th Personnel at Aldemaston

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

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(Left) 34th personnel at Amiens

 

 

(Right)  Unidentified and Agrussa at Spanhoe

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(Right)  34th personnel

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(Left)  Ororke and others

 

 

 

(Right)  Ororke and others in Amiens

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(Left)   Outside the 34th ‘Quackshack’ at Amiens

 

 

(Right) Grainger and others at Amiens

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(Left)  Kluzwatrz(?) in Amiens

 

 

(Right)  Softly and others

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

 

 

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