WW II C-47s Loading for Operation Market-Garden, 1944

This photo was taken 17 September 1944 during the preparations for Operation Market-Garden, the Allied thrust into Holland. It shows long, twin lines of C-47 transport planes being loaded with men and equipment at an airfield in England. The C-47's carried paratroopers of the First Allied Airborne Army consisting of the U.S. 82nd and 101st Airborne, and British 1st Parachute Division along with a unit of Polish paratroopers. They landed via parachute or glider. Operation Market Garden failed to meet its objectives; in particular, the Arnhem bridge across the Rhine was not taken after heavy fighting. Market Garden will always be known as "A Bridge Too Far ".

The Douglas C-47, called Skytrain, Dakota, or Gooney Bird, is the military version of the DC-3 airliner. It carried troops, cargo and served as a glider tow vehicle in support of major airborne operations such as the D-Day landings in Normandy and Operation Market Garden. C-47s continued in service after World War II including a major role in the Berlin Airlift, Korea and even Vietnam.

Today in WW II: 17 Sep 1939 Soviet troops invade Poland from the east. More ↓

17 Sep 1944 Thousands of Allied planes begin airborne assault on Holland, Operation Market Garden.
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