The
division was first activated as the 302d Transport Wing in December 1943, but remained a paper unit until 6 July 1944 when organization of the wing headquarters began.[1] It was not until September that the wing's flying groups were assigned, although the wing assumed operational control of the
31st Transport Group upon organization of wing headquarters.[2] The
27th Air Transport Group was transferred from
Eighth Air Force and the 31st Transport Group joined the wing from
Ninth Air Force. Shortly after these groups were assigned, the wing and the groups moved from England to France,[2]
The subordinate groups of the 302d carried cargo and passengers, first within Great Britain and later, to and from continental Europe. The cargo transported included medical supplies and
whole blood, and
materiel such as gasoline, helmets, bayonets, belly tanks, ammunition, clothing, Signal Corps equipment, and even telephone poles. "Passengers included war correspondents, entertainers, general officers, enlisted personnel, pilots, German prisoners, former Allied
prisoners of war, and both Allied and enemy wounded personnel."[3] The wing also operated a courier service between Great Britain and the continent, although its 27th group moved all its operations to the continent.[4][5]
During the rapid advance of
Third Army, the ruined highway and rail system of France prevented the shipment of fuel to maintain its advance. A "Petrol for Patton" system was organized to airlift gasoline to his advanced elements, using not only transports of the wing and
IX Troop Carrier Command, but
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortresses and
Consolidated B-24 Liberators of Eighth Air Force and aircraft and crews temporarily transferred from
Air Transport Command. The wing was augmented by over 400 personnel to manage this effort.[6]
The wing was activated in the reserves under
Air Defense Command (ADC) at
Marietta Army Air Field in December 1946 and was shortly redesignated the 302d Troop Carrier Wing. In 1947 it was assigned two troop carrier groups, located at Marietta and at Morrison Field, Florida.[9][10]Continental Air Command assumed responsibility for managing reserve and
Air National Guard units from ADC in July 1948.[11] At the same time, the adoption of the
wing base organization system by the regular Air Force called for wings to be single base organizations, and the unit became the 302d Air Division.[3]
The 302d participated in routine reserve training with its assigned trainer aircraft and supervised the training of its assigned groups until it was inactivated in June 1949 when President
Truman's reduced 1949 defense budget also required reductions in the number of units in the Air Force.[12] Most of the division's equipment and personnel were used to form the
94th Bombardment Wing, which was simultaneously activated at Marietta.[13][14]
Lineage
Established as 302 Transport Wing (Special) on 2 November 1943
Activated on 5 December 1943
Inactivated on 15 December 1945
Activated in the Reserve on 20 December 1946
Redesignated 302 Troop Carrier Wing on 31 December 1946
Redesignated 302 Air Division, Troop Carrier on 16 April 1948
Inactivated on 27 June 1949
Redesignated 302 Air Division on 1 September 1959[15]
Assignments
IX Air Service Command (later, IX Air Force Service Command), 5 December 1943
Continental Air Depot Area, United States Strategic Air Forces in Europe (later, Continental Air Depot Area, Air Technical Service Command), 9 December 1944
^
abcdefghLineage, including assignments, components, stations and aircraft in Air Force Historical Agency Fact Sheet 302 Air Division except as noted.
Knaack, Marcelle Size (1978). Encyclopedia of US Air Force Aircraft and Missile Systems. Vol. 2, Post-World War II Bombers 1945–1973. Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History.
ISBN0-9127-9959-5.
Official History of the 302d Transport Wing (reprinted in Maguire, Jon A. (1998). Gooney Birds & Ferry Tales. Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing.
ISBN0-7643-0592-1.
LCCN98085737.)