1st Troop Carrier Group

Comments: Looking for information on a crash of a C-46 aircraft, tail number 44-78485. My father was on board the aircraft which originated in Tachikawa, Japan. Crew members were 1 Lt. T. Smith, 1 Lt. A. D. Yaich, and TSgt J. T. Rigor. The aircraft was attempting to land at a front-line airstrip (possibly Chung-Ju?). The airstrip was under attack and one side of the town was on fire. During landing, the aircraft veered off and crashed into another aircraft and a truck. my father, James E. Pace, was severely injured but survived. He remembers that the aircraft was taking hostile fire and is trying to determine whether he is entitled to the Purple Heart. Any information would be appreciated. Thank you.

Keywords: J. T. Rigor, 1st Troop Carrier group, C-46

1st Troop Carrier Group - USAF

1st TCG was organized at Ashiya AB, Japan on 26 August 1950 under operational control of FEAF through the 1st Troop Carrier Task Force (Provisional).

The 1st TCG and its provisional squadrons were based at Tachikawa and supported by the 374th TCW. Personnel from units of Thirteenth and Twentieth Air Forces and the Far East Materiel Command manned the 1st TCG. Using C-46s and briefly C-47s, the group began airlifting freight and passengers between Japan and Korea on September 2, 1950.

The group transported a U.S. Marine unit to Pyongyang on November 25 and 26 then flew emergency air evacuations from Sinanju and other forward bases as the Chinese advanced.

Leaving Kimpo AB on January 4, the group inactivated effective January 25, with many of its personnel transferring to the 86th TCS of the 437th TCG. In its five months of operation, the group carried over 28,000 passengers, 7,000 air evacuees, and almost 12,000 tons of cargo.

Units in operations for 5 months