1943 C-53 Skytrooper 'Gruesome' - a photo on Flickriver

1943 C-53 Skytrooper 'Gruesome'

            This C-53 rolled off the Douglas assembly line in Santa Monica, California, in June 1943, immediately crossing the Atlantic to join the Mediterranean theater of operations the following August. The C-53 Skytrooper was prepared for the transport of troops and wounded, where they were not transported. Assigned to the 52nd Troop Carrier Wing, participating in Operation Giant on the night of September 13-14, 1943, parachuting the men of the 82nd Airborne Division near Salerno. Wednesday 1944, while I was in France, I landed at the temporary A22 airport near Colleville-sur-Mer, with the mission of rescuing the wounded.

Still in 1944, for Operation Repulse over Bastogne, it took off on December 27 from Châteaudun towing a Waco CG4-A glider to supply the 101st Airborne Division during the Battle of the Bulge. Upon arriving at the drop zone, the aircraft was hit by flak, damaging its left aileron and flap. Its crew consisted of Phil Hecker, pilot, and B. Simmons, co-pilot. The aircraft was then named Gruesome (the awful, the horrible, the terrifying...). Legend has it that upon returning from this mission, the mechanics asked why the crew had not abandoned the aircraft...

After the war, its career turned towards civilian life and this DC-3 was acquired in August 1949 by the famous Howard Hughes, head of Trans World Airlines (TWA). The following years saw this twin-engine aircraft transformed into a VIP aircraft for Volkswagen (1966) in the USA (registration N163WW!), then worked for an oil company (1968), Air Americana (1974), North American Airlines (1981) and finally Air Dakota (1996). After a stint in Melun-Villaroche, it has since joined the collection of the future Aeronautical Museum of Brittany based in Rennes.

Taken on: June 7, 2025

Tags:

Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper

Skytrooper

Warplanes

Warplanespotting

Warbirds

WWII

WW2

LFFQ

La Ferté Alais

Gruesome

F-HVED « less

Sets appears in: • La Ferté 2025

Groups appears in: • Aviation • Aircraft more » • Aeronautical • Aircraft Spotting • Transportation • Nice pictures • Plane Spotting • Pilot's Lounge • Flugzeuge / Airplanes • Antique & Vintage Aircraft • Flickr - War of the Worlds • Douglas DC-3 DC 4 • Aviation photography • GlobalSpotterAviation • Aircraft Photos • any planes • Douglas Skytrain or Dakota • The Aviation Museum • Aviation Photography Group • Aviation Group • Classic Aircraft (built before 1961) • PLANE Interesting! • Aviation Photography is NOT a Crime! • !! Aviacion 100% !! • Plane Lovers • All Warbirds. • as beautiful as you want • Douglas DC-3 (C-47) • Nikon - Airplanes • Douglas DC-3: The Art of the Gooneybird • Mordus de photos • ALL AVIATION PHOTOS • AVIATION ♥ PASSION! • Aviation Pictures of the world • Planes Planes Planes! • Second World War • AMERICAN CLASSICS • Aviones y helicopteros -- Planes and helicopters • PLANE PICS • "A" is for Aviation • US Military Aircraft 1914 - Present Day • GLOBAL MILITARY AVIATION • "Old Timers" • Aircraft Addiction • Aviation World • Flickr Social • !*Flickr All Stars*! • A V I A T I O N ✈ • The Aviation Group (No 30/60 limit) • Plane Crazy • Aviation Geeks (No 30/60 limit) • Planespotter (No 30/60 limit) • Aviation-Pics • Plane-Spotting • French Registered Aviation • Plane in a Frame (unlimited upload) • #1 The Aviation reference group • Powered Aviation Photos • Flickr-at-Home « less

Stats: 740 views / 2 comments

Link to this photo view:
Link to this photo large view: