Original Item: One-of-a-Kind. This is a very interesting framed relic incorporating an actual fragment attributed to Douglas C-47A Skytrain serial number 43-15137, assigned to the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron, 442nd Troop Carrier Group, 50th Troop Carrier Wing, IX Troop Carrier Command and flown on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

In August 2015, QuestMasters commissioned aviation artist Ron Cole to create an illustration of C-47A 43-15137 as it deployed paratroopers during the Normandy invasion. The artwork is copyrighted by QuestMasters and Ron Cole.

C-47A 43-15137 was assigned to the 306th Troop Carrier Squadron, whose nose code was 7H, and operated from RAF Fulbeck, England, also known as USAAF Station 488.

The 442nd Troop Carrier Group was composed of:

303rd TCS - Nose Code J7
304th TCS - Nose Code V4
305th TCS - Nose Code 4J
306th TCS - Nose Code 7H

For the June 6, 1944 airborne operation, C-47A 43-15137 was assigned Chalk Number 40.

The “chalk” number was the temporary loading and formation number assigned to an individual aircraft for a specific airborne operation. The number was literally written in white chalk near the aircraft’s jump door to help organize troops, equipment, and aircraft before departure.

For this mission, the aircraft carried the number:

40

C-47A 43-15137 took off under Mission Boston, Serial 26, as part of Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of Normandy.

The crew was:

Pilot: 1st Lt. Buckley A. Maynard, O-529480
Co-Pilot: 2nd Lt. Elmer W. Ambler, O-816197
Navigator: 2nd Lt. Donald J. Markey, O-697797
Flight Engineer: SSgt. Francis A. Kline Jr., 13145545
Radio Operator: Sgt. Vernon F. Coss, 17098809

Mission Boston was one of the major American airborne operations carried out during the opening hours of D-Day, when IX Troop Carrier Command aircraft transported and dropped paratroopers over Normandy in support of the amphibious landings.

This framed display incorporates a fragment attributed to C-47A 43-15137, “Chalk 40,” together with the aircraft’s D-Day history and Ron Cole artwork. The piece is signed and copyrighted by Ron Cole in 2016 and is part of a very limited edition of only 20 examples.

This example is numbered:

18/20

The frame measures approximately:

8 7/8 x 11 3/8 inches

The aircraft fragment itself is mounted to the front surface of the frame rather than enclosed behind the glazing, allowing the relic material to remain directly visible.

A particularly evocative D-Day aviation display combining a physical aircraft fragment with the documented history of a C-47 assigned to one of the airborne missions flown during the Normandy invasion.