About the Tico Belle

The Story of Tico Belle

The Tico Belle was used in the D-Day invasion on June 6, 1944. At 0407 hours, 6th June 1944, at about 500 feet and in the face of determined flack from the defending German troops, “Tico Belle” lined up on Landing Zone “O” near St Mere-Eglise and dropped these brave men into Normandy and into history.

Her crew on that mission was as follows:

1st Lt Jay E Bloch, O-731802, Pilot, Oregon, 26
2nd Lt Oscar B Hill, O-745093, Co-pilot, New York, 25
S/Sgt John A Quinn, 12203294, Crew Chief, New Jersey, 21
Pfc J D Calhoun, 15353761, Radio Operator, Ohio, 20
Tico Belle went on to serve, and survive, a distinguished record of combat in the Liberation of Europe.

Normandy – June 1944 – Operation Neptune (D-Day)
Southern France – July 1944 – Operation Dragoon
Holland – September 1944 – Operation Market-Garden
Belgium – December 1944 – Relief of Bastogne (The Battle of the Bulge)
Germany – March 1945 – Operation Varsity
After the war, she stayed in Europe and participated in the Berlin Airlift before passing to the Royal Norwegian Air Force and finally the Royal Danish Air Force. She came home to the VAC in 1988 after service as the VIP transport for the Danish AF. It is our honor to preserve and fly Tico Belle, C-47 42-100591, as a living monument to the men and women who served in WW2.