Aerial view of 7th Ferrying Group compound on Gore Hill in Great Falls, Montana. ACM smoke stack and the Missouri River seen in the distance. [1991.027.0026]

Historian for the 341st Missile Wing, Malmstrom AFB Troy A. Hallsell will present his research detailing the 7th Ferrying Group in Great Falls. Historic photographs and objects from The History Museum’s collection will be shared and discussed. Join us at 1pm for Second Saturday, July 10 to learn more about the significant role Great Falls played during World War II.

As part of the Air Transport Command, the 7th Ferrying Group was responsible for overseeing the northwest air route from Great Falls, Montana to Fairbanks, Alaska and delivered almost 8,000 aircraft to the Soviet Military as part of the United States’ Lend-Lease program. While the 7th Ferrying Group did not participate in direct combat, its efforts contributed to allied success against the Axis powers by providing vital war materiel to the Soviet Union for use against Germany on the Eastern Front. This military support made it possible for the Allied powers to defeat Germany and laid the foundation for central Montana’s participation in the United States’ national defense over the next 70 years.

Troy A. Hallsell, image courtesy of Troy A. Hallsell

About Troy Hallsell:

Troy A. Hallsell, PhD is the 341st Missile Wing Historian at Malmstrom AFB, Montana. Before coming to the Air Force as a government service civilian, he served in the United States Army from 2005-2010 as an all-source intelligence analyst. After a stint at the National Ground Intelligence Center in Charlottesville, Virginia he entered graduate school in 2011 and earned a PhD in history from the University of Memphis in 2018. Dr. Hallsell is also an assistant editor at The Metropole, the official blog of the Urban History Association, and has published several articles on Great Falls and the military in central Montana. His book titled The Overton Park Freeway Revolt: Place, Politics, and Preservation in Memphis, TN, 1955-2017 is under review by the University of Tennessee Press.