Gliders used to evacuate wounded

[cutiger83]

While researching flight nurses, I found this very interesting article about the only nurse known to have participated in a glider combat mission. I had never heard of gliders being used to evacuate wounded. I thought some of you might be interested in this information.

 

Does anyone have any other pictures of gliders used to evacuate wounded?

 

 

On March 22, 1945, two CG-4A gliders landed in a clearing near the bridgehead at Remagen, Germany, to evacuate 25 severely injured American and German casualties. Once the gliders were loaded, C-47 transports successfully snatched them from their landing site and towed them to a military hospital in France. In the second glider, 1st Lt. Suella V. Bernard, who had volunteered for the mission, cared for the wounded en route. One of the first two nurses to fly into Normandy after the D-Day invasion, Bernard became the only nurse known to have participated in a glider combat mission during World War II. For this mission, she received the Air Medal.

Lt. Suella Bernard tends to patients in one of the two CG-4A gliders before the C-47s arrived. (U.S. Air Force photo)

 

 

 

[cutiger83]

The CG-4A glider with Lt. Suella Bernard in the right-hand seat of the cockpit just as the glider is being snatched by a C-47. (U.S. Air Force photo)

 

 

 

 

[Major Z]

That is a really cool story that I'm sure has been lost to time. Thank you for sharing and informing us on an important aspect of so many things covered in this one event.

[phantomfixer]

you can google "Lost in Shangri-La" CG-4A gliders were used to rescue C-47 Gremlin Special crash survivors, late WWII, in New Guinea... A very interesting book on survival

[sactroop]

I think we can at least say that such a use was previously anticipated.

A page from a WW2 CG-4A Glider Pilots training manual:

 

[sactroop]

a little easier to see.

 

[cutiger83]

a little easier to see.

 

 

 

Great information! Thanks so much for adding this....Kat

[gwb123]

Gliders were extensively used for evacuation in the CBI. Check out the book "Air Commandos Against Japan" by Y'blood, Naval Institute Press.

[gliderman1]

http://www.ww2gp.org/index.php

 

In left column, have a look under CG-4A, then under glider snatches.

 

Testing and experiments for CG-4A litter carrying configurations were done at the glider test base, CCAAF at Wilmington, Ohio. They were stacked 3 high and 4 high. Four high was apparently a bit tight for hanging the litters with wounded. Three high, the CG-4A glider could carry six or 12 litters.

 

Kat, great job putting together all the info on nurses. In the photo of Bernard and two other nurses, one from Columbus, Ohio, it is not mentioned that Bernard also was from Waynesville, Ohio, west of Cols about 70 miles and west of CCAAF about 18 miles.

[cutiger83]

Gil and Gliderman,

 

Thanks so much for the additional information. This is all very interesting stuff that I have never heard before.

 

...Kat

[Gregory]

Does anyone have any other pictures of gliders used to evacuate wounded?

 

The AAF had various ideas to evacuate wounded soldiers by gliders and American WWII literature describes them relatively well although many pieces of information related to the US Army American Glider Program were embargoed for media. Fortunately not embargoed were those related to glider casevac/medevac as we would say today.

 

Basic idea was CG-4A with 12 stretchers on board.

 

The other idea you can see in a pic.

 

One more idea was to use PGs (powered gliders) as "flying hospitals".

[MWalsh]

you can google "Lost in Shangri-La" CG-4A gliders were used to rescue C-47 Gremlin Special crash survivors, late WWII, in New Guinea... A very interesting book on survival

 

This. Great story and book!

[Gregory]

The "Look" magazine of February 6th, 1945 contains nice photo report under the title of "Snatching wounded in Burma".

 

[Quartermaster]

Although Hollywood - one can see a glider snatch in the CBI at the end of the 1945 movie Operation Burma starring Errol Flynn.

 

This is an Interesting movie done with the cooperation of the US military which provided lots of period equipment.

 

One problem is that the movie really infuriated Churchill and the Brits, who felt the movie portrayed a view that America dominated the war in the CBI and gave no credit to the British, Indian & Commonwealth country's participation in that theater (which were actually a larger players than the US there.) The movie was "banned" in the UK until 1952 and was aired with an apology.

[Quartermaster]

Although Hollywood - one can see a glider snatch in the CBI at the end of the 1945 movie Operation Burma starring Errol Flynn.

 

This is an Interesting movie done with the cooperation of the US military which provided lots of period equipment.

 

One problem is that the movie really infuriated Churchill and the Brits, who felt the movie portrayed a view that America dominated the war in the CBI and gave no credit to the British, Indian & Commonwealth country's participation in that theater (which were actually larger players than the US there.) The movie was "banned" in the UK until 1952 and was aired with an apology.