Glider Pilot Impression

[gliderflyboy]

So I finally got together enough motivation to post some pictures of my Glider Pilot impression, based on my grandfather's experiences and pictures.

 

Here are some post-mission pictures. This impression is based on the fact that some glider pilots were cocky enough to prefer dressing like their powered AAF counterparts and not like the glider infantry guys. I guess they still had to keep some sense of identity. My grandfather talked about having his Colt with one mag and that was it.

 

Based on this picture here:

 

 

 

 

 

I then have a Class A impression for fresh-off-the-boat, naive, brash young pilots ready to get at 'em.

 

Based on this picture here:

 

 

 

 

 

Tell me what you think!

[Jim Baker]

Bad to the bone..........

[gliderflyboy]

Bad to the bone..........

 

Thanks a lot!

[BrokenShovelDude]

I'll agree, b-b-bad to the bone! is that your grandfather's jacket?

 

What did the Glider Pilots do after they landed? did they just join the infantry? (sorry I havn't read much about them )

 

but great impression anyway!

 

PS if you don't mind me asking, what operations did your grandfather take part in? Market Garden? Varsity?

[Jeeper704]

They were with the glider infantry until they could be evacuated.

 

I am interested in knowing more about your grandfather too.

Eventhough I collect Armor and TD, I do have "a thing" for Gliderriders too.

 

Erwin

[gliderflyboy]

The job of a Glider Pilot was twofold:

 

1. Secure the (relatively) "safe" flight and landing of the glider in the position designated, often in complete darkness. Also, piloting a glider was the equivalent to an up to 3 hour workout on a modern exercise machine.

2. Make your way behind enemy lines to the nearest transport back to base. This could take hours, days, and I'm sure up to a week.

 

Usually, they would all land in a field and the GIR divisions would meet up with each other and go about their mission. On more dangerous missions, the pilots would link up and be outfitted with the basic gear that any Airborne infantry unit would. Often times they were pretty much on their own with very little firepower and ammo. If they were caught, that was pretty much it for them.

 

Now keep in mind this is all if they even survive the flight and landing in the first place. A "good" landing was crash the glider nose-first into the dirt so it would stop quickly. Many times it had the tendency to dump over. That's pretty much bye-bye. They say after the tow line was released the glider pilots had a lifespan of about 13 seconds. This was because you had to pull as hard as you could to maintain altitude or you took a nose-dive into the ground.

 

According to my grandfather and his records, he trained from mid-'42 all the way up to mid-'44, going from basic to a glider/combat training school to an advanced glider school where he eventually got his Flight Officer status and his wings. There were around 6,000 glider pilots trained. All were volunteers.

 

My grandfather arrived on D+5 and took place in all the subsequent missions of Overlord after the initial invasion. Then he was shipped off to Southern France and participated in Dragoon. Later he was in Market Garden, delivered supplies as a co-pilot in a C-47 (often glider pilots were co-pilots when no gliders were needed) during the Bulge, and finally he was in Operation Varsity. Many times when the weather was poor, the pilots were given another secondary job, for instance he worked as a mail censor.

 

He caught some flak as a co-pilot in a C-47 and messed up his hand pretty bad, but did not report it for fear they wouldn't let him fly anymore. He could've had a Purple Heart, but kept it a secret so he could continue on. He was a helluva guy.

 

Thanks for your interest!

[gliderflyboy]

And according to his flight record I have, he flew a total of 26 missions between June 44 and May 45 in CG4As, C-53D's, C-47's, and British L4-H Horsa Gliders.

[posse]

Hi,

 

Like this impression!

 

rgds

Bart

[FightenIrish35]

Man this is an awesome impression!!Your pops is a true hero

 

[FightenIrish35]

Man this is an awesome impression!!Your pops is a true hero

 

 

 

"grandfather"

[glenm]

As a bit of info on your first wartime photo, this was taken post-Normandy (only half-stripes on the gliders, which was a change introduced for Operation Market Garden if I recall rightly), and depending on whether that's a British T-2 Hangar in the background (the doors look right, but it looks too long for a normal T-2) or a French wartime hanger will help you pinpoint it to being pre-Holland or pre-Varsity (it's got to be a pre-Operation picture judging by the attitudes and uniforms of the guys in it).

 

Cheers,

Glen.

[Greg Sebring]

That is a nice tribute. My dad is WWII vet of the 319th Glider Field Artillery. He was placed in the co-pilots seat going into Market Garden only because he worked at the B-24 plant in Willow Run, MI. For some reason, the powers that be thought that since he was "around" bombers prior to his enlistment, he had some knowledge to fly them...... Anyway, dad had the headphones on to communicate with the tow plane pilot. The communication wire was loosely coiled around the nylon tow rope between the two crafts. When the Germans started throwing up heavy flak, the tow planes increased their speed feeling quite vulnerable due to their low altitude and slow speed. Dad said the glider started shaking violently and their airspeed was into the red on the gauge. Dad told the C-47 pilot to slow down. The pilots response was, "You're coming with us so hang on". Dad said that a flak shell burst between the them and a piece struck the tow rope causing it to unwind a bit. Since they were close to their LZ, they slapped the release and were on their own. They got down safely but had a time as the Germans were pouring MG fire into the fields as a result of an attempt to take back lost ground.

 

I went into this much detail to point out that not only did the Glider pilots have to fly in an aluminum frame/plywood/canvas box with men, equipment, and supplies....they were at the mercy of the tow plane until release. The C-47 pilots were not too happy about towing at low altitude and slow speeds so they frequently towed at speeds higher than the loaded gliders were designed for causing severe vibration until release. Dad has said the Glider pilots fought with them until they could safely be returned for future missions.

 

Gliderflyboy,...forgive my wordiness...you have a good thread here and my heart lies with those having to ride in the flying "flying eggcrates"

 

Greg

[gliderflyboy]

glenm...thanks for the info on the photograph! Yes, it would be post-Normandy because my grandfather did not arrive until after the initial invasion.

 

It's also interesting to point out the variations in uniforms, footwear, gear, weapons, all that. Since many glider pilots were often shuffled around and essentially "orphans," they very often did not have any set way they dressed or outfitted themselves. It was pretty much up to the individual and how armed they chose to be; some preferred to go lightly and carry a 1911 and some chose to carry a Carbine or Garand and full-on infantry gear. I guess it was all based on the mission and individual preference. Like, I said, my grandpa used to tell me all he had was a Colt and a couple rounds and had to make his way back through the woods either alone or with the GIR unit.

 

Greg, that is a very cool story! You are very correct in that the power pilots hated towing gliders; at glider training schools they had specific squadrons of tow pilots and I'm sure there were many occasions where they just wanted to be rid of those damn things hanging on. There were setups for as many as 4 gliders to be towed by one C-47, but usually there was only 1, MAYBE 2 at the maximum.

 

Thank you so much for sharing your father's story. I love meeting GIR vets and glider pilots.

[Blake_E]

nice one mate

[Gregory]

The period photo with GPs (post #1) is really fantastic. I agree that it was taken post-DDay when full invasion stripes were painted out partially. Two of the CG-4As are serialled "43-..." and one "44-...". Foreground GP is well-prepared for evacuation from crashed glider -- he is equipped with M1938 wire cutters.

[Cpl LaBonte]

Very nice setups! My question is, would a fresh off the boat pilot have a year and a half overseas time already?

[J_Andrews]

The impression outfit shown in Post #1 would be fine for matching the "activity" -- marking time at an airfield -- in the contemporary photo, BUT not for an operational mission/environment. It is not very likely that a GP would be with a specific Squadron long enough to acquire, sew on and wear the Squadron jacket patch. As touched upon in the posts, although each Troop Carrier Squadron had, on paper, a Glider Section populated by GPs, this was often left vacant. When and IF an Airborne operation was in the offing, GPs were "rounded up" and shipped IN to the Group/Squadron. They travelled NOT as part of a Group/Sqd but between Gps/Sqns, as needed. This is why a GP might have served in the Med with one Gp/Sqn, then gotten shipped to the UK for Normandy w another Gp/Sqn, then to France for MARKET-GARDEN and another Gp/Sqn, etc. They were "Christmas help" and "red-headed orphans". One GP vet told me that when he tried to attend a reunion of a Trp Carr Group he had served with (briefly, including as a C-47 co-pilot ferrying gas cans to France for Patton), he was told that he didn't qualify and wasn't "a real member".

 

Prior to Holland, the stated MISSION, post-landing, of GPs was to remain on or near the LZs to help with unloading cargo and processing casualties; assist with guarding POWs and command posts; stand by and await transportation out of the battle area.

As covered in the posts, their armament was LIGHT, with no standard....and no basic load of ammo or grenades, or field gear.

 

This was much less than the British approach: GP Regt people were fully-trained as infantrymen (including demo, AT and heavy wpns) and expected to join their passengers in the passenger's mission, at least for the first day/24 hrs; THEN they were to guard POWs and CPs, etc. Prior to Holland, SOME efforts were made to better prepare the GPs with tactical training for ground combat, but it did not generally happen, as the IX TCC thought aerial rehearsal work was more important (and then didn't do much of it with the GPs). REAL preparation waited until the run-up for VARSITY. FAAA CG LTG Brereton (a USAAF guy!) liked the Brit style and pushed it, but it got short shrift until 1945.