Tell us about a WW2 European Theater vet you know . . .

[day-day]

I could easily be misremembering (Reagan?) my neighbor’s story. The conversation took place about 12 years ago. Mr Henkel, my neighbor, died on Thanksgiving Day but I don’t remember the year, probably 2006 or 2007 so it’s been a while.

In the last photo you posted above most of the gliders have the fuselage broken behind the wings. Any idea why? Those don’t look like Waco G-4’s because of the round fuselage.

I suspect under the right conditions a glider could travel many miles after being cut loose. I’m not a pilot but if that’s the case the noise of the tow plane shouldn’t have been a problem.

I think these are the Airspeed Horsa gliders. They were designed so that the rear could be detached with quick-disconnect bolts or explosives to allow quick off-loading of men and equipment.

 

[Tidewater]

I could easily be misremembering (Reagan?) my neighbor’s story. The conversation took place about 12 years ago. Mr Henkel, my neighbor, died on Thanksgiving Day but I don’t remember the year, probably 2006 or 2007 so it’s been a while.

I suspect under the right conditions a glider could travel many miles after being cut loose. I’m not a pilot but if that’s the case the noise of the tow plane shouldn’t have been a problem.

It could be he was speaking in the broadest sense. The Allies did sneak troops behind German lines, just not in platoons, but three entire divisions.
If he did mean sneaking a recon platoon behind German lines, think abut the mechanics. The 101st glider troops landed largely in the afternoon of June 6th. The divisions fought in Normandy until relieved in late June. If you wanted to sneak a recon platoon behind German lines, you would have to take them out of the line, send them back to England to load them into glider (both airborne ops for Overlord and Market-Garden launched from England), then fly them back to France. Possible, I suppose, but a lot of effort. Then, once infil'ed, how do they get back? Until the end of July, the Germans had a continuous front from east of Caen on the Channel all the way across Normandy to the west coast of Normandy. Getting a platoon behind German lines might be difficult, but getting them back would be near impossible. It would probably be a one way trip.

In the last photo you posted above most of the gliders have the fuselage broken behind the wings. Any idea why? Those don’t look like Waco G-4’s because of the round fuselage.

As someone else said, that is how they got the heavy lift cargo out (i.e. jeeps, 75mm pack howitzers, etc.).

 

[TIDE-HSV]

It could be he was speaking in the broadest sense. The Allies did sneak troops behind German lines, just not in platoons, but three entire divisions.
If he did mean sneaking a recon platoon behind German lines, think abut the mechanics. The 101st glider troops landed largely in the afternoon of June 6th. The divisions fought in Normandy until relieved in late June. If you wanted to sneak a recon platoon behind German lines, you would have to take them out of the line, send them back to England to load them into glider (both airborne ops for Overlord and Market-Garden launched from England), then fly them back to France. Possible, I suppose, but a lot of effort. Then, once infil'ed, how do they get back? Until the end of July, the Germans had a continuous front from east of Caen on the Channel all the way across Normandy to the west coast of Normandy. Getting a platoon behind German lines might be difficult, but getting them back would be near impossible. It would probably be a one way trip.


As someone else said, that is how they got the heavy lift cargo out (i.e. jeeps, 75mm pack howitzers, etc.).

B of B/Malmedy pretty much proved that...

 

[Tidewater]

B of B/Malmedy pretty much proved that...

The German paras dropped in the Ardennes (Kampfgruppe von der Heydte) were badly scattered and largely ineffective. And that was in the midst of the confusion of a major German breakthrough.

I went back and looked up where the aircraft loaded for Operation Varsity (Monty's crossing of the Rhine in March 1945). They loaded at airfields near Paris.
Operation VARSITY: The Last Airborne Deployment of World War II

 

[BamaBuc]

Although he died before I met him; my wife's father was in the 101st Airborne. He went in the night before D-Day in a glider. Later he was at Bastogne where he was awarded the Bronze Star and Purple Heart.

My late uncle was a bombardier on a B-17. His plane was shot down over Germany and he was a POW for 2 years.

My dad was in the 101st sprained his ankle, (on landing with the 327th Glider Group, although I think he said they had a different name Company or Brigade), but hobbled his way to meet up with another company, (him and a buddy got separated from their squad), ended up fighting their way to some town where they were just about over-run by the Germans.

It was here that he and his buddy took 3 rounds each, Dad pulled his buddy over by a couple dead Germans, using them as cover saved his buddy's life by killing 23 Germans. He was wounded twice more and sent home after those...

He got a Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart, gave them to his buddy when they were shipped back to the states! I asked why he didn't keep them, he said "My buddy was married and had two kids, he could be the hero for them", hearing that made him the biggest hero to me...!

Also had an Uncle that was killed when the Destroyer he was on got torpedoed by a U-Boat, while escorting merchant Marine Supply Ships across the Atlantic to England...

 

[crimsonaudio]

My dad was in the 101st sprained his ankle, (on landing with the 327th Glider Group, although I think he said they had a different name Company or Brigade), but hobbled his way to meet up with another company, (him and a buddy got separated from their squad), ended up fighting their way to some town where they were just about over-run by the Germans.

It was here that he and his buddy took 3 rounds each, Dad pulled his buddy over by a couple dead Germans, using them as cover saved his buddy's life by killing 23 Germans. He was wounded twice more and sent home after those...

He got a Distinguished Service Cross and Purple Heart, gave them to his buddy when they were shipped back to the states! I asked why he didn't keep them, he said "My buddy was married and had two kids, he could be the hero for them", hearing that made him the biggest hero to me...!

Incredible! Yet expected. These heroes were built differently than so many today. So humble...

 

[bama579]

Incredible! Yet expected. These heroes were built differently than so many today. So humble...

The Euro Theater Daily thread you did ?? years ago remains at the top of the heap for things i have seen on Tidefans. Thanks for it . . . take a bow.

Feel free to resurrect it.

 

[GrayTide]

The Euro Theater Daily thread you did ?? years ago is remains at the top of the heap for things i have seen on Tidefans. Thanks for it . . . take a bow.

Feel free to resurrect it.

I agree, that was a masterful piece of research and posting.

 

[Valley View]

My father in law was in the 1st Division, 1st Signal Corp. He landed at Omaha Beach under the command of Gen. Omar Bradley who he had the upmost respect for. My father in law never would talk about the battles or horrors of war, only the fun times (amazing they had any). Things like stealing booze from the officers or sneaking away to a bar.

The group used to have reunions every year but now most have passed away. I went to several with him and those older guys could really party and put away gallons of gin and bourbon. I would just sit back and listen to the stories. One might have thought it was a high school reunion and not a bunch of real life hero's, but that is exactly the way they would have wanted it.

What a remarkable generation!

 

[BradtheImpaler]

My great uncle Ed - my mother's father's brother - was in the 82nd Airborne. Jumping out over Normandy, as he was going out the door, he was hit in the hand. Said it looked just like hamburger meat.

A friend of my dad's named Don was a Lieutenant in the 8th Air Force, 353rd Fighter Group, 350th Fighter Squadron. Flew a P-51 with the super-cool black and yellow checkered cowl named "Baltimore Belle." Two kills, both FW190s - one on the ground and one in the air. About 40 years ago, he let me put on his flight gear and take pictures before he sent it to the Smithsonian.