While we were members of the Snatch Artists¹ of Holland we had a day off from flying due to thick fog in the St. Odenrode (sic) area; Jack Littell,² our driver Sgt. Porter and I, in a weapons carrier drove past the American outpost, through which we were expected to return under cover of the this fog, and went into a Dutch village which was, of course, deserted. Our mission was to pick up a load of much needed coke for heating. Having quickly acquired the load it was necessary to leave. In so doing, the noise of the weapons carrier invited mortar fire which was coming dangerously close. We took the quickest way out which happened to be through a British outpost. Believing us to be the enemy disguised as Americans, we were relieved of our .45s and cartridge belts and our weapons carrier and were placed in the compound with German prisoners.

Sometime later we were lead out to be interrogated by the British CO. Upon being convinced that we truly were Americans, we were asked what we thought we would have done had we been unable to convince the CO of our identity. Jack nudged me saying “Let’s show him.” Jack and I had each been carrying a "kicker" in addition to the side arms that had been taken from us. I withdrew the loaded .45 cal. Pistol from beneath my winter flight jacket as Jack drew his loaded Belgian Browning 9mm automatic³ We had been carrying these in our shoulder holsters. Needless to say, the CO was speechless for a moment, then he returned our other weapons, saying something about, "You Bloody Americans."

--signed W. C. Simonsen⁴

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¹ After the Holland glider mission, from October 1944 through February 1945, Service Groups under the IX Troop Carrier Service Wing (Provisional) worked to put as many gliders as possible back together and in flyable condition for snatching gliders back to England. Simonsen and Littell were two of several glider pilots available at Sint Oedenrode (sic), Holland, to fly the snatch gliders. Simonsen referenced themselves as "Snatch Artists". Both Simonsen and Littell would have been at the controls of the gliders when snatched.

²  Jack Littell graduated from advanced glider flight training on Jan 7, 1943 class 43 01 South Plains Army Airfield and promoted to the rank of Flight Officer. Assigned to the 100th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group and was sent to the ETO. F/O Littell flew four glider combat missions; Normandy, Southern France, Holland and the Rhine Crossing. He was promoted during the war to 2nd Lt. For further information on his combat missions contact the research team.

³  The Browning 9mm pistol mentioned that Jack Littell had in his possession has an interesting history. Designed by an American, John M. Browning (who also designed the other pistol mentioned, a U.S. model 1911 in caliber 45 ACP), it was made by Fabrique Nationale (FN) of Belgium and given the model number P-35. Production of the P-35 began in 1935 when it was adopted by the Belgian military. In 1940 the Germans occupied Belgium and took over the FN factory. The P-35 pistol (known after the war as the Browning high power) quickly became a favorite of both the Waffen-SS and the Fallschirmjäger (paratroopers) so Jack's "kicker" was almost certainly a battlefield pick up. I cannot help but think if the British had come across the P-35 first Littell and Simonsen may have spent the rest of the war as a British POW.

⁴ William C. Simonsen graduated from advanced glider flight training on Jun 25, 1943 class 43-11, South Plains Army Airfield and promoted to the rank of Flight Officer. Assigned to the 100th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group and was sent to the ETO. F/O Simonsen flew Southern France and Holland. For further information on his combat missions contact the research team.

SOURCES:
Silent Wings Newsletter September 1989

National WWII Glider Pilots Associtation Database

den Brok, Hans. Market Flights Volume 16: Glider Retrieval Operation 2020.

USAFHRA 100th Troop Carrier Squadron Historical Diaries october, November 1944 RG18

USAFHRA 441st Troop Carrier Group Historical Diaries october, November 1944 RG18