National Archives/NWWIIGPA collection Back Caption: Credit...Signal Corps Photo. American Airborne Troops,
members of the new airborne allied army, relax beside their decorated glider before the take-off for the assault on Holland and the Nazi-held Sigfried Line. 377th [Glider] Field Artillery
[flown in by the 438th TCG / 87th TCS from Greenham Common]
Back Caption:Member of the 9th Troop Carrier Command prepare their gliders for another mission in Holland. 2 Sept. 1944
National Archives/NWWIIGPA collection
The man to the very right is 1st Lt. Martin H. Stutman who was the platoon leader for Battery C of the 81st Anti Aircraft/Anti Tank Battalion.
He sat in the copilots seat, because they were short copilots and rather than have the seat empty, and for balance reasons, infantry and usually someone of rank,
was put in that seat. The pilot next to him is Flight officer Lt. William.V. Zajac from Buffalo N.Y. Lt.Stutman was from New York City
and they are watching Sgt. S. R. Romero,
from Nora, New Mexico put on the finishing touches to their glider. The photo was taken on 9/18/44 at their 438th field just prior to Market Garden. D-1. Zajac and Romero
were in the 89th TCS 438th TCG, Greenham Common.
This photo shows the tail number and Charles Day said Glider serial is 341613 which is 43-41613 which is a legitimate Gibson Refrig production number likely delivered
around middle of 1944.
The route from England.
National Archives/NWWIIGPA collection Back Caption:The glider pictued here at Best, Holland, was just one of many used in the invasion of Southern Holland, 18 September 1944.
(H. den Brok collection) In a village just before Eindhoven, civilians cheer and point
to the sky while C-47s and gliders pass by.
(National Archives/H. den Brok collection) A formation of tow planes and gliders of the 37th Troop Carrier Squadron over the inundated Dutch coastal area. The gliders are heading for LZ-T.
Half of the squadron’s gliders would overshoot the LZ and the majority of the glider pilots became prisoner of war.
(National Archives - Still Signal Corps film/H. den Brok collection)
Glider landing at Son.
(M. Litton/H. den Brok collection) Crossing the British coast, heading for Holland.
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