Bill was a power glider pilot. He graduated from advanced flight school in the late summer of 1944. At this same time the Ninth Troop Carrier Command had made the decision to pool the majority of graduating single and twin engine pilots and send them to advanced glider training to learn how to land the CG-4A. Bill was sent from Randolph Field, Texas, South Plains Army Air Field, where he received his G wings on October 20th 1944. From here, Bill was sent to Europe where he joined the 72nd Troop Carrier Squadron, 434th Troop Carrier Group, located at Aldermaston, England, as a C-47 pilot. For three months Bill flew as co-pilot on resupply missions. Shortly before the last airborne operation of the war he was abruptly transferred to the 86th Troop Carrier Squadron 437th Group, who were residing at Coulommiers-Voisins, France.

RHINE CROSSING (Varsity, 24 March 1945):
Serial No.: A-9
CG-4A Glider No. 43-19790 built by General Aircraft. Chalk No. 141.
Pilot: F/O Walt T HAYWORTH; Co-Pilot

At 08:30 am on March 24, 1945, Walt and I, at 08:30 am joined our Squadron over the airfield until the formation was complete then left for the invasion of Germany. We were landing in Landing zone S near Wesel Germany. The trip up to the Rhine River was alright. We encountered flak a little way past the Rhine and it seemed to burst at approximately our level. Smoke covered the landing zone, which was very good for us. It was very hard to see our landing spot on account of that. Walt and I landed 50 to 60 feet from the Issel Canal after dodging the high power line running along the canal. We were near this water management bridge.

We encountered small arms fire after we cut off and until we landed. It seemed to be coming from a wooded section near where we landed. There were about seven or eight gliders in the field that we landed in. We got out of the glider and hit the dirt. The airborne got the jeep out and took off. My flight started to get together and head for the C.P. On the way to the C.P. we guarded prisoners. After we left the prisoners, we headed for the Group C.P. but left suddenly because a tank was coming towards the C.P. My pilot and other took off towards the squadron C.P. I suddenly found myself alone so I took cover in a ditch. I had no infantry training, and people trying to kill me. The fighting in both of the American Landing Zones as well as the British Landing Zones farther north, was intense. I knew I was close to our assembly point and near our secondary defensive position so I hunkered down in the ditch. As the LZ became secure, I realized that I had left my canteen at the base. At a house, not too far from the water diversion bridge, I found a bottle of wine to quench my thirst.

I was in the field without anyone around me. This was a problem for those of us on detached service and especially those of us who were power pilots. We didn’t have anyone from our own squadron to watch our backs. I stayed the night in the ditch and heard the Germans attack the Glider Pilots in front of our defense. I could hear the cannon fire during the fighting but was trying to sleep. I still had my wine bottle and I remember taking a couple swigs.

In the morning someone came to get me. He grabbed my hand and took me off to the POW area. There I watched prisoners until we were evacuated late that afternoon. We walked back to the Rhine River and took "ducks" across the Rhine. I spent the night at Xantan and the next day hitched a ride with a C-47 going to my base from Helmond field.

In my report to the Intelligence officer I mentioned in two sections of the questions that Power Pilots should have ground training before participating as glider pilots before combat missions. After returning to the 72nd TCS Bill went on to fly C-47 resupplies missions into Germany and returned with wounded soldiers, and POWs. He also to the discovered concentration camps to picked up forced laborers (repatriates) and flew them back to their homeland. The return of repatriate’s went on from early April to early June and the IX Troop Carrier Command named this time period the Flying Pipeline.