Part 2 LOADING EQUIPMENT IN THE CG-4A

Circa 1943
This is an Army Ground Forces Signal Corps Producton. It is a little slow but the details in showing how to lash down the various equipment that the CG-4A glider could carry is excellent. Note as the equipment is explained the number of box seats that are removed. This is an indication of the number of men that could be carried with the particular equipment. This training film is made available courtesy the War Department, Army Signal Corps, and the National Archives and Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/.

This is a film not showing Horsa gliders but CG–4A gliders. The CG–4A water landing demonstrations at Laurinburg–Maxton in August 1943. The first water landing tests were done a month earlier, first part of July 1943, at East Lake, Indiana. This is a U.S. Army film/National Archives.

We added the music and put the film sequence in the correct order.

Published on April 11, 2018
Airborne troops training for the preparation of loading and flying the gliders used for the D-Day landings June 6, 1944. -By War History Online

WW2 Second World War Military Gliders

Airspeed Horsa Invasion Glider.

The following links are focus on missions.

NORMANDY

Published on Mar 10, 2010
This Military Documentary made available courtesy of the Department of Defense, National Technical Information Service, and the National Archives and Records Administration http://www.archives.gov/

WWII MARKET GARDEN

OPERATION “MARKET” The Airborne Invasion of Holland, September 17, 1944

Full feature NWWIIGPA documentary.

Operation Market Garden -- E.T.O. Airborne Operations

Published on Dec 8, 2011
Allied airborne operations in Europe in World War 2. Primarily Operation Market Garden made famous in the movie A Bridge Too Far-- 101st Airborne Division and 82nd Airborne Division. Invade the Rhine Delta in the Netherlands. Paratroopers load into Douglas C-47 Skytrain (or Dakota) transports and head for Holland. Landings at Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem. Gliders prepare for takeoff towed by C-47s. Formation wings across the English Channel. Weakest part of Fortress Germany. Gliders cut away and come down for landings. Airborne troops consolidate.

BASTOGNE-OPERATION REPULSE

Bastogne Resupplied on a Wing and a Prayer

Full feature documentary.

Published on Aug 18, 2014
This footage shows the flight of the Troop Carrier Squadrons from England towards Landingzone W over Son in the Netherlands for operation "Market Garden". Most gliders had good landings but the footage also shows the hazards during a glider landing.

WWII RHINE CROSSING - VARSITY

Dangerous landing in a military glider, type CG-4A

The first part from the 0:00 to the 1.23 minute mark shows the glider mission to Remagen. This was a two glider evacuation operation. These two gliders were the first to land on the east side of the Rhine River. The operation was flown on March 22, 1945. Besides the evacuation of wounded, the gliders brought in medical supplies.

The second part, from the 1.23 minute mark to the end, shows the landing at Wesel, the Rhine Crossing, also known as Operation Varsity. The date is 24 March 1945. The chalk number #14 glider carried a jeep with medics. During the landings, the majority of the landing zones the gliders were subjected to German small arms fire. In the film they are driving the jeep out after the enemy fire has been eradicated.

If the men are from the 224th Medical Company (who were flown over with approximately 40 gliders and lost the most men of all the units), then this is one of the 48 gliders in Serial A-20 and flown by 99th Troop Carrier Squadron, 441st Troop Carrier Group. The pilots of that glider would be 2nd Lt. Norman J. THOMSON and F/O Elliott B. WEISS. Lt. Thomson wrote in his report, Received intense small arms enemy fire on down wind leg. Landed and was under fire by ground forces. Co-pilot shot after leaving glider. Sadly, F/O WEISS died of his wounds. Lt. THOMSON was also hit but the bullet ricocheted off his helmet.

At the 2.24 minute, one of the B-24 bombers fly over. These were dropping supplies for the airborne troopers. If recalling correctly, the last glider visible is a 441st Troop Carrier Group glider. This film can be found with all the videos pertaining to the glider operations on the NWWIIGPA website.
https://www.ww2gp.org/videos.php#varsity

--Research by Hans den Brok and Patricia Overman

The following links are Troop Carrier related videos.

YouTube showing pickup in Holland after Market-Garden

This film is a mix of films which could be 1943, 1944, and 1945. At 0:45 . At 1:44 thru 1:53 is an excellent demonstration of how a glider pilot uses his skids to stop the glider. If you don’t blink you will see a CG–13! At 1:15 and 1:16 for a split second you can see a CG-13 being snatched along with the CG–4A. Demonstrations of what a glider can be used for and some snatches of gliders in the end.

WW2 Second World War Military Gliders

Waco CG–4A CG = Cargo Glider.
The G–4 (short name) is not correct as the G–4 would have the red stripe in the center of each bar indicating USAF as opposed to CG–4A, no red stripe, in the USAAF pre–1947. Using G–4 is kind of like saying a 1949 Ford auto grill is a 1952 grill.

Ninety-Fourth Flying Traning Squadron, Air Force Academy:
G Wing Ceremony May 17, 2017

Don Ehr enlisted in the Army Air Corps on February 22, 1942 and graduated from advanced glider flight school on February 28th 1943 as a 2nd Lt. and was assigned as a glider pilot flight instructor. Don instructed in basic glider flight instruction at Wickenburg Arizona. He was then transferred to South Plains Army Air Field, Lubbock, Texas, where he instructed in advanced glider flight technique. Don was promoted to 1st Lt. on 22 February 1945.

In spring 1945, Don was transferred to Laurinburg Maxton for more tactical training in preparation to deployment to the ETO. During Don’s time as an instructor he also was involved in the testing of snatching gliders by air. This is the method in which a glider on the ground is snatched from the ground into the air by usually a C-47. In six seconds you go from 0 to 160 miles an hour. He certified to fly co-pilot in a C-47 to snatch the glider and was also participated as the pilot in a glider being snatch.

In May of 1945 he received orders to board a ship for the Europe on May 9th but the order was rescinded on May 8th due to the surrender of the Axes Forces. So he was to await orders for the Pacific but the dropping of the bomb released him of further combat duty.

He received an accommodation for his glider training techniques and ground school instruction in July of 1945. After the war, Don returned to College and then enlisted in the Air Force Reserves and after 20 years retired in as a Captain.

When the invitation came from the 94th Training Flying Squadron Don Ehr was the perfect person to talk to the Cadets about his teaching experiences during WWII in the CG-4A glider.

On Tuesday, 16 May 2017, Don entered the briefing/ready room at the Air Force Academy to a standing applause by the cadets. These cadets who are graduating after two years (freshman and sophomore years) of glider training would be the ones to receive their G Wings on Wednesday 17 May 2017 to become, for the next two years, instructors training the next generation of glider pilots.

All cadets must fly a minimum of four glider sorties to graduate. Don talked to the cadets about his experience in training pilots and what he felt was the most important aspects of glider training.

48th Glider Pilots's Reunion: Otto introduced Lt. Col. Doug Witmer, Commander of the 94th Flying Training Squadron who gave the introduction of our guest speaker Capt. Karilyn Wise. Kari did a great job! Though the Air Force has undergone many evolutions of aircraft over the years, when she talked about training young men and women to fly gliders, you could see the heads of several WWII Glider Pilots nodding with understanding. Kari also talked about the heritage of “G is for Guts$rdquo; and how they take to heart the meaning of those glider wings and what they represent. If you weren’t able to attend this year, or we offer Capt. Wise’s presentation here.

Memorial Day 2012 tribute (YouTube presentation)