I have just posted a data file in the downloads section for glider pilot crews in the war, so I thought I would also post a bit of history too. Glider Pilot Regiment 24 February 1942-31 August 1957 A Short History On 10 May 1940 some 78 German Army Engineers in ten DFS230 gliders captured the Belgian Eden Emael Fort, which covered the Albert Canal Bridge and three adjacent bridges in a skilfully planned and executed operation, in which their losses were only six killed and twenty wounded. This was the first recorded use of gliders in wartime. The Germans also successfully used Parachute troops on 26 April 1941 when they captured both ends of the Corinth Canal in Greece On 21 June 1940, Winston Churchill issued an instruction to the War office ordering the formation of 'a corps of at least five thousand parachutists and glide-bourne troops’. An establishment was set up at the R.A.F. Station, Ringway, near Manchester and named the 'Central Landing School' and a call was put out for volunteers with pre-war experience in flying sailplanes, or those with an interest in parachuting. The General Staff, War Office and Air Ministry had looking at a Glider borne force be raised, to provide a means of getting heavy equipment and vehicles, to the battle area, to assist the parachute troops. A Glider Training Squadron was forned at Ringway and a nation-wide search was launched, which produced a number of different types of sailplanes from private gliding clubs. Attention for a service glider became focused on an eight seat glider (which later became known as the Hotspur), though such a small load for a major operation would have necessitated a massive glider force. However attention soon became focussed on a 25 seat glider, which became known as the Horsa. The prototype of this was test flown on 12 September 1941 and it went into production shortly afterwards. The Hotspur was manufactured, though it was used essentially for training purposes In addition to the Gliding Training School, two other units were set up an Ringway; a Technical Development Unit and a Parachute School, and on 18 September 1940 the Central Landing School' was renamed the 'Central Landing Establishment' On 24 February 1942, the Army Air Corps was formed, at that time, comprising only of the 1st Glider Pilot Regiment, but it was later joined by the Parachute Regiment when it was formed on August 1st 1942 and the Special Air Service (SAS), on April 1st 1944. Lieut-Colonel John F Rock, Royal Engineers was appointed Commanding Officer of the 1st Glider Pilot Regiment with Major George J S Chatterton as Second-in-Command. Some forty trainee glider pilots were already assembled at No.16 Elementary Flying Training School. When Lieut-Colonel John Rock was killed on 8 October 1942, learning to fly a Hotspur glider, Chatterton took over command of the regiment, based at Tilshead, Salisbury Plain, where he put into practice his strict ideas about discipline, with the aid of two Warrant Officers from the Brigade of Guards. Senior Officers in the Royal Air Force, on hearing that it was the Army's intention to train infantry corporals as glider pilots, ridiculed the idea. Air Marshal Sir Arthur Harris pointed out that landing an aircraft as large as a bomber, without power, required the highest level of skill. All members of the Regiment were volunteers, mainly from many different Corps and Regiments of the British Army. Despite already being trained soldiers these men were put through a rigorous selection procedure. It was a daunting task to train them as pilots and to weld officers and men into an elite force capable of acting individually, or fighting as one, with Air Landed troops in the Airborne battle.[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] [/font] [FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] [/font] The first of the military gliders to fly, was the General Aircraft Hotspur, this was capable of carrying eight troops, but was soon superseded by the Airspeed Horsa , this could take twenty-eight fully equipped men, with alternative loads of, two Jeeps, one Jeep with a 75MM howitzer, one 25 pounder gun, or 7,130 lbs of freight. Early in 1942 the General Aircraft Company produced the prototype of the Hamilcar, designed to carry a light tank or 17,500 Ibs of freight. The Horsa and the Hamilcar were used in operations, the Hotspur was confined to training duties. The American Waco, the CG-4A, designated the Hadrian by the British, was also flown by the Regiment on some operations. It could carry 15 troops, or loads of, one Jeep, quarter ton truck, one 75mm howitzer or 3,800 lbs of freight.[FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'][/font] [FONT='Bookman Old Style','serif'] [/font] Prospective Pilots received full flying training on De Havilland Tiger Moth and Miles Magister aircraft at No.16 Elementary Flying Training School (later No.21 Elementary Flying Training School at Booker, No.29 Elementary Flying Training School at Clyffe Pypard and No.3 Elementary Flying Training School at Shellingford), then proceeding, as qualified power pilots, on to glider training, at either No.1 Glider Training School at Thame (later Croughton) or No.2 Glider Training School at Weston-on-Green. Or No.3 Glider Training School at Stoke Orchard, then training on the Hotspur, at 101 Glider Operational Training Unit, Kidlington or 102 Glider Operational Training Unit, Shobdon. With the rank of Sergeant or Staff-Sergeant, the men would go on to No.21 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit at Shrewton or Brize Norton's satellite stations or No.22 Heavy Glider Conversion Unit at Fairford, flying the Horsa and Hamilcar. The flying training continued hand in hand with an intensive military training programme. The aim of the Regiment, under its Commander, Brigadier George Chatterton, was to produce an elite force of 'Total Soldiers', able to fly any unit of the Army into action and to fight with them. The Regiment became so confident of its ability, that it took as its motto, ‘Nothing is Impossible' and during its short life, achieved a very high degree of skill and efficiency, with some 172 Honours and Awards to its members. The Glider Pilot Regiment was, at its peak, only 2,500 strong, it suffered 1301 casualties, including 551 pilots killed in action (more than one third its total strength of 1500). The Regiment's first operation was to send two gliders to land trops to attack the German 'heavy water' plant at Vermork, some 60 miles west of Oslo, Norway. Both glides crashed and survivors were later executed by the Germans. It's next major operation was the invasion of Sicily from North Africa. However due to insufficient training between American tug crews and British glider pilots many gliders were released too early and 79 of the 143 gliders that took off, came down in the sea, with serious loss of life. Gliders played an important part in the D-Day Landings, part of there operations was to seize two bridges over the River Orme and the Caen Canal, before the German troops had a chance to destroy them. Both bridges were taken intact by men of the Oxfordshire and Buckinhamshire Light Infantry, who were landed in five gliders alongside the bridges, and these men held out until relieved by men of the 5th Parachute Brigade. Commander of the Allied Air Forces on 'D' Day, Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, described it as 'the airmanship feat of the war'. Some 350 gliders were used in the Normandy invasion, with most reaching their assigned landing zones. The Divisional Commander, Major-General Richard Gale, wrote in his book 'The 6th Armoured Division in Normandy' 'There can be few bands of men to whom we can be more indebted that those of the Glider Pilot Regiment' The Regiment was decimated at Arnhem with 229 pilots killed, wounded or taken prisoner. Some 317 gliders on the first lift on 17 September 1944 reached the landing zone. The Royal Air Force provided replacement pilots for the Rhine Operation where, after glider and military training, they also served with courage and distinction. The Glider Pilot Regiment lost 42 members, and the Royal Air Force lost 60 glider pilots during the Rhine Crossing, when some 440 Horsa and Hamilcar gliders were used British Glider Operations; Operation FRESHMAN Raid on heavy water plant at Vermork, Norway: 19-20 Nov 1942: 2 crews selected from 1st Battalion Operation BEGGAR or TURKEY BUZZARD Ferrying of Horsas from UK to North Africa 1-28 Jun 1943: 1st Battalion Operations LADBROKE and FUSTIAN Invasion of Sicily 9 - 14 Jul 1943: 1st Battalion Operation OVERLORD (TONGA and MALLARD) 'D-Day': Invasion of France 6 Jun 1944: Both Wings (7 squadrons) Operation DRAGOON: Invasion of the South of France 15 Aug 1944 : (Independent Squadron) Operation MARKET: Airborne operation to capture the Rhine bridge at Arnhem 17-26 September 1944: Both Wings (7 Squadrons) Operation VARSITY: Airborne operation for crossing of the Rhine 24 March 1945: (Both Wings (7 squadrons)) Battle Honours : Normandy Landing Pegasus Bridge Merville Battery Arnhem 1944 Rhine Southern France Europe 1944-45 Landing in Sicily Sicily 1943 The Glider Pilot Regiment was disbanded in 1957 and the remaining pilots were absorbed into the Army Air Corps Further Reading; The History of the Glider Pilot Regiment, By Claude Smith, Published by Leo Cooper, London 1992 - Deals with detailed history of the Regiment and includes a Roll of Honour, List of Honours and Awards Wot no Engines? By Alan Cooper, Published by Woodfield Press, West Sussex 2002 - Deals with the RAF glider pilots brought in after the heavy losses of the Glider Pilot Regiment at Arnhem Roll of Honour and Awards for The Glider Pilot Regiment 1942-1957 - Originally compiled in 1946 and revised in 1950, Revised versions prepared from 1982 onwards by The Museum of Army Flying with assistance from The Commonwealth War Graves Commission' records, Members of the Regiment and many other helpers and researchers 6th edition - Corrected to information as at 1st October 1995 Compiled by Major J.R. Cross AAC(Retd) Museum of Army Flying
