APPENDIX F
On the night of 5/6th June 1944, of the 704 glider pilots in 352 gliders accounted for in operational records, thirty-two lost their lives on D-Day. At least ten were killed in crash landings, and up to twelve, soon after landing, from enemy fire. Six, along with their passengers, perished in the cold waters of the English Channel and four by direct hits from German anti-aircraft fire. Many were also wounded or injured as a result of enemy fire or unfortunate landings. At least four gliders hit trees and anti-aircraft poles causing broken limbs for at least one of the two pilots.
In one instance Staff Sergeant A.T. Stear was killed on landing after their glider, destined for DZ N, hit a farm building. His co-pilot, Sgt J. Wilson, lay trapped in the glider, next to his dead comrade, for two days until rescued. His injuries were so severe that one of his legs had to be amputated. In another landing, a glider, piloted by Staff Sergeant H.A. Rancom and Sgt E. Collard, came to rest in a minefield. Both survived, but despite trying to hide from the Germans, both were captured by SS troops and made prisoners of war. Staff Sergeant Rancom had his arm amputated. A further fourteen glider pilots were captured by the Germans. Two managed to escape but six would later die in captivity. Among the many others injured during D-Day were pilot Staff Sergeant K.A. Evans and David Woodward, the war correspondent for the Manchester Guardian. Their glider, destined for LZ N, crash landed near their target carrying their cargo of a bulldozer for the Royal Engineers. Their co-pilot, Sgt J. Thompson, was later wounded. A further seven glider pilots would die in Normandy during the fighting in the following days.
But for those brave pilots that survived the horrors of Normandy, there would be further operations where they would be needed to carry men and equipment into the battlefields of north-west Europe. On 17 September 1944 Operation MARKET began the race to cross the River Rhine. In that assault, and the action that followed, of the 220 glider pilots who lost their lives eighty-three had previously survived Normandy. Six months later in Operation VARSITY, beginning 23 March 1945, six more veterans of Normandy lost their lives.
Jimmy Edwards.
Of the glider pilots who survived Normandy, one would go on to become an international comedian, stage and film star. Staff Sergeant Jimmy Edwards received a facial wound at Arnhem when his aircraft was shot down. After receiving plastic surgery and becoming a member of the famous Guinea Pig Club, he grew his distinctive handlebar moustache, which would become his trademark, to hide his wound. Many awards and honours were also bestowed upon glider pilots for action in Normandy including: one AFC, five Croix de Geurre, one DCM, three DFCs, eleven DFMs, one DSO, three MIDs and one MM.
This book has concentrated mainly on the experiences of just six of those gliders that landed, in Normandy, on D-Day. Over the years, numerous lists have been compiled and published detailing those men involved in the Coup de Main operation to take the bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne. Initially, there was the official operational list followed by lists compiled by veterans Major John Howard, Private Denis Edwards, Corporal Ted Tappenden and Staff Sergeant Jim Wallwork. In 2009, the most recent and comprehensive list was completed by the founder, members and trustees of Project 65 (www.project65.net).
Pegasus Bridge & Horsa Bridge Coup de main parties
Over three years, Mr Barry Tappenden, General Sir Robert Pascoe KCB MBE, Major Michael Massy-Beresford and Mr Danny Greeno, compiled the most definitive list after consulting previous lists and interviewing veterans to try and establish if any men were added or taken off the flight roster before embarkation on 5 June 1944. The resulting list was then used for The Men in Gliders Memorial at the Memorial Pegasus Museum (Musée Mémorial Pegasus (see Ch. 6, B23). Additional information included on the following list has been collated from various sources mentioned in the bibliography.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Wallwork, S/Sgt Ainsworth.
D Coy HQ: Maj Howard (Commanding Officer), Cpl Tappenden (Wireless Operator).
No. 25 Pl D Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Brotheridge (Platoon Commander), Sgt Ollis, Cpl Bailey, Cpl Caine, Cpl Webb, L/Cpl Minns, L/Cpl Packwood, Pte Baalham, Pte Bates, Pte Bourlet, Pte Chamberlain, Pte Edwards, Pte Gardner, Pte Gray, Pte Jackson 08, Pte O’Donnell, Pte Parr, Pte Tilbury, Pte Watson, Pte White, Pte Windsor.
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: Cpl Watson, Spr Danson, Spr Ramsey, Spr Wheeler, Spr Yates.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL355-G.
298 Sqn 38 Group RAF: W/C Duder DSO DFC, P/O Mclaren, Sgt Lappin, F/L Palmby, F/S Newling, Sgt McAllum.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Boland, S/Sgt Hobbs.
No. 24 Pl D Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Wood (Platoon Commander), Sgt Leather, Cpl Cowperthwaite, Cpl Godbold, Cpl Ilsley, L/Cpl Drew, L/Cpl Roberts, Pte Chatfield, Pte Cheesley, Pte Clark 48, Pte Clarke 33, Pte Dancey, Pte Harmen, Pte Leonard, Pte Lewis, Pte Malpas, Pte Musty, Pte Pepperall, Pte Radford, Pte Warmington, Pte Waters, Pte Weaver.
RAMC: L/Cpl Harris.
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: Capt Neilson, Spr Conley, Spr Haslett, Spr Lockhart, Spr Shorey.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL335-K.
298 Sqn 38 Group RAF: W/O Berry, F/S Roberts, P/O Letts, F/S White (RCAF), Sgt Stewart, Sgt Austin (RNAF), F/L Reevely.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Barkway, S/Sgt Boyle.
No. 14 Pl B Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Smith (Platoon Commander), Sgt Harrison, Cpl Ariss, Cpl Evans, Cpl Higgs, L/Cpl Cohen, L/Cpl Greenhalgh, L/Cpl Madge, Pte Anton, Pte Basham, Pte Burns, Pte Crocker, Pte Golden, Pte Hook, Pte Keane, Pte Noble, Pte Slade, Pte Stewart, Pte Tibbs, Pte Turner, Pte Watts, Pte Wilson.
RAMC: Captain Jacob (aka Vaughan).
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: L/Cpl Waring, Spr Clarke, Spr Fleming, Spr Green, Spr Preece.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL218-N.
644 Sqn 38 Group RAF: W/O Herman, F/S Mills, Sgt Duncan, F/S Morrison, F/S Walsh, Sgt Waterfall.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Lawrence, S/Sgt Shorter.
D Coy HQ: Capt Priday (2 i/c), L/Cpl Lambley.
No. 22 Pl D Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Hooper (Platoon Commander), Sgt Barwick, L/Sgt Rayner, Cpl Bateman, Cpl Goodsir, L/Cpl Ambrose, L/Cpl Hunt, Pte Allwood, Pte Clive, Pte Everett, Pte Gardner 08, Pte Hammond, Pte Hedges, Pte Jeffries, Pte Johnson, Pte Lathbury, Pte St Clair, Pte Timms, Pte Waite, Pte Whitford, Pte Wilson.
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: L/Sgt Brown, Spr Deighan, Spr Guest, Spr Paget, Spr Roberts.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL344-P.
644 Sqn 38 Group RAF: F/O Clapperton, F/O Roberts, F/Sgt
Burness, F/Sgt Bareham, Sgt Rolt.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Pearson, S/Sgt Guthrie.
No. 23 Pl D Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Sweeney (Platoon
Commander), Sgt Gooch, Cpl Howard, Cpl Jennings, Cpl Murton, L/Cpl Porter, L/Cpl Stacey, Pte Allen, Pte Bleach, Pte Bowden, Pte Bright, Pte Buller, Pte Clark 46, Pte Galbraith, Pte Jackson 59, Pte Read, Pte Roach, Pte Roberts, Pte Tibbett, Pte Willcocks, Pte Wixen, Pte Wood.
7 Para: Lt Macdonald (Liaison Officer).
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: Cpl Straw, Spr Bradford, Spr Carter, Spr Field, Spr Wilkinson.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL406-T.
298 Sqn 38 Group RAF: W/O Bain, F/L Rowell, Sgt Holder, F/S Mansell, Sgt Weeks, Sgt Beusley.
Glider Pilot Regiment: S/Sgt Howard, S/Sgt Baacke.
No. 17 Pl B Coy 2 Oxf Bucks: Lt Fox (Platoon Commander), Sgt Thornton, Cpl Burns, Cpl Lally, Cpl Reynolds, L/Cpl Loveday, Pte Annetts, Pte Clare, Pte Collett, Pte Hubbert, Pte Lawton, Pte O’Shaughnessy, Pte Peverill, Pte Pope, Pte Rudge, Pte Storr, Pte Summersby, Pte Ward, Pte Whitbread, Pte Whitehouse, Pte Woods, Pte Wyatt.
RAMC: L/Cpl Lawson.
No. 2 Pl 249 Fd Coy RE: Lt Bence, Spr Burns, Spr Larkin C.H., Spr Larkin C.W. Spr Maxted.
Tug: Halifax bomber, LL350-Z.
644 Sqn 38 Group RAF: F/O Archibald, F/S O’Shea, Sgt Hones, F/Sgt Chidley, F/Sgt Brown (RCAF), Sgt Orford.