Missing gliders of Operation Tonga D-Day

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by brithm, Jun 13, 2014.

  1. Ludo68000

    Ludo68000 6th Airborne D-Day

    Dear WW2talk friends, first of all Happy New Year and all the best for 2021 and let's hope COVID-19 will be behind us before the end of the year.
    Let's start the year by bringing more confusion about the Breville gliders (I hope not) as I'm about to show you one along the Route de Béneauville.
    This location is locally well known as there has been a sign for years but....
    as you can see not at the exact location. The sign is about 50m further west to the exact location.

    Regards, Ludo
    breville glider sign.jpg Glider sign location.jpg Route de Beneauville glider location.jpg
     
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Not about the gliders, but added in case of interest and found looking for something different:
    From pg.7 of 13: SAAFA PRETORIA BRANCH - PDF Free Download
     
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  3. BsP

    BsP Member

    Ridgeway and Foster's glider did land near Vimont, but the number of the glider was CN219. My father wrote an account of what happened to Ridgeway & Foster's after the landing, and the story of how they tried to make their way back to British lines with other paratroopers. I believe it was published many years ago in the magazine of the Glider Pilot Regiment under the title "The Missing Glider, CN 219, 14 Flight, F Squadron, 2 WIng, Blake Hill Farm". It is quite an extraordinary story. The article is based on his own memories of the events of June 1944, as his family sheltered the crew of CN219 for about a week between June 8 and June 17 at their farm in Rupierre, near Janville, and on the recollections of Douglas Knappett of 716 Airborne Light Composite Company, RASC, whom he met again in 1984. Doug was one of 6 men in the glider (the 3 others, apart from the pilots, were Sgt R Jeffreys, Pte W. Osbourne and Pte W.G. Southerton, all with 8th BN, Parachute Rgt).

    Doug was the designated driver of the Jeep in the back of the glider, but due to a bad landing the crew was unable to open the glider or get the Jeep out. They were initially sheltered by a local farmer, then moved to the farm at Rupierre on June 8, before my father took them to the chateau by the church in Janville to join other paras who were hiding in the stables. On June 10, the Germans requisitioned the chateau and the paras had to leave. The 6 men from the glider returned to my grandparents' farm at Rupierre, where they were joined a couple of days later by a Lt Robertson-Browne and 2 other paratroopers from 8th Bn. Lt Browne took over leading the group and made plans to rejoin LZ K.

    They left Rupierre on the night of June 17/18 as the farm was requisitioned by the Germans for an AA unit, and hid several days near St-Pair. They made several attempts to cross the lines, and on the second one, probably on June 20, Peter Foster was killed by MG fire near La Tuilerie, close to Troarn, and buried there by the Germans on June 21. The rest of the party escaped and went back to hiding only to have a German unit bivouac right next to their hiding place. Browne and Ridgeway got away after a firefight and returned to Rupierre once more, to be hidden by another family, M. and Mme Lepape. They were finally captured near Sanerville on July 2 wearing civilian clothes - they were posing as French civilians trying to get to Caen. The affable German major who captured them agreed to spare them (against the opinion of his colonel, who wanted them shot as spies) on condition they could produce their uniforms. So Ridgeway had to lead the Germans to the hiding place where the uniforms had been stashed. Fortunately, the Germans were very early and M. Lepape, who was on his way to burn the uniforms as promised the next morning, spotted the Wehrmacht as he was going to the hiding place. He and his wife were able to escape the raid, and neither they nor my father's family received any visits from the Gestapo afterwards. The Wehrmacht probably decided not to the pursue the matter further. Lt Browne was able to escape in the confusion, went underground, joined the Maquis. He ultimately made it back to the British Army on August 20 near Ecouché, and participated in Operation Varsity.

    After weeks of hiding in the marshes, Doug Knappett and another soldier were captured on July 18 by SS troops of 1st Adolf Hitler, who fed them on black bread and jam from a big bucket and told them they were very stupid to have waited so long to surrender. Doug believes the others with Sgt Jeffreys were able to evade capture, joined the Maquis and were returned to England.
     
  4. BsP

    BsP Member

    Footnote: after the war, my father was invited by Peter Foster's adoptive family in Lancashire. He fell in love and ultimately married Peter's younger sister.
     
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  5. Ludo68000

    Ludo68000 6th Airborne D-Day

    Dear BsP,

    Please find attached a picture probably taken at Auvillars Brickworks (near Bonnebosq) where S/Sgt RIDGEWAY was held POW after his capture.
    Very interesting account.
     

    Attached Files:

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  6. BsP

    BsP Member

    Ludo,
    Many thanks for the picture, very interesting. S/Sgt Ridgeway reunited with his uniform! Taken some time in July?
     
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  7. Ben14

    Ben14 Active Member

    hi

    a picture of CN 221, who landing à Vimont .
     

    Attached Files:

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  8. BsP

    BsP Member

    While the number 221 appears clearly under the wing, I don't think it's in Vimont.

    Ridgeway and Foster's glider landed north of Vimont, but we know from the reports filed by crew members after the battle that they were never able to open the back of the glider to unload the jeep and two motorcycles. So the glider we see in these pictures is most probably not Ridgeway and Foster's.

    Based on the table in 6juin1944.com in page 2, which seems correct, this is England and Graham's glider, and the picture was taken further north.
     
  9. Ben14

    Ben14 Active Member

    Cn221 the picture of Cn221 was taken North of Vimont , next to the Brasier farm
     

    Attached Files:

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  10. BsP

    BsP Member

    I could be wrong, but looking at that series of three pictures (and the other pictures of the same place posted upthread) I don't see a glider in that red circle on the first picture.

    Ridgeway and Foster landed 2 miles north of Vimont, according to the paratroopers' report, and the glider stayed very much in one piece, to the point they were unable to get any of the equipment out. I've seen other reports mention La Vieille Eglise as the landing place, a "lieu dit" about 2 miles north of Vimont with a few buildings (now a doctor's office). https://www.gralon.net/plan-ville/planr-lieu-dit-la-vieille-eglise-vimont-249268.htm
    The location you show here (Brasier farm) is much closer to Vimont.
     
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  11. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi BsP,

    I'm not sure of date of aerial to left in Ben's trio of images above. The glider there appears to have been burnt down. The outline of the wings and the removed tail section turned 90 degrees to rear of port wing is still visible. Ben also did an analysis using a June 7th aerial which for me proved that the glider at that location was indeed CN 221. I think it is missing from his previous postings so will attach here.

    Box-0303-7-June-1944-Vimont.jpg Ben Analysis.png Box-0303-7-June-1944-Position.jpg

    The Operation Tonga book lists 5 gliders belonging to 8th Parachute Battalion:

    Wave Two: Blakehill Farm ‘F’ Sqn
    (Towed by Dakotas of 233 Sqn)
    Loads CN 218–222: heavy weapons from 8th Parachute Bn. (Jeeps and explosives to blow Diver River bridges).


    They have two gliders landing correctly on LZ K and two by mistake on LZ N. Only one went astray and they claim it was CN 220 piloted by S/Sgt. Ridgeway and Sgt. Foster. Going by photo above showing the chalk number it was in actuality CN 221. According to Sgt. Jefferies account they came down near an orchard:

    "Our Horsa glider crash landed at 0100hrs, 6 Jun 44 2 miles N. of Vimont. We hit in an orchard. The pilot hurt his leg and the tail of the glider was smashed. For two hours we tried to get the tail off, but failed. We tried to hammer out the sides, but finally gave up. The jeep and two motorcycles were badly tangled together. At last we contacted a French farmer, from whom we found that we had been dropped 8 miles too far S. Coming back to the glider we saw 30 Germans and a tank clustered about it, so we started off North to Troarn, six of us."

    There is not much evidence in the many photos of CN 221 that the tail was badly damaged but it could have landed in such a way that removing the tail was difficult. By early morning June 6th the Germans had already found the glider and probably sometime later that day removed the tail to get access to vehicles and other materials.

    I also came across an August 15th aerial which shows the Braiser farm location and there is no trace of the glider. It is completely gone with not so much as a ground smudge where the burning occurred which is unusual. I have a few aerials of La Vieille Eglise and nearby. They are not the best unfortunately and I haven't found anything resembling a glider so far.

    Box-0029-15-August-1944-3120.jpg

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Feb 5, 2021
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  12. BsP

    BsP Member

    Cee,
    Many thanks for the detailed answer. I will study the pictures and the evasion reports and also see what I can find in my father's records next time I can get to Normandy.
    Regards,
    P.
     
  13. Ben14

    Ben14 Active Member

    hi

    a picture from german propaganda, when they burnt down the glider 221
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Ben,

    What a great find, well done! The little orchard is also clearly seen in background.

    Regards ...
     
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  15. Ludo68000

    Ludo68000 6th Airborne D-Day

    Yes Ben, great find.
     
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  16. BsP

    BsP Member

    OK, I've now been able to look at the aerial pictures taken around Vimont. Also, Ludo68000 has been kind enough to share some of his excellent documentation. Long story short:
    1. British archives show conclusively that the Horsa glider flown by S/Sgt Ridgeway and Sgt Foster was CN221, and not CN219 as I incorrectly stated in #68 and #70. My father's account is incorrect in that respect.
    2. There are no traces of a Horsa anywhere else in the vicinity of Vimont (apart from the location suggested by Ben14 right next to la Ferme du Brasier), which seems completely consistent with 1. The location found by Ben14 has to be the right one.
    This means the grid locator for the landing site given in some of the paratroopers' evasion reports is incorrect (more than a mile off to the North). It is also interesting that the Germans were able to get the tail off CN221 by June 7, when the glider's crew were unable to open it despite trying for several hours.

    Many thanks to everybody for their help. It is quite moving to see these pictures, and to know that they really are the pictures of my uncle's glider.
     
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