Can anyone help? All the following information is from the book Operation Tonga by Kevin Shannon and Stephen Wright. Glider Chalk No 89 which was flown by Lt Col Ian Murray and Capt Bottomley had amongst its passengers Brigadier the Hon Hugh Kindersley and Chester Wilmot who made a recording during the flight which is available on Amazon. I am trying to find out who the remainder of the passengers were on the glider and what unit they were. I am presuming either Div HQ troops or the Brigadiers defence platoon. If anyone can help I would be very grateful. Cheers Arnhem
Arnhem2280, I think Colonel Reginald Parker Deputy Commander 6th Airlanding Brigade was in the same glider. http://www.da.mod.uk/Portals/0/Documents/JSCSC%20Library%20Archives/Operation%20%27Overlord%27/D-Day%20Landings/Sword_Beach_and_the_Airborne_Assault_6_Airborne_Divisional_Troops.pdf This document from the Defence academy may help. Pages 17 - 18 list all 6th Airborne Div's HQ personnel Pages 19-20 give a glider list with no great detail of the HQ gliders attached to this post is a list of 6th Airlanding personnel for Operation Tonga: Brigade Commander, Staff officer, 4x LOs, 1 orderly and Deputy Commd (OC Armd Recce Recce Gp) Hope this is of some help. brithm
According to Wright's book Operation Tonga Brigadier Kindersley and Chester Wilmot went in on Chalk No. 89. The War Diary, however, gives the following information: Further down the WD page under 'Special Instructions to Maj M Darrell-Brown' he is informed, "You will fly in HQ Glider No.2 with a/c chalk number 87." All of which is very confusing and perhaps indicates there were a number of changes made before June 5th that aren't reflected in the WD. There must be independent accounts by others on Wilmot's glider with memories of him recording while in flight? Regards ...
From a later report in the 6th Airborne Div HQ WD "6 Airborne Div. Current Reports from Overseas No.49 Ops of an Air-Landing Bde. 6 Jun - 12 Jun. Initial Landings Account is given by Bde Comdr. 0300 - Glider landed in exact posn - near RANVILLE. Party composed of one LO, half div def pl and Chester Wilmot moved to chateau at LE BAS DE RANVILLE where HQ was est and several Germans captured." The LO here would probably be Lt J Kittow who is described as such in the instructions to Maj M Darrell-Brown. A "half div def pl " I would assume would be men from one half of the Divisional HQ Defence Platoon. Regards ...
Cee, #3 Great post. I've never seen that before. That tallies with Pages 19-20 which gives a list of HQ gliders. Nice one! brithm
Thank you very much Gentlemen. I have managed to find one member of those on the glider S/54950 WO2 Ernest Walker RASC. His interview tape is in the Imperial War Museum Collection. He says he was on the same glider as Chester Wilmot and Brigadier The Hon Hugh Kindersley. The tape can be listened to on the IWM link and is well worth it. As well as this Chester Wilmots recording is available on Amazon. Just need to find the others on the glider now! Cheers Arnhem
Here is Ernest Ronald Walker's account from IWM http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/80016463