Yo, What is interesting after checking out the REME war diary I couldn't find any evidence that any of them flew in on Varsity, including Captain Adams. These are photos from his collection and doesn't necessarily mean he took them. 6th (Airborne) Divisional Workshops, REME Regards ...
Hi, I agree, based on the diary I don't think its likely Captain Adams (or whoever took the pictures) flew in, but I do think Adams could have been present for either the training or loading of the RASC Hamilcar's for Varsity a few days earlier at Tarrant Rushton, before the gliders left for Woodbridge, and happened to take a photo of the same CN glider (CN 278) when later arriving and seeing it again in / near Hamminkeln. Note: The muddy ground is very similar in the burnt out glider photo and CN 278 close up picture. From the RASC diary 20th March "6 Offrs and 77 O.Rs leave location and proceed by road to Tarrant Rushton where personnel take off in 12 Hamilcar Gliders for Woodbridge Airfield. This photo from Capt. Adams collection shows Hamilcars on a runway at presumably Tarrant Rushton The Captain Ronald Adams Collection The Captain Ronald Adams Collection Could therefore be the gliders leaving Tarrant Rushton after the training / packing as photographed in the wide angle photograph (The Captain Ronald Adams Collection) of CN 278, (note the gate shaped object at the bottom of this new photograph suggesting it may have been taken from the ground). and also this photo showing more gliders on a runway The Captain Ronald Adams Collection 3 days later - From the REME Diary On the 23rd "2 HQ REME Jeeps and trailers under Capt. Adams, EME Tels, left 1200 hrs. to join AWD in concentration area. 1300 hrs. CREME arrived from UK and visited LAD land elements." On the 27th "Crossed Class 40 bridge" & "Moved to area 195467 at present occupied by AWD" Possibly the bridge? The Captain Ronald Adams Collection ? In addition If taken from the Hamminkeln map sheet 195467 is only around 700m from the RASC RV point, right around the same area (and fits really well with activities on the 28th below). On the 28th "Day spent in recovering vehs and guns from damaged gliders on DZ, also removing instruments from gliders." As always with my hypothesising, something (this next photo), does seemingly contradict the above narrative somewhat: The Captain Ronald Adams Collection There are also a few other loose ends that don't quite add up and it is of course possible somebody else took the photographs or somebody else took half of them. BR, SH
Hi, I can't find any reference to the 6th Airborne REME at Tarrant Rushton prior to Op Varsity. My take on the RASC Rhine Crossing Pics: Pic 40 - Unknown men on LZ, eating Pic 42 - Flight to Germany Pic 43 - ? - CN 278, UK Airfield Pic 44 - ? - CN 278, LZ Germany Pic 45 - Woodbridge, Lineup for Varsity Takeoff - note thick woods in background Pic 46 - Woodbridge, Lineup for Varsity Takeoff Pic 47 - ? - Flight to Germany, after Channel crossing or was it taken from an aircraft Pic 24 - Burnt-out Hamilcar, LZ-R Regards ...
Found this in a folder. CN 271 takes off from RAF Woodbridge on Op Varsity (3:20). Note thick woods in background ... Regards ...
I've got no evidence of a captain flying with them but there is evidence from one of the diary's that 3 REME did fly in with the RASC. Appendix K 2nd paragraph Link: Headquarters, Royal Army Service Corps "The air operational party consisted of 6 Officers and 77 Other Ranks with under command 1 Offr and 9 Other Ranks of 22 Indep Para Coy, 3 Other Ranks REME and 2 Other Ranks Ord and a party of 10 from Public Relations. This force was conveyed in 12 Hamilcar Gliders which took off from WOODBRIDGE airfield on 24 Mar 45. Prior to take off the force was concentrated at GLEVERING HALL transit camp where briefing was carried out and glider loads finally checked over. A thorough briefing took place and was spread over two days, 22 and 23 Mar." I will work on the location of the burnt out glider shortly. BR SH
Hi All : ) Just got a coastline match on Pic 47 - Right on where it should be if they are flying to the Rhine from Woodbridge (although slightly East of the mapped flightpath). It is the section of coastline between Birchington and Westgate on Sea (North Kent coast). Tide is in which makes it a bit confusing as the beaches aren't visible. The beach and cove Epple Bay (at 51.38031, 1.31501) is fairly distinctive in the centre of the coastline element of Pic 47 The Captain Ronald Adams Collection . In addition the bright curved road bottom left is the curve of Cliff road and centre bottom the junction between Lyell Road and Rossetti Road is fairly distinctive with the adjacent darker line being the railway and station. (If anyone wants more info on this let me know). This pretty much proves these pictures were taken from a flight out of Woodbridge as Cee Suspected (as a flight out of Tarrant Rushton is unlikely to have passed over this area if heading to Woodbridge or to the Rhine), Well done Cee. BS SH
Hi, Here's a poor quality aerial from the GPR Report. If it is circled I'm not sure which one is the burnt-out glider. Regards ...
Hi, Returning for a moment to the burnt-out glider as photographed by Robert Capa here's my interpretation of its location. The lines are a bit off, but you get the idea. It is hard to make out the Leitgraben stream flowing between the dead Officer and glider. Regards ...
Hi, Found these RASC bits in the 6th Airborne Varsity Report - not much new there. Wonder what a "Z" trailer is? The Varsity lineup at RAF Woodbridge: Regards ...
Hi, The folks at this link: British WWII REME Lightweight Electrical Repair Trailer: Restoration Project suggest it was a light weight trailer used for "Calibration & Repair of Telecommunications Equipment" Although its got a cover on, I wonder if there is enough information in the pic for somebody well versed in REME or other trailers to ID it? there is an object sitting on top of the canvas which itself is held taught over the trailer contents Link to the pic again: https://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/Photos3/Pic_Adams44_high.jpg Would also fit well with Bob stating his glider had 2 trailers on it (assuming both were on CN 278). Best Regards, SH
Hi, To state the obvious CN 278's nose appears broken and busted open. Looks like a bit of a face seen to rear of trailer? Regards ...
Hi I did think the object just inside the door bottom left might have been a round of 75mm ammunition too? Best Regards SH
It may well be a Z trailer. All the pictures I can find of trailers all have the wheels outside of the frame. The Z trailer had a wheel arch.
Ho, I'm not sure if the following has a RASC connection or not? Reporter L. Marsland Gander tells how he escaped travelling to Germany in a Hamilcar. He didn't know where he was half the time. There was a "Phantom" glider that left from RAF Rivenhall, not sure about RAF Woodbridge though? If not related it is still an amusing account told in Gander's darkly humorous style. Regards ...
Hi, Regarding Z Trailer Given that the Z Trailer wasn't used, I wonder if the unloading picture was taken in the late afternoon, or possibly even the next day. From the way that is worded (and lack of reference to it being destroyed) it also doesn't seem likely that the "Z" Trailer was the trailer that got destroyed by a mine. Would be interesting to know the extent of the minefield if there are any records of where this was? Its also worth noting the RASC diary shows the ammunition dump was supposed to be south of the railway in the clearing (still present) but there was a delay in reconnaissance of this clearing due to Sjt Whittall's platoon being the only one in the area until 1300 hrs, and Sjt Whittall was "busy" "giving covering fire to Lt Campbell of 22 Indep Para Coy who was marking the SDP". This link also gives a bit more on the trailer,: Headquarters, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers As under the Operation Instructions section there is further reference to the Z Trailer team being attached to Signals, "Airldg Det REME ('Z' trlr team) att Div Sigs." It is also worth noting regarding trailers in general the HQ RASC diary also states: "Great difficulty was experienced in getting the trailers out of the rear of the gliders as the force of landing on rough ground and the stretching of the ropes which bound them had caused a slight shifting of the panniers which were lashed forward of the trailers and therefore blocked the way for getting the trailer out. It was not possible to waste time at that stage in cutting lashings and removing panniers as the gliders were under fire and in most cases it was decided to salvage the trailer later." If CN 278 was carrying 2 trailers this may explain why they got theirs out, as there would have been less room to place the Panniers in front of the trailer due to the 2nd trailer taking up that space. (I have no direct evidence of this, so this is for now just a thought). Regarding Woodbridge in the photo from the Adam's Collection, there look to be 7 Hamilcar visible tail fins in the row of gliders to the left of the photographer, with the Hamilcar closest the cameraman and thus another tail just out of shot. This suggest the glider the cameraman is onboard is 8 gliders back around 2 wings back from the 3 persons seen standing in a cluster (on the left) about half way down the row of aircraft in this photograph that Cee posted above: ROYAL AIR FORCE: FIGHTER COMMAND, NO. 38 (AIRBORNE FORCES) GROUP RAF. If you count the wheels on the left of this next picture, this is around where the person standing in the background of this photograph (by my reckoning although its hard to tell exactly how many wheels there are its probably the glider 1 forward from the person in the background): ROYAL AIR FORCE: FIGHTER COMMAND, NO. 38 (AIRBORNE FORCES) GROUP RAF. It is worth noting, 716 LCC were flown in by 2 squadrons; 298 and 644. Records for 298 were sent to me by another forum member: Squadron Number: 298 Appendices: Y | The National Archives (note they are somewhat misfiled). The records for 298 Squadron, show mostly even numbered chalks although don't seem to include any information on CN 278 which is missing from the record as far as I can see. (This is one record I will need to route out when visiting the IWM). Regarding Gander I have read somewhere (but cant place where for now) that the Phantom Jeep carried a special radio set / was a special radio jeep, and made it to HQ. I did wonder for a while if it might have been the dug in Jeep seen in the photograph of signers in a trench that we looked at here: LZ 'P' Scenes and Photos, Operation Varsity (Pic is the top one in Post 43). Ganders account somewhat confuses me a bit, If he is one of the 10 press supposed to go on the 12 RASC gliders, changing glider due to Captain D-B and "Phantom" makes little sense, although there are a couple of RASC with Double-Barrelled surnames. There almost certainly was a "phantom" Horsa. Is it certain that he was supposed to travel by Hamilcar and swapped? If so I wonder if he mixed things up and ended up on the Phantom glider having swapped off the RASC one. Best Regards, Steve
Hi, Found this unclear Hamilcar pic buried away, but no idea where it was taken and may not be related to subject at hand. Very murky atmosphere. Starboard wing tip appears missing. Possibly a Horsa nose/fuselage (?) to right and a vehicle or two on port side. Nose is still in place with a dark area or opening to front? Also unsure what object is in foreground. Gander flew on a glider carrying the CRE and according to him the Defense Platoon. But why would the CRE fly with the Defense Platoon when the HQ RE was assigned their own glider. Gander is a good writer but didn't always have the facts worked out correctly. See my interpretation in PDF. The way I read it there were 28 Hamilcars ahead of the RASC ones in the lineup. Regards ...
