Varsity: Looking for crashed C-47s

Hello, I am currently trying to identify the crash sites for the 31 USAAF C-47 aircraft lost during Op. Varsity, 24 March 1945.
Especially several aircraft of 315th Troop Carrier Group shot down over British DZ "B" are difficult to locate - in these cases the Missing Air Crew Reports have sketches that are not helpful and the verbal descriptions of the crash sites are somewhat too vague - see further down below.

However, I have some hopes to find out more about this one:
42-100875 - "crashed 7 miles east of Rees"
That would make sense - it would be just beyond the Autobahn track, near the village of Loikum. In NCAP I found the aerial below. Does this look like the shape of a C-47 to anyone? Could also be a burnt glider... Any opinions or expertise would be welcome!

It could also be 43-15256 - I have information that pilot Major Sigurd Matson crashed with his plane 7 miles east of Rees, too. This information comes from the account of his wife found on the web.


Some examples of "vague" information
42-93719 - "3 mi north of Wesel" makes little sense for an aircraft sent to DZ B
42-108871 - "crashed near Wesel"
43-15266 - "last seen over DZ", "crashed near Wesel"
43-15257 - "exploded in mid-air" - I suppose that would be the most difficult to find... there is no MACR since there were no losses of personnel in this case. This information comes from:
“Lt. BERMAN’s crew all parachuted safely, although Lt. BERMAN was injured after staying with his ship until it was a certainty that he could not crash-land it; the plane was seen to explode in mid-air less than two seconds after Lt. BERMAN had cleared it.” RETURN HOME

 

Alberk,

This looks more like a glider, with the long span wings perpendicular to the fuselage.


Good luck in your search.

Michel

 

If not yet known:
https://media.defense.gov/2010/Sep/27/2001329811/-1/-1/0/AFD-100927-040.pdf
I only skimmed it, but from page 347 there are a few crash reports/narratives

 

Thanks, Michel - maybe you're right. I posted this because I had my doubts. However, I will post a photo of a crash landed C-47 for comparison...

 

Itdan,

thank you - I know the book - it covers a different Troop Carrier Group but I just discovered something interesting relating to 81st Squadron.

 

Michel,

just for comparison - this is an aerial of a crash landed C-47 (I am fairly sure):

 

I believe that this is a glider that was allocated to the 7th Battalion with Lt Simpson on board, this is based on a few bits of evidence from a survivor which match that location and proximity to a large Anti Aircraft site nearby. Can’t remember if I showed you this one before alberk ?

 

Alex1975uk - you're right: We discussed this before - and I am not saying it is not the glider that you suggest.

I just asked myself: Where did all the downed aircraft of 315th Troop Carrier Group disappear to? 315th TCG took British paras to DZ B - and was hit hard on 24 March 1945: 10 planes lost, 15 aircrew killed in action. For 5 of those aircraft I have no - or too vague - information where they crashed. Hence my suggestion to discuss the aerial picture again.

 

it’s right to always interrogate the evidence until something can be proved of course.
As I understand it, most of the C47’s that got hit were hit on the way home after banking left. Can’t remember the source right now but it comes to mind that a flak battery in the Rees area did a lot of damage and the C47’s went down on “our” side of the Rhine. I can’t remember any of the veterans I spoke to seeing a C47 go down, but a few said an engine was on fire when they jumped etc etc.

 

Alex1975uk - I may add that 3 aircraft of 315th TCG went down west of the Rhine, one on the way back to the Rhine at Sonsfeld (crash location identified). Another one exploded in mid-air. That leaves five of which I cannot yet find any clear indication regarding their crashes. Most Missing Air Crew Reports state "last seen over DZ" - this does nor really support the suggestion that they crashed between DZ B and the Rhine... in my first post above two are said to have crashed "seven miles east of Rees" which is near or just beyond the DZ.

 

This is a typical sketch from the Missing Air Crew Reports regarding losses of 315th TCG. For most other TCG the sketches and verbal descriptions are more accurate und helpful. C-47 serial number 42-93719:

 

You inspired me to make a little sketch illustrating what I know and what is established. Still, a closer look at the area on their course back to the west did not reveal any more crash sites - but that does not mean anything, just that it is difficult to find disintegrated aircraft on the NCAP photos. I left the area between DZ B and the closest crash location blank to show the range of possibilities.

 

This is a fascinating film showing the emergency landing of C-47 No. 43-30650 of 315th TCG near Weeze, some miles west of the Rhine. Most amazing is the interview on the scene with one if the lucky survivors in the second half of the film!


What you hear is the voice of radio operator S/Sgt. William Trau. Belgian and Dutch researchers found this film and suggest the other man is probably crew chief T/Sgt. Ernest Bellund.

 

Hi alberk,

Great little film on being hit by flak and surviving the emergency landing. Chalk 193 flew out of RAF Boreham. The 12 men named on the fuselage, "The Shoo Shoo Babys" would have been with the 12th Parachute Battalion. I suspect that is already well known?



Regards ...

 

Cee - I knew that they took 5 Para Bde personnel to DZ "B" but the info about the names is a nice addition!

 

If we leave aside the C-46 aircraft that carried US 513 PIR - 19 of which crashed - we can say this much: the lift of 5 Para Bde to DZ "B" was the the most costly in terms of lost aircraft. All in all ten C-47 of 315th TCG were shot down or crashed.
The second most costly lift was the one by 437th TCG which lost five C-47 - their target was LZ "S".

 

Definitely 12 Para with that Chalk number as Cee said.
I looked for those names on the aircraft and got a match. “Tiffy” Grant.
Tiffy is a REME slang word for Articifer, and on the 12th Bn OOB Sgt Grant (REME) is noted as permanently attached to the Battalion, most likely the Armourer in my opinion.

 

Alex1975uk - DZ "B" is your special interest - I am sure you know this account found in the Pegasus Archive:
L/Cpl Eric G Lancaster, Signals Platoon, HQ Company, 7th Parachute Battalion
"The area was littered with a multitude of gliders, some of which looked as if they had landed without any trouble but most had been badly knocked about by anti-aircraft fire and when they landed, some had burnt out; there were also a few Dakotas which had crash landed. So many of the gliders were virtually matchwood that I was glad that I had arrived by parachute.

One Dakota had nose dived into the ground so that the exit door was about fifteen feet above the ground and for a couple of hundred yards behind the plane a line of parachutes was stretched out presumably belonging to those whose chutes had not opened in time. The only man left was on his back, hanging out of the door with his head split open."

 

Yes, I’ve always thought that he might be referring to somewhere closer to either LZ P or Hamminkeln itself as 7 Para moved into Div reserve between the Kopenhof and BergerfurtherStr at 1500 hours on the 24th, being close to the CO he prob moved around the whole area on the 25th so he may well have seen a crashed aircraft anywhere in the area. Not easy to spot anything resembling that on the aerial photos either.

 

I knew I had seen this photo somewhere - what we see resembles the above description...