I don’t think (almost certain) the US Airborne didn’t use Pathfinders in their normal role either. Given the 513th PIR mis-drop I’m sure they are happy to say that too!
I would hope and assume that the following was verified by Paradata before publication. From Paradata (Edited) Pte. Eric W. Clitheroe 22nd Independent Parachute Company He returned with the Company to Bulford in late February 1945, to prepare for the next airborne operation. This would turn out to be ‘Operation Varsity’, and the 22nd Independent Parachute Company would have a force of 22 men take part in it. On the 24th March 1945 he took off for the Rhine Crossing operation in a Hamilcar with a Bren Carrier, Jeep & trailer + 8 men. During the flight to the Landing Zone (LZ), code-named ‘P’ near Hamminkeln in Germany, the glider had an anti-aircraft shell explode very close to them and it damaged Eric’s right ear-drum, rendering him deaf in that ear for the rest of his life. Their glider was one of the few to make it onto LZ ‘P’ intact and in the right place and Eric recognised the location immediately from his study of the air photographs. “We had instructions about the destruction of the signals kit and equipment, if it looked likely that we could be captured. However, we were able to get straight out of the glider and into a ditch, at the corner of a field, to take cover. This was near a small wood, two farms and with an anti-aircraft gun firing nearby, at other gliders still landing. As we moved towards the farm complex a machine-gun opened fire on us and shot off the top of our radio aerial.” It is likely that this was the Kopenhof Farm location, which was being used by 6th Airborne Divisional Headquarters Lieutenant Douglas Dudgeon Campbell was his officer. This account states that a force of 22 men from the 22nd Independent Parachute Company took part in Operation Varsity, as opposed to the 40 men allocated in it's War Diary. It also confirms that Lt. Campbell's detachment travelled by glider on Operation Varsity. With the 10 parachutists (identified by Cee) who dropped with 591st Parachute Squadron, R.E. We are left 2 or 3 men who arrived by unknown means. The report seems to suggest that the Bren Carrier, Jeep & trailer belonged to the 22 Indep Para Coy, but may equally have belonged to the 716 Coy R.A.S.C. (Airborne Light). The Bren Carrier was destroyed soon after landing. Some personnel I found on casualty lists:- 4971286 Sgt. Jack David Long 24.03.1945 K.I.A. 14002991 Pte. L. E. Blundell 24.03.1945 K.I.A. 14435924 Pte. Eric George Clarke 24.03.1945 W.I.A. 14641523 Pte. Raymond Cox 25.03.1945 W.I.A. 3320189 Pte. H. D. McDermott 24.03.1945 W.I.A. 14416223 Pte. F. A. O'Brien 25.03.1945 Missing 2723909 Pte. H. White D.N.R. W.I.A. 13117597 Pte. M. A. Whittinghame 25.03.1945 Missing 22nd Independent Parachute Company War Diary 29th March 1945 Place: Erle 1300 - Main body joins air party at ERLE MR 3950. Some additional clarification. Notes taken from:- Headquarters, Royal Army Service Corps War Diary From this it will be seen that at the time the supply drop took place at 1300 hrs, there was in fact NO tpt available to clear the SDP. The only personnel on the scene were the party under Sjt. Whittall who were very busy giving covering fire to Lt. Campbell of 22 Indep Para Coy who was marking the SDP. Appendix. R.A.S.C. 6 AIRBORNE DIV O.O. NO.1. 3. Additional Tps. 8 ORs 22 Indep Para Coy under comd 716 Coy for marking SDPs and setting up Talking Eureka Rebecca. METHOD. 9. The 8 ORs of 22 Indep Para Coy will be under command of 716 Coy and will be flown in with the Coy. Their duties will be to mark out SDPs and set up Talking EUREKA REBECCA. Appendix "K" REPORT ON OPERATION VARSITY/PLUNDER This report covers the air phase of operation Varsity/Plunder as it effected 716 Coy R.A.S.C. (Airborne Light) and deals with the period of briefing, landing and work on the ground until the Land Element of the Coy linked up at approx 1800 hrs on D plus one. 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. 2. On landing the crews of Gliders 267 and 269 together with carriers and all available fire power were to proceed at once under command of Capt. S. Sutherland-Waite to recce the area of the clearing in the forest at MR 193468 as a possible dump area. 4. The trailers would then be offloaded and the work of clearing the panniers from the gliders would start. While this was in progress Lt. Campbell and the 9 ORs of 22nd Indep Para Coy together with six spotters and as many men as could be spared for defence would proceed to the SDP ready for the marking out and observation of the supply drop at P + 3. The following is a debriefing of the crews of the gliders concerned:- Glider 267. A good landing. The carrier was out in very quick time but almost immediately a shell hit the glider which set it on fire and burnt it out completely. The carrier was called to assist in evacuating a wounded man from another glider and while on the way to do this was itself hit by another shell, set on fire and burnt out. Cas to personnel - Capt. S. Sutherland-Waite and 4 ORs wounded, 1 Glider Pilot killed, 1 OR of 22 Indep Para Coy and 1 Public Relations signalman wounded.
