In 1945 a Special Forces Unit called SAARF (Special Allied Airborne Reconnaissance Force) was set up made up of an international grouping of SOE, OSS and Airborne veterans - interestingly both male and female, one of the SOE veterans major Havard Gunn describes being deployed by Glider in Schleswig in Northern Germany, and mentions other teams having been deployed in this manner. The history of SAARF mentions parachute and jeep (line crossing ops) - I have surmised that the glider missions may possibly have deployed jeeps with the teams. Do any of our GPR experts have knowledge of these missions??
Other than the landing of French SAS teams in Brittany in 1944 (Op Dingson), I haven't come across any reports of any such landings. I would have thought that what to do with the glider pilots after landing would have been a problem on a recce mission. On Dingson the op was supported by the resistance and big enough that they could be taken to a safe house to await the arrival of ground troops. It also carries the risk of a potentially long range tow over occupied air space. I would have thought a parachute drop of jeeps would be more likely I know Popski was keen on using gliders to land his unit in Italy for just such operations but that never came off. There is still an active GPR jpurnal, perhaps they may be able to help. I'll certainly be keeping an eye on this thread.
Not doubting it, just saying I haven't heard of any other than Dingson and, as I said, if they were LRRP missions I would have thought airdrops more practical. That said, the evidence is clearly there and I look forward to hearing more about them. There are still a lot of GPR vets so hopefully someone will have more info. Do you know the names of the ops? If so The Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop may be able to help. Good luck with the research
Steven Best file to look at is WO 193/673 (WO 219/2426 appears to be a poor quality photocopy of this with missing pages) which provides information about the work they were employed on. At a quick glance I couldn't find any specific references to gliders but a lot of air movement is mentioned and, if as you say, they wanted to transport jeeps this would have been the ideal method. A lot of their work seems to have been involved with the liberation of POW camps. John
Jedburgh - In October I shall again be attending the Annual Reunion of the Glider Pilot Regiment and the AGM of the GPRA. I feel certain that amongst my many Veteran friends and others who will be in attendance from the AAC and MOAF, someone should be able to help you. If you would like me to ask I'm more than happy to do so. Lindsay
This looks like having been one of the SOE SAARF missions which would have come under either ME42 or SFHQ. I believe its aim would have been to observe/patrol what was known as Red Route 1 a German L of C between Northern Germany and Southern Denmark with the aim of interdicting escapees of high value from the NAZI leadership
This one's an absolutely new one to me. Something as significant as this would surely have made it into the history - nothing. I wondered if US GPs might have been involved, but have found nothing there, either. Steve W.
1st Allied Airborne Army troops take off from a field in the European Theater during Operation Varsity of World War II. 1st Allied Airborne Army troops land in Germany during Operation Varsity in World War II. Operation Varisty Gliders Search Results | CriticalPast.com: Page 1
Steven(s) This page from the SAARF Diary may shed some light on the work that the teams were involved in. The last paragraph refers to work undertaken on Route II from Denmark. I've sent Jedburgh copies of these files John
Think this was one of the very Hush-Hush missions in the closing days of the war - I must have a trip to the IWM to listen of Gunn's account. Violet was a parachute Op on Altegrabenow POW Complex. Still mysteries out there. . . as it was an SOE Operation I think an English glider crew and tow aircraft would have been involved.
Oh, agreed, still tons to come to light; but, in twenty years of associating with GP vets and with a full set of the Assn's 'Eagle', which I've previously scoured, I've never even seen a 'whisper' of this. Nevertheless... Steve W.
This looks like having been one of the SOE SAARF missions which would have come under either ME42 or SFHQ. I believe its aim would have been to observe/patrol what was known as Red Route 1 a German L of C between Northern Germany and Southern Denmark with the aim of interdicting escapees of high value from the NAZI leadership It's worth remembering that the British were as paranoid about Nazi bigwigs and later the Flensburg government decamping to Norway as the Americans were about the Alpine Redoubt. The Heavy Bomber Force was tasked at least twice (inluding its last op of the war) to mine the Skaggerak/Kattegat, and the last RAF bombing raids of the war of any sort was the seven-squadron mission against Kiel by the FNSF on the night of the 6th/7th of May that was aborted in the air. Also - with regards to the SAS remember how quickly they got to Norway - specifically Paddy Mayne and Roy Farran...and created an international incident! I wonder if they were actually tasked to be flown there before the Germans surrendered?
