WORLD WAR II - GLIDER PILOT

charles Edward skidmore, jr.


WWII Glider Pilot








A Concise Biography


By Leon B. Spencer – Michael G. Skidmore








Charles Edward Skidmore, Jr., was born in Columbus, Kansas, on Saturday, 17 January 1920. His birthplace, a small town in Cherokee County, was located in the southeast corner of the state. Joplin. Missouri lay just to the east. That same month Babe Ruth was traded by the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees for the largest sum ever paid for a player at the time, and the United States Senate voted against joining the League of Nations. Chuck, as he would be called, was the first of two sons born to his parents, Charles Edward Skidmore, Sr., and Henrietta Geneva (Gallagher) Skidmore. His father was born in Baxter Springs, and his mother in Columbus. The Skidmore’s were Catholic by faith. Chuck’s younger brother, William Dale Skidmore, was not born until 25 May 1923, a little over three years later.




Young Skidmore attended grammar school in Columbus, completing the eighth grade in 1933. In 1934 he entered Cherokee County Community High School in the same town, graduating from there in 1937. Then it was off to college. Chuck attended Coffeyville Junior College in Coffeyville, Kansas, from 1937 to 1939, and then trans-ferred to the University of Kansas at Lawrence, where he earned his undergraduate degree in journalism in 1941.




In late 1940, prior to World War II, Skidmore took and passed the written ex-amination for flight training as an aviation cadet in the US Army Air Corps. He would not receive his letter of acceptance from the Air Corps until 14 January 1941. On that date, the War Department, Office of the Chief of the Air Crops, notified him to report to the Induction Station at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, on 10 July for enlistment. He was instructed to bring enough civilian clothes for three months, as the Air Corps only supplied coveralls and flying equipment. At the time of his induction he was living with his parents in Columbus at 235 West Elm Street. On 11 July 1941, 21 year old Charles E. Skidmore, Jr. Skidmore was sworn in at Fort Leavenworth as an aviation cadet. The proud new inductee stood 5 feet 8 inches in height, weighed 165 pounds, and had brown eyes and hair. His medical records noted that he had a ruddy complexion, a common classification.




Chuck was subsequently ordered to King City, California, on 15 July 1941. The following day he began primary flight training at the Civilian Flying School at Palo Alto Airport, Inc. under contract to the Air Corps. During his nearly ten weeks of primary training he accumulated 60 hours of flight time in a Ryan PT-21 primary trainer, passing all the flight requirements and successfully completing his ground school courses. Skidmore departed King City for Moffett Field, California, for basic training on 29 September 1941, arriving there the following day. Moffett Field was located 3 miles north of Mountain View in Santa Clara County. There he flew Vultee BT-13, a 450 horsepower basic trainer. Before completing his flight training he was “washed out” for failing to meet certain flight requirements and was given a check ride, which he failed. He was


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promptly given an honorable discharge from the Air Corps at Moffett Field on 3 November 1941 and returned to civilian life.




Shortly after World War II began, Chuck’s parents moved to 1100 Taylor Street in Topeka, Kansas, and later to 604 West 8th Street in that city. For reasons known only to him, Skidmore listed Topeka as his home town on his military records during World War II. On 30 December 1941, he enlisted in the Army Air Corps for the second time at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, this time for bombardier training. He was ordered to the Air Crew Replacement Training Center at Ellington Field, Texas, for his initial training. His training continued there until 24 February 1942, at which point he was transferred to Victorville Army Air Field, California, for advanced training. He began training there on 28 February 1942 as a member of an 80 man class. He failed to satisfactorily complete the course and was eliminated as a trainee. He was honorably discharged for the second time on 25 April 1942. Shortly thereafter, Skidmore heard about the Army Air Force Glider Program, and its search for eligible volunteers for glider pilot training.




Never one to be discouraged or outdone, Chuck applied for glider pilot training and was accepted as a Class “A” aviation student in late June 1942. Class “A” stu-dents were those who had previous flying experience as a pilot and had earned a private pilot’s license or had 200 glider flights. Skidmore had earned his private pilot’s license on 14 June 1941 through the aviation cadet program. A second category, Class “B” students, were those with no previous flying experience as a pilot. On 13 July 1942, for the third time in a year, Chuck enlisted in the Army Air Force at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, this time as a private. Eleven days later, on 24 July 1942, for reasons unknown, he was ordered to Sherman Field at Fort Leavenworth. He remained there until 24 August 1942 when he received movement orders transferring him to the Lockbourne Army Air Base, Ohio, 9.5 miles southeast of Columbus, Ohio, for pre-glider training.




The glider school at Lockbourne could not accommodate additional students; so on 7 September 1942, Chuck and his classmates were relocated to the glider pilot student pool at Randolph Field, Texas. The Army Air Force Glider Program was in its infancy and not enough training facilities were in place to train all the glider pilot stu-dents in the pipeline. As a result, they were frequently held at the Glider Pilot Replace-ment Pool at Randolph Field until a new flying school opened. Skidmore remained at Randolph until 6 October 1942 when orders finally came through transferring him to the 21st AAF Glider Training Detachment at Pittsburg, Kansas, for pre-glider training. McFarland Flying Service, a civilian flying school under contract to the Army Air Corps provided the flight training and conducted the ground school for students. The instructors were all civilians. Only the check pilots were military. The school at Pitts-burg was under the jurisdiction of the Commanding General, Gulf Coast Air Forces Training Center at Randolph Field, Texas, and was located just a few miles from Chuck’s birthplace.




Skidmore received 30 hours of pre-glider flight training at Pittsburg, completing his flying requirements on 2 November 1942. Most students referred to the flight training there as “dead stick” training. The connotation resulted from the type of flying conducted. The glider student would take off and climb to a designated altitude, switch off the engine and land the aircraft without power as though it were a glider. The Class “B” students in his class received 40 hours of elementary flight training and 15 hours of “dead stick” landings. Both “A” and “B” students practiced “dead stick” landings day and night to improve their judgment and spot landing proficiency. Chuck’s class was held at Pittsburg until 5 December 1942 because there were no openings in a basic


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training school. To pass the time the students were given close order drill, daily calis-thenics and classroom instructions in military discipline and hygiene.




On that date, Skidmore and his classmates departed Pittsburg by train for Lubbock, Texas. Upon their arrival they were assigned to the 1st AAF Glider Training Detachment. They had hardly settled in before being told that Lubbock was not equipped to provide basic glider training. Yet again everyone was left to cool their heels, and morale began to suffer. After what seemed like an eternity a class opened at Vinita, Oklahoma, in early January 1943. A very disillusioned group of student glider pilots arrived in Vinita by train circa 3 January 1943 and were assigned to the 27th AAF Glider Training Detachment. The following day they were assigned to Class 43-3. Because no military facilities were available the students were billeted in the courthouse annex in town, a single story brick building that had been converted into an open bay barracks to accommodate 200 students. The student mess hall was a converted café in town. On 4 January 1943, Chuck and his classmates were promoted to staff sergeant, which helped their morale considerably.




Basic glider training at Vinita was conducted by Burke Flying Service under contract to the Army Air Force. Ironically, the airfield was located next to an insane asylum, a coincidence that elicited a chuckle from the students. Glider students at Vinita received 30 hours of flight training in the Frankfort TG-1A, a civilian glider known as the “Cinema II,” and the three-place military TG-5, an Aeronca Defender that had been converted into a glider. Flight training took place at the airport, 3 miles north of the town. Chuck recorded 4 hours and 13 minutes in the TG-1A and 25 hours and 56 minutes in the TG-5 while at Vinita. He successfully completed the flying and ground school training on 3 February 1943. Four days later, on 7 February, he and his classmates were off to South Plains Army Flying School at Lubbock, Texas, for advanced glider training




While he was at Vinita it was not uncommon for gliders to be released prema-turely because of broken tow ropes. When this occurred the student pilot simply looked for an open field large enough to accommodate the glider and landed there. On day, while awaiting his turn to fly, Chuck noticed one of his classmates being towed off on a solo flight. The flight was brief because hardly had the glider become airborne than the tow rope broke. Because of the low altitude the pilot could only continue straight ahead and land, which in this case was on the grounds of the insane asylum. The student exited his glider and walked around it looking for damage. About this time an elderly inmate arose from a nearby bench and walked over to the glider. After looking over the motorless craft he said, “Where’s your engine?” The student responded by saying, “We fly without one.” At this point the old man pointed towards the asylum and said, “Come on in brother.” His meaning was obvious.




On 1 April 1943 he was assigned to Class 43-8 and the next day began ad-vanced flight training in the big 15-place Waco CG-4A glider. He logged 48 minutes on his first flight with an instructor. Gliders at Lubbock were towed by twin-engine Lockheed C-60 Lodestars. Skidmore completed his flight and classroom training on 27 April 1943, having logged a total of almost 16 hours and 22 landings in the CG-4A, almost half of it as first pilot. He was discharged as a Staff Sergeant on 29 April for the purpose of accepting an appointment as flight officer on 30 April 1943. The flight officer rank was new in the Army Air Corps, and was equivalent to a junior grade warrant officer. The pay was the same as a second lieutenant, with an additional 20% of base pay


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for overseas duty. The insignia of rank was an oval bar, the top surface of which was Bristol blue with a gold border around the edges and across the center of the bar. Flight officers were addressed as “Mister” rather than by their rank. Of course, glider pilots also received hazardous duty pay, i.e., flight pay, which amounted to 50% of ones base pay.




Skidmore looked resplendent in his officer’s pinks and greens on graduation day. He was in high spirits as he marched across the stage in the base theater, saluted the school commander, and was presented with his sterling silver glider wings. He was now officially a glider pilot, a member of a very unique group of fliers, and proud of it. Paragraph 59 of Personnel Orders No. 7, dated 15 April 1943, officially rated him a glider pilot, effective 30 April 1943, and Paragraph 60 of the same order required him to participate in regular and frequent flights upon entry into active duty. From that date forward, when someone asked him what the “G” in his wings stood for, he usually answered, “Guts.”




On 30 April 1943, special orders were issued transferring newly promoted Flight Officer Skidmore to Louisville, Kentucky, with assignment to the 27th Base Headquarters and Air Base Squadron at Bowman Field. Officially, the base was known as the Glider Pilot Combat Training Unit (GPCTU), but unofficially it was called the “Home of the Winged Commandos.” Chuck would undergo additional flight training at Bowman and would be introduced for the first time to ground combat training. Because of the lack of CG-4A gliders for tactical training it was necessary for glider pilots to train in light aircraft. His first flight at Bowman was on 11 May 1943 in an Aeronca L-3C in which he logged three hours, half of it as first pilot. Dead stick spot landings were practiced regularly, frequently over two sets of 50-foot barriers placed close together to teach glider pilots the technique of short field landings. The object was to just clear the first barrier, land the glider, and stop it before reaching the second barrier. When glider pilots weren’t flying they were taking 20 mile hikes with full field packs, practicing hand-to-hand combat and learning ground fighting tactics.




For the next six months the daily flying routine was practice, practice and more practice. After days of rigorous infantry training glider pilots were in the best physical condition of their life. On the light side, during his tenure at Bowman, Chuck met and began dating Norma Lee Emery, who lived in New Albany, Indiana, just across the Ohio River from Louisville. She lived at home with her parents, George Joseph Emery and Grace (Baxley) Emery, in New Albany. After a short courtship, Chuck and Norma Lee were married in New Albany on 3 August 1943, just days before her seventeenth birthday on 29 August. The new bride was radiant in her wedding outfit. The newlyweds set up housekeeping in the home of Norma Lee’s parents at 708 East 11th Street in New Albany.




One of Chuck’s close friends at Bowman Field was Flight Officer Leon B. Spencer, called Spence, from Montgomery, Alabama. They were members of the same training flight at Bowman and were frequently seen together. Shortly after Chuck and Norma Lee were married, they shared some of their evenings with Spencer at the Red Devil Inn, just across the road from Bowman Field, or taking in a movie. For reasons known only to her, Norma Lee always referred to him as Spencer B. Unfortunately, unpredictable events would result in the friendship being short lived. Each would lose track of the other as a result, and it would be many years before they made contact again.


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Between July and September, Chuck was involved in two flying incidents, one of them involving his friend, Spencer. The first incident occurred on 23 July 1943 when Chuck and Flight Officer James V. McNally, flying together, were participating in a low level tactical training flight in an Aeronca L-3C. McNally, who was flying the air-craft, struck an auxiliary power line damaging the aircraft to the extent that he had to make a forced landing in a corn field. Both wings of the aircraft, the propeller, the landing gear and the engine were damaged, and the cockpit windscreen was broken. Fortunately, neither McNally nor Skidmore were injured. The accident review board determined that the accident was 100% pilot error, and was duly noted on McNally’s next performance report.




Two months later, on 10 September 1943, Skidmore was involved in a second aircraft incident. This time his friend, Spence, was involved. That morning a flight of 30 light aircraft took off from Bowman Field in trail on a round-robin flight to Lexing-ton, Kentucky, and return. It was listed on the training report as a simulated glider combat mission. Both legs of the flight were flown at 700 feet. The Bowman to Lexing-ton leg was uneventful, but on the return flight tragedy struck. During a left turn di-rectly into the sun, two aircraft in the middle of the formation collided, doing major damage to both aircraft. The aircraft flown by Flight Officer Robert Sutherlin went into a flat spin and crashed in the field below. He died from blunt force trauma when his aircraft impacted the ground. The other pilot, Flight Officer Harold Roth, faired no better. He was able to exit the aircraft and pull his ripcord, but was too low to the ground for his main parachute to deploy. He was killed instantly on impact with the ground. His aircraft crashed nearby and burned.




Skidmore was flying near the tail end of the formation and did not actually see the two aircraft collide but sensed something had happened when his friend, Flight Of-ficer Spencer’s aircraft, suddenly left the formation and dove towards a field below. Chuck followed Spencer down and saw that two planes had crashed in the field ahead of him. One of the aircraft was burning. As he watched Spencer’s plane buzz the field he saw it suddenly pitch down and crash into the ground, hitting a fence and then a ditch before coming to rest. Chuck pulled back on the stick to gain altitude and in-stantly saw a clear field he could land in just ahead. He said in a 1 September 1993 letter to Spencer that he was so shook up when he landed that he couldn’t find the air-craft brakes. Luckily his aircraft rolled to a stop before colliding with anything. He jumped out and ran towards the adjacent field where he had seen Spencer’s plane crash.




As he ran he noticed that two other aircraft had landed in a nearby field. When he reached Spencer’s plane he observed two young men trying to extricate him. He said later that Spencer was unconscious and moaning. The wing fuel tanks of the air-craft had ruptured and soaked Spencer and the aircraft interior with aviation fuel, and there was the ever present danger of fire. Chuck nudged his way in and took over the rescue operation with the help of the two other glider pilots that had landed. The aircraft engine was lying partially on Spencer’s legs and right foot, pinning him in the aircraft. It was a painstaking task to free him without causing further injury.




As the trio worked to hoist the engine, one of them glanced up and noticed two men standings just inches behind them with cigarettes dangling from their lips. He asked the guys to please back off and put out the cigarettes but they ignored him. Chuck recounted later that the glider pilot drew the Colt .45 caliber weapon from the


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holster he was wearing and that did the trick. The guys backed away without another word. After thirty minutes or so they succeeded in raising the engine enough to free Spencer’s legs and removed him from the aircraft still unconscious. He was placed on a blanket that someone had provided. Shortly thereafter a military ambulance car-rying a doctor arrived from Bowman Field. The doctor examined Leon, started an IV to prevent shock, and helped load him in the ambulance. Skidmore accompanied his friend back to Bowman Field in the ambulance.




Leon’s injuries included a brain concussion, a crushed right foot, lacerations and puncture wounds all over his arms and legs, and abrasions galore. He remained semiconscious for two days, suffered partial amnesia for several years, and was a pa-tient for eleven months in three different military hospitals. After being released from the base hospital at Bowman on 15 November 1943, he was transferred across town to Nichols General Hospital. He was a patient in the orthopedic ward there until 28 March 1944 when he was transferred the US Army Convalescent Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. He was released from there on 5 August 1944 and placed back on flying status.




Skidmore completed his training at Bowman, now called the Glider Crew Training Center, in mid-October 1943. On 21 October, 1st Troop Carrier Command issued orders assigning Chuck and 227 other Bowman Field graduates to the 38th Troop Carrier Squadron at Camp Mackall in Hoffman, North Carolina. Everyone departed the following day by rail, bus and private conveyance, each granted five days leave before reporting to their new duty station on 29 October. Their reassignment orders specified that friends or relatives were prohibited from either accompanying or joining them at their new base. Everyone was certain that upon completion of tactical training they would be headed overseas. Chuck’s wife, Norma Lee, remained at her parent’s home during his absence. For the next several weeks Chuck underwent intensive combat training, usually hauling glider troopers, airborne weaponry, or vehicles of the 101st Airborne Division from nearby Fort Bragg, North Carolina.




On 26 November 1943, his combat training at Mackall completed, orders were issued transferring Skidmore and a large contingent of glider pilots based there to the 439th Troop Carrier Group temporarily based at nearby Pope Field, North Carolina. When he reported to the 439th he was assigned to the 91st Troop Carrier Squadron, which promptly divided the glider pilots into 50-man flights for training purposes. Skidmore was assigned to Flight “C.” Many of the C-47 pilots had little or no experience towing gliders so they practiced day and night doing just that until mid-January when the Group began to prepare for overseas movement. Much of their training while at Pope Field was conducted at nearby Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Base, North Carolina.




In early February 1944 the air echelon of the 439th was ordered to Baer Field, Fort Wayne, Indiana, the aerial port of embarkation, arriving there on the 14th of the month. The ground echelon would follow by ship to England. The advance parties of the 439th and two of its squadrons, the 91st and 92nd, departed Baer Field in their C47 transports o/a 19 February 1944. Flying a circuitous route they arrived at Balderton Airdrome in England on 21 February 1944. The remaining two squadrons, the 93rd and 94th, did not arrive at Balderton until 6 March. The airdrome was located 2 miles south of Newark, England in the midlands. Skidmore and the ground echelon of the 439th TC Group and its four squadrons left New York aboard the U. S. S. George Washington, an Army troop transport, on 28 February 1944. After eleven days at sea the ship arrived at Liverpool, England on 10 March 1944. From there they traveled by rail to Balderton


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where they would remain until 26 April 1944. On that date the group was relocated to the airdrome at Upottery, England.




After the Group arrived in the United Kingdom the training continued un-abated in preparation for the invasion of the continent. Several maneuvers were held to further hone the skills of the C-47 and glider pilots. About a month before the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France the 439th was relocated to Taunton in southern England. On 3 June everyone was herded into barracks and hangars that were surrounded by barbed wire. Everyone knew that they would soon be facing the enemy. Finally, the day that every Allied soldier looked forward to arrived. Chuck said that you could feel the tension in the air. He would not fly the D-Day mission on 6 June 1944, but would fly in glider trooper reinforcements of the 101st Airborne Divi-sion the following day, D-Day +1.




Everyone flying the mission on 7 June was awakened at 4:00 a.m. by the CQ (charge-of-quarters). When they arrived at the mess hall for breakfast they were sur-prised to see that fresh eggs were being served. No one had seen a fresh egg since they arrived in England, so they were duly surprised. The next thing they were served was a


huge piece of chocolate cake. The combination was unusual but not unappetizing. They took what they were given and joked about it.




When Chuck, who was flying copilot, and the pilot arrived at their glider they climbed aboard carrying their parachutes. Glider troopers were already seated on both sides of the cabin. They lay their parachutes on the cockpit seats, and prepared to sit down. At that point a burly airborne infantry lieutenant stuck his head between the two pilots and announced, “There’s no use of you two fastening on those parachutes because we’ll never let you use them anyway.” Chuck explained to the lieutenant that the parachutes were used only as a seat cushion and to prove his point, he didn’t even bother to drape the straps over his shoulder. The CG-4A cockpit seats were purposely built low so they could accommodate the Air Force S-1 and S-5 seat pack parachute.




The two hour and fifteen minute flight to Normandy was uneventful until they arrived near the landing zone at 600 feet. Just as the pilot released the glider from the tow plane a burst of machine gun fire from the ground passed through the cockpit floor missing Chuck’s head by no more than a foot, and stitched the right wing from end to end. Had the burst arrived a split second earlier he would have caught it right in the face. To the consternation of both pilots they noticed that the Germans had flooded their landing zone. The pilot had no choice but to land on the water. Fortu-nately, it was only about three feet deep. As the glider settled on the water, Skidmore removed his flak vest, tore a large piece of fabric off the side of the cockpit and rolled out into the water. He and the pilot headed for the nearest hedgerow for protection.




Once on the ground, so to speak, the glider infantrymen quickly located the source of the ground fire. It turned out to be a bunker containing about a dozen con-scripted Polish soldiers with a German sergeant in charge. After the glider troopers from several gliders, including Skidmore’s, directed a hail of rifle and bazooka fire at the bunker the resistance ceased. Then a single shot was heard inside the bunker, followed by laughter. Soon the Poles emerged with their hands held high in surrender. They weren’t about to fight the Americans. They simply shot the German sergeant.




Chuck, the pilot, and the troopers in their glider took refuge in a thatched roof farm house. They were surprised to find an American paratrooper with a broken leg in


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one of the beds. He had jumped the night before and had fractured his leg when he fell though the thatched roof of the farm house. A young French girl was caring for him, so he just lay there waiting for the war to come to him. Chuck wondered after-wards if he made it back home okay.




By nightfall, Skidmore said that he and the pilot began looking for a safe place to catch a few winks. They came upon several other Americans busily digging holes in a small field, so they likewise began digging in the same area. “Hey, you guys can’t dig there,” said one of the Americans. “Why,” we asked. “Because we’re starting a tempo-rary American cemetery here,” was the reply. They were burying several dead American paratroopers. That did it. They went elsewhere. For the next 24 hours they spent some time with a 105mm artillery crew, providing perimeter guard, and then with a communications outfit.




For the next two days there was considerable confusion since there were no distinct battle lines, and the war consisted of a number of small skirmishes between Americans and Germans. But the troops had moved off the beach and the Americans appeared to be winning the skirmishes. Chuck and most of the surviving glider pilots began to assemble at the 101st command post. On the third day they made the 3 mile trek to Utah Beach where the beachmaster assigned them the job of guarding German POWs (Prisoners-Of-War). Later that day, glider pilots and POWs were loaded aboard an LCI (Landing Craft Infantry) and then onto an LST (Landing Ship Tank) for the trip back to England.




A little excitement occurred while they were on the LST. It was anchored next to an American oil tanker that subsequently attracted the attention of a German E-boat (similar to an American PT boat). The E-boat launched a torpedo that struck the oil tanker below the water line and it exploded. There was only one survivor, a man and his dog. Moments later a British ground attack aircraft fired on and sank the E-boat. Chuck said that it was much like watching a newsreel to watch the incident unfold before your eyes.




Miraculously, the German commander of the E-boat was rescued by crewmen from Skidmore‘s LST. He had a severe leg wound. Chuck helped carry him to the operating table below deck where an American medic tended to the wound. When the medic indicated that he wanted to cut apart the officer’s sealskin trousers, the latter exploded with anger. The medic retorted, “If he wants them all that bad, let him keep them.” So Chuck and the medic, with the help of the German removed his trousers. It must have been dreadfully painful, but the German never uttered a word. He sat stoically as the medic tended to his wound.




In another instance while on the LST a German POW caught his ring on a nail while descending the ship’s ladder. The ring tore into the flesh so badly that the same medic had to take a surgical saw and remove the ring. He did it without a painkiller, which for some reason the German refused. Once again, the pain must have been ter-rible, but there was not a peep out of the prisoner. The Germans were obviously well disciplined when it came to pain, thought Chuck. When the LST landed in England the prisoners were turned over to the British military. As he stepped off the ship Skidmore gave thanks that he had survived his first combat mission against the enemy.






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On 5 July 1944, in accordance with General Order No. 33, Chuck and the other glider pilots of the 439th TC Group who flew the Normandy mission were awarded the Air Medal for meritorious service in combat and a bronze arrowhead to the European-African-Middle Eastern medal for a combat glider landing. He was subsequently awarded the Croix de Guerre medal (a unit citation) by the French for the liberation of France. The 439th Group received a Distinguished Unit Citation from the Supreme Allied Commander, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, for distinguished performance in Normandy. Following World War II, Chuck received further WWII recognition from the French. His name was permanently inscribed on the Wall of Liberty at Normandy by The Battle of Normandy Foundation.




Training continued at Upottery until 8 September 1944 when the 439th was alerted to move to Juvincourt, France (ALG A-68) as the vanguard of the 50th Troop Carrier Wing. The movement of equipment and personnel took several days, but the air echelon returned to England the following week to take part in the invasion of Holland scheduled to begin on 17 September 1944. Chuck flew the D-Day mission in a CG-4A as pilot, departing from Balterton Airdrome. He said later that the mission was strange from the very beginning and almost humorous.




The day of the mission he was driven out to his glider in a jeep. During his preflight check he noted that his load was a ¼ ton jeep trailer that was covered with a tarpaulin. Skidmore asked the loadmaster what was in the trailer and he told him 800 pounds of land mines. He was told not to worry because it would take the weight of a sizeable vehicle to detonate them. Small consolation, Chuck mused. Three gliders troopers of the 82nd Airborne Division were also included in his load.




Chuck waited outside of his glider for some time for his copilot who never ap-peared. When he queried the crew chief he smiled and said that the Colonel Young had decided against using two glider pilots on this mission. Just prior to his glider being pulled into position for hookup a fourth soldier suddenly showed up at the glider. He wore full combat dress and was carrying a Thompson submachine gun. He climbed over the jeep trailer and sat down in the copilot’s seat. Chuck was surprised to see that it was Warrant Officer Walter F. Domanski, the assistant engineering officer of the 91st TC Squadron. After a brief conversation Chuck learned that he was an unofficial passenger, in essence, a stowaway.




The four hour flight to Holland was boring and tiring, Chuck said, but would admit later that it was pretty hairy after passing over the Dutch coast. A tow plane just ahead of him went down in flames after being hit by ground fire. He watched for parachutes but saw none as the plane plummeted to earth. He said that he felt his heart racing and he began sweating so profusely that beads of water were showing inside his watch crystal. Near the end of the 90 mile overland portion of the flight his glider began to take ground fire from a windmill but fortunately no one was hit. Moments later he received the green light from his tow plane and released his glider. Turning to the left he quickly spotted his landing zone. As he circled towards the field below more ground fire was directed at his glider. As he made his approach he saw another tow plane go down trailing fire. In an effort to evade the enemy fire coming up at him he dove towards the ground, quickly picking up speed. One of the glider troopers aboard sensed that he was exceeding the usual rate of descent and panicked. He climbed over the trailer, rapped on Chuck’s steel helmet and shouted, “Slow this S.O.B. down!”




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Not knowing quite how to fly the glider and defend himself at the same time, Chuck did the best he could under the circumstance… he flew the glider. The trooper suddenly shoved him in the back which caused the glider to begin dropping even faster. Fortunately, W/O Domanski came to his rescue. He shoved his Tommy gun into the soldier‘s shoulder and said, “If you don’t get back in the back I’ll slow you down permanently.”




Since the trooper had left his weapon in the back of the glider, and probably because he sensed that discretion was the better part of valor, he beat a hasty retreat to the back of the CG-4A. Chuck landed the glider in the proper landing zone, the glider didn’t fair so well. The giant beets growing on the landing zone pretty much destroyed the bottom of the glider. Chuck helped unload his glider and moments later a jeep arrived to tow the trailer. Within several days he was back in France. In October, November and December 1944, Chuck flew resupply missions to Holland as copilot aboard the squadron’s C-47s. On 4 December 1944, he was awarded an oak leaf cluster to the Air Medal and the Distinguished Unit Badge for his participation in Operation “Market.” He was also awarded the orange lanyard by the Dutch. Belatedly he was also awarded the Willemsorde, the Netherlands highest award.




The Holland mission was the last combat mission Chuck flew. The strain of combat had taken a toll on his nervous system. He began to have flashbacks of his close calls in France and Holland. On one occasion German soldiers passed within a few feet of him as he lay in an apple orchard on a pile of canvas bags used to drop supplies from the air by B-17s. On another occasion he watched the reflection of war from a glassed-in porch of Dutch home and become so entranced that he didn’t notice the bullets coming his way until the glass shattered. Luckily he was not hit, but he had bad dreams about the incident later.




Since October 1942 he had logged 377 hours and 45 minutes of pilot time in powered aircraft and gliders, 6 hours and 15 minutes of it in combat. In May 1945, shortly after cessation war in Europe, he was physically disqualified by the flight surgeon from further overseas flying duty. He languished in France until 26 September 1945 when he was assigned unattached to the AAF/ET Reinforcement Depot there. From France he was transported to the port of debarkation at Antwerp, Belgium. Prior to departing the ETO he was awarded seven battle stars to his EAME medal. The Army troop transport lifted anchor on 3 October 1945 and headed for the U.S.A. Ten days later, on 13 October, the ship docked in New York and he was transported to the Reception Center at Camp Shanks, New York. Orders were issued transferring Skidmore to the Separation Center at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. He departed New York that afternoon by rail.




Four days later, on Wednesday, 17 October 1945, Special Order No. 251 was issued at Camp Atterbury authorizing Skidmore 2 months and 20 days of terminal leave, and releasing him from active duty effective 9 January 1946. He was also officially placed in the inactive reserve. Chuck departed Camp Atterbury and headed for Topeka, Kansas, to see Norma Lee and his parents. It had been 19½ long months since he had seen them and he was eager to get home. His homecoming was all that he hoped it would be. He was able to hold Norma Lee in his arms again, could sleep late in the mornings and taste home cooked meals again. Life was good but he was still plagued by a persistent nervous anxiety.




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After visiting with his parents, Norma Lee and Chuck went to live, at least tem-porarily, with her parents at 708 East 11th Street in New Albany, Indiana. He landed a job with a local newspaper there for $32 a week. On 7 January 1946, while still on terminal leave from the Air Force Chuck became ill and was admitted to Nichols General Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky, just across the river. Doctors there diagnosed his problem as psychoneurosis (emotional maladaptation due to unresolved unconscious conflicts). The unexpired portion of his terminal leave was suspended. A week later, on 14 January, he was transferred to Newton D. Baker General Hospital in Martinsburg, West Virginia, for treatment. Doctors at Martinsburg declared him mentally fit on 6 March 1946 and issued orders transferring him back to the reception center at Camp Atterbury for reassignment. Orders were issued there transferring him to the 800th AAF Base Unit at Greenville, South Carolina, effective 17 March 1946. He remained at Greenville for further evaluation until 3 July 1946 when he was officially released from active duty.




Chuck and Norma Lee returned to Topeka, Kansas, where he reenlisted as a Master Sergeant in the Army Air Force for three years at Forbes Army Air Base in Topeka on 22 July 1946. His date of rank was listed as 31 April 1943. He listed his permanent home address as 604 West 8th Street, Topeka, Kansas, his parents’ home address. He was assigned to Headquarters and Headquarters Squadron, 314th Troop Carrier Wing at Sewart Army Air Base, Smyrna, Tennessee, for duty as a historical technician (MOS 274)1. His first assignment was to bring the unit’s history up to date from the end of World War II. For his diligence and perseverance he was given a superior performance rating. On 27 November 1946, Chuck was temporarily as-signed to the 1100th AAF Base Unit at Fort Totten, New York, for the purpose of bringing the history of the Atlantic Division of the Military Air Transport Service (MATS) up to date. He completed the history in three months, often working 16 hour days. This was a challenge since the Atlantic Division stretched from Iceland to the Panama Canal. He was lauded by the command for his stellar performance.




In April 1947, as part of his historical duties, he was tasked with writing the history for an Air Force Reserve Unit in Louisville, Kentucky, and in January 1948, an-other reserve unit in Indianapolis, Indiana. In 1947, on 26 July, the Army Air Force became the U. S. Air Force and was placed on an equal footing with the Army and Navy. Shortly thereafter the olive drab uniform changed to Air Force blue. In between writing the histories of the two reserve units, Norma gave birth to their first child, Joseph Dale Skidmore, who was born in Fort Knox, Kentucky, on 7 December 1947. Parents and grandparents were elated with their new son and grandson respectively, and doted over the infant. Chuck remained with the 314th until his three-year enlistment expired on 31 May 1949. He promptly reenlisted for three additional years the following day, remaining with the 314th until 15 August 1950, when he became a recruiting supervisor (AFSC 73370) with the Recruiting Service Group in Topeka, Kansas. He was promoted to first lieutenant in the USAF Inactive Reserves in January 1950. His next post as a recruiter was in Lawrence, Kansas. Subsequently, he and his family would move to Hutchinson, Kansas, where Norma Lee gave birth to their second son, Michael George Skidmore, on 8 December 1950. He continued his recruiting duties until 2 June 1952 when his enlistment ended.




Chuck reenlisted for the third time since the end of WWII on 3 June 1952, and continued his tenure as a recruiter at Forbes Air Force Base, Topeka, Kansas. The Skidmore’s third child, and first daughter, Kathryn Lee Skidmore, was born there on


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1 October 1952. At the time the family was living at 909 Michigan Avenue. On 28 De-cember 1952, he was transferred to 3500th Personal Processing Center at Waco, Texas, as a recruitment supervisor. On 1 September 1953, after serving three years as a recruiter, Chuck, was transferred to Headquarters, 3530th Pilot Training Wing at Bryan AFB, Texas, located 6 miles west of Bryan, as a historical technician. Two days later he also became an information supervisor (AFSC 72170) in the same unit. For the next two years he wrote the history of Bryan AFB, activated in 1943 during World War II. He was frequently the recipient of the Flying Training Air Force (as it was called then) award for the best quarterly history. His histories were always rated either “excellent” or “superior”. On 2 June 1955, while at Bryan AFB, Chuck’s three year enlistment expired, and he reenlisted the following day, this time for six years.




Just a few days after his reenlistment, on 17 June 1955, he was transferred to the 784th AC&W Squadron at Fort Knox, Kentucky, as an information technician. The family packed their belongings, loaded them in the family vehicle, and headed east. They rented a house near the base at 1909 Taffeta Drive in Valley Station, Kentucky. Four months later, on 8 October 1955, Norma Lee gave birth to their fourth and last child, Linda Sue Skidmore, in Louisville, Kentucky. Skidmore was promoted to captain in the USAF Inactive Reserve on 1 January 1956. The family packed up and moved again on 9 July 1957. This time, Chuck was assigned to Headquarters, 815th Air Base Group at Forbes Air Force Base as an information technician. They found a place to live at 319 Woodruff Avenue in Topeka. Nine months later, on 16 April 1958, orders were issued transferring him to Fort Mason, California, but he would be there for only two weeks. Overseas shipping orders were issued on 1 May 1958, assigning Skidmore to the 2710th Air Base Wing at Tachikawa, Japan. Their household belongings were stored and the family accompanied him to the Far East aboard MSTS ship, the USS Frederick Dunston. The voyage took two weeks. The family took a taxi to Tachikawa and was scared out of their wits by a reckless Japanese driver. After signing in Chuck was told that base housing was not available so they were temporarily quartered on the guest house on base. Two weeks later they moved to a house Chuck rented in Kunitachi. In a 6 July 2007 e-mail from Chuck’s son, Mike, he said that when rain and wind storms came through Japan his dad would use cargo straps to tie the roof down. During monsoon season the island was hammered with strong winds and rain.




Sergeant Skidmore was assigned to the 2710th Air Base Wing (subsequently changed to the 6100th Air Base Wing) as NCOIC of Information Services. In addition to his principal job of supervising the preparation of the base history, he also edited the base newspaper, The Marauder. It was judged third best in the Air Force and was the only one of the top three published overseas. He worked closely with Dr. Lulu Garrett, the base historian. In his spare time he edited four other English language news publications in the Tokyo area and worked frequently as master of ceremonies at American Clubs. On 2 June 1961, while at Tachikawa, Chuck’s enlistment expired. He reenlisted for the last time on 3 June for three years.




In April 1962, he received orders returning him to the states. His new assign-ment, effective 18 May 1962, was to Headquarters, North Atlantic Communications Region, Air Force Communications Service, at Westover Air Force Base, Massachusetts. The family returned to the states from Yokota Air Base aboard a Boeing 707. Skid-more’s duty assignment at Westover was NCOIC of Information Services. The family moved into quarters on base at 14A Webb Street. During his tour of duty at Westover, Chuck worked part-time on weekends for a local newspaper, the Springfield Evening


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News. He wrote feature stories for the newspaper, gaining valuable writing experience in the process. His job involved interviewing a number of state officials, including Ted Kennedy, President John Kennedy’s brother.




Fifteen months later, on 23 July 1963, Chuck was transferred to Forbes Air Force Base for the fourth time. This time he was assigned to the 815th Combat Sup-port Group, Strategic Air Command. His new job was NCOIC of Information Services. The family moved into a house at 5133 West 32nd Street in Topeka. During the 1961-63 period Skidmore’s primary duty was writing and editing the base newspaper. His superiors rated him an exceptional airman of great value to the service. In September 1963, two months after arriving at Forbes he submitted his request for retirement. The request was approved by the Pentagon and on 31 March 1964 he was relieved from active duty and retired as Warrant Officer W-1, effective 1 April 1964. It was not possible to retire him as a Flight Officer, the highest wartime grade he had held, because it was a temporary wartime rank that had been abolished after the war. WO W-1 was an equivalent grade. Skidmore had served his country faithfully and honorably for 22 years, 3 months and 7 days. He listed his mailing address as 946 Chester Avenue, Topeka, Kansas.




Chuck never let grass grow under his feet. Prior to retiring he had applied for the job as managing editor of a metals trade journal, Midwest Industries Magazine, lo-cated at the Gage Center in Topeka. The magazine was one of the leading publications of its type in the Midwest, serving Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Colorado and Ne-braska. Skidmore was hired after competing with 34 other applicants, and reported to work on 30 April 1964. The job required extensive travel to conduct interviews with leading industrialists in Kansas City, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Tulsa and Denver. During his tenure there, Chuck performed every facet of the trade magazine business including interviewing, writing, editing, and doing his own photography work. While the family was in Topeka, their oldest son, Joe, graduated from high school there in June 1965. In late 1966, Skidmore submitted his application for a GS-11 US Civil Service position as historian of the 6100th Support Wing at Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. He gave his home address as 5133 West 32nd Street, Topeka, Kansas 66614. His application was approved on 16 March 1967. Accordingly, he submitted his resignation as managing editor of the magazine effective 1 April 1967.




The Skidmore family stored their household goods, packed their suitcases and said their goodbyes to their parents and friends. This would be their second trip to the Orient. They traveled aboard a Boeing 707, deplaning at Yokota Air Base, Japan, on Saturday, 7 May 1967. They were transported to Tachikawa Air Base by government vehicle where they spent the next two nights in the guest house. Monday morning Chuck reported to his new boss, Lt. Colonel Henry Liljedahl, Information Officer of the 6100th Support Wing. The colonel explained his duties as wing historian. His principle job was to supervise the history inputs from the units assigned to the wing. A secondary function was to provide guidance and advice where needed to those persons writing the histories. The family was assigned quarters in an off-base American village that was actually part of the base. The housing area was surrounded by a high fence. Two years later, in June 1967, the Skidmore’s second son, Mike, graduated from Yamato High School in Tokyo,




The family remained at Tachikawa until 15 July 1969 when Chuck’s position was taken over by a historian with more seniority from the disbanded 315th Air Divi-


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sion. The Air Force transferred Skidmore to Misawa Air Base, Japan, located on the northern tip of Honshu Island. He was assigned to the 475th Tactical Fighter Wing as a writer-editor (printed media) with the History Division. The involuntary move re-sulted in a reduction in grade from GS-11 to GS-9, but with no loss of pay. The Skidmore’s oldest daughter, Kathy, returned to the states in 1969 to live with her grandmother, Henrietta Skidmore. She graduated from Hayden Catholic High School there in June 1970. The rest of the family remained at Misawa Air Base until 31 March 1971 when Skidmore accepted a position as historian at Taipei Air Station, Tai-wan as a GS-11.




At Taiwan he was assigned to the Historical Office of 327th Air Division. The following year, on 1 April 1972, a reorganization of the 327th AD resulted in Chuck being reassigned to the 6213th Air Base Squadron as historian. Soon thereafter he received a letter of appreciation from Major General Donald H. Ross, commander of the 327th Air Division for getting the 374th Tactical Air Wing back on track. More accolades came Skidmore’s way on 23 January 1973 when he received yet another letter, this one from Major William B. Sandmann, Deputy Command Historian, rating his two-volume history of the 327th Air Division as excellent for the period 1 January to 30 June 1972. In 1972 Skidmore turned down a GS-12 position at Langley Air Force Base, Virginia, in favor of remaining in Taiwan for an additional year. Linda, the Skidmore’s youngest daughter, graduated from high school in Taipei. After almost six years in the Orient, the Skidmore family returned to the states in May 1973. Chuck was assigned to the Research Division at Headquarters, Strategic Air Command, Offutt Air Force Base, Omaha, Nebraska, as a GS-11historian, effective 5 June 1973. The family moved into a house at 337 Spruce Street in Omaha.




While based in Omaha he researched and wrote multi-volume histories of SAC units. In the process he organized material and monographs and presented a syn-thesis in narrative form accompanied by supporting documents. Not long after arriv-ing back in the United States, Norma Lee became disoriented and began showing signs of senile dementia. She was examined by a doctor who diagnosed her problem as early Alzheimer’s disease. Norma Lee was treated by a local psychiatrist but continued to regress. In August 1974, Chuck was reassigned to the 2803rd Air Base Group, Aerospace Guidance and Metrology Center, at Newark Air Force Station, Ohio, as a historian and writer/editor. The air station was located 35 miles east of Columbus. Knowing that he would be unable to properly care for Norma Lee, Chuck talked over the situation with his children. With great reluctance they agreed that their mother would be better off in an adult care facility where she could get the proper treatment. They selected a Lutheran senior’s home in Omaha at which the government would pick up the cost, lessening the financial burden on the family.




During Skidmore’s tenure at Newark he met a Korean lady, MiKyong (Jeannie) and they fell in love and wished to marry. Not knowing how his children would react to him divorcing their mother, Chuck asked for their approval. After much agonizing they agreed. Their mother’s doctor told them that her mental state would only get worse. When Norma Lee was told about the divorce she seemed to take it in stride, especially since she probably didn’t remember her marriage to Chuck. He and Jeannie were married circa 1984 according to his son, Mike. They set up housekeeping at 199 Lees Drive, Southeast, in Hebron, Ohio 43025. On 10 January 1977, at age 55, Chuck completed the requirements for an MA degree at Central Michigan University at Mount Pleasant, Michigan, and was awarded a diploma.






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In 1980, Skidmore was assigned to the Directorate of Metrology at Newark with the responsibility of developing a wide variety of periodicals designed to keep Air Force components up-to-date on the latest developments in the Air Force Metrology and Calibration (AFMETCAL) Program. He also assisted in the preparation of briefings for Air Force major commands and base level units. For his outstanding performance he was recognized with the presentation of the AFLC (Air Force Logistics Command) Significant Achievement Award.




Chuck was rarely bothered with health issues, but in July 1984 a cyst developed on the right side of his throat and was surgically removed. The biopsy was negative, but two months later the cyst returned and was removed again at nearby Licking Memorial Hospital. This time the cyst was found to be cancerous. Skidmore had never been a smoker and considered himself a health nut, but the unexpected had happened. Squamous cell carcinoma was no laughing matter. His odds were not good. He and his wife, MiKyong (or Jeannie), traveled to the Air Force Cancer Center in San Antonio, Texas, where he underwent nine hours of surgery in which both tonsils were removed. They were found to be cancerous, a very rare condition. Chuck spent three months in the hospital. During follow-on treatments, he endured 6,500 rads of radiation, near the limit for human endurance.




When he and Jeannie returned to Newark in January 1985, he weighed 136 pounds, down from 165. He was required to return to San Antonio monthly for checkups and treatments. That same year he decided he could no longer pay full time and attention to his job so he decided to retire, this time for good. He submitted his retirement request on 18 April 1985. He was allowed to repay $2,000 to the federal government so that he could retire as a GS-11 with 40 years total service. His retirement request was approved and he officially retired on 30 April 1985. Without most of his salivary glands, Skidmore has a constant dry mouth, and almost no sense of taste. For two years he traveled to the Institute of Health in Washington, DC, to participate in a test program to determine the possible benefits of pilocarpine, a species of tropical shrub, in the treatment of persons with the dry mouth problem. The results were marginal. Further tests at the Air Force Cancer Center showed that his cancer was in remission.




Retirement and sedentary living wasn’t in Chuck’s genes. Even with his medical problems he just changed from a paying job to volunteerism for the next 15 years. At various times he served as president of the St. Leonard’s Catholic Church Council in Heath, Ohio; published a monthly 12-page church newsletter; tended the church garden almost daily during the summer; was a member of the Red Cross board; published a quarterly Red Cross newsletter; was past commander of the local VFW post and later adjutant; was commander of the Military Order of the Cootie - a VFW honor organization several times; volunteered at New Beginnings, the battered women’s shelter; and


was secretary of the Air Force Association in Newark. There were many other less time consuming jobs too numerous to mention. He said in a 4 March 1989 article that appeared in The Advocate, a Newark, Ohio, newspaper, that volunteerism ran in the family. He stated that he remembered his grandmother gathering clothing and food for the needy before government welfare programs were available.




In January 1992, Skidmore developed prostate cancer and underwent surgery to remove the prostate. But he was a survivor, living for nine more years of a rather active




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life. He passed away on Tuesday, 1 May 2001, at age 81, at the Selma Markowitz Care Center operated by Hospice of Central Ohio. The VFW held services at 9:45 a.m. fol-lowed by a Memorial Mass of Christian Burial was held at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday, 5 May, at St. Leonard Catholic Church with the Reverend Michael Reis officiating. Inter-ment was in Riverside National Cemetery, 22495 Van Buren Boulevard, Riverside, California 92518. There is a marker on his grave. He was survived by his wife, Mi-Kyong, his former wife, Norma Lee, four children, and five grandchildren.




In July 2007, the Skidmore children are scattered about the country. The oldest son, Joe, age 59, is divorced. His marriage produced no offspring. He works as a nurse supervisor in a hospital ER in Los Angeles, California. During the Vietnam War he served in the US Army with an armored division as a medic, 13 months of it in Vietnam in 1969-70; Mike, age 56, also a divorcee, has one son, age 28, who lives in Tulsa and is unmarried. Mike worked in the purchasing department of Shell Oil Company’s Credit Card Department in Tulsa for 27½ years, but lost his job in 2000 when the company outsourced the work. He presently works as a forklift operator for a third party company that that runs a Kimberly-Clark warehouse handling bathroom products in Tulsa. He lives in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. As a member of a military family he said that he moved ten times and attended eight schools while growing up; Kathy, age 54, lives in Omaha, Nebraska, has three children, and works fulltime. Her husband owns a small garage there. Kathy talks to her mother on the telephone daily and visits her at least once a week. Linda, age 51, has one son and lives in Reading, Pennsylvania.




Note 1: The Military Occupational Specialty 274 was changed to Air Force Specialty Code 72171




Note 2: This biography was compiled by former WWII glider pilot Leon B. Spencer of Prattville, Alabama, a wartime friend of Chuck Skidmore, Jr., and his wife, Norma Lee, with the considerable help of their son, Michael G. Skidmore. It was completed on 8 July 2007.

US Army Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider

US Army Air Force CG-4A Combat Glider

A Brief History

        

Compiled by (USAF Ret) Major Leon B. Spencer ~ WWII Glider Pilot

I - General: 

 The use of gliders as a military weapon was known to only a few high-level United States military personnel in 1940 and virtually unknown by American civilians.   Some of the latter were acquainted with civilian sailplanes, as were a few military personnel.   The Air Corps aircraft inventory contained not a single military glider and there were no military glider pilots  on the personnel roles.  Not until it became known by American military authorities that the Germans had successfully attacked and captured the allegedly impregnable Belgian fortress Eben Emael using eleven 9-place DFS-230 gliders carrying 78 highly-trained combat engineers did the United States take notice.  For a number of years prior to that the top American Army brass rejected the use of gliders in its arsenal.    

 In February 1941, based on the phenomenal success of the German attack on Fort Eben Emael and other information received from abroad, the Army Air Corps brass deemed it advisable to initiate a study with the objective of developing a glider that could be towed by an aircraft.   Major General Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, chief of the Army Air Corps, personally directed the initiation of the study.  The Air Corps planners who were charged with conducting the study had no experience with gliders so they had to rely on the advice of civilian sailplane expert such as John Robinson and Richard DuPont.     

The glider development machinery was officially set in motion by two Classified Technical Instructions, CTI-198, dated 24 February 1941 and CTI-203, dated 4 March 1941.  These instructions authorized the preparation of design studies and the procurement of 2, 8 and 15-place gliders and associated equipment.   Only the 15-place glider will be covered by this document.   The Materiel Division at Wright Feld in Dayton, Ohio, conceived the 15-place glider as a craft having a towing speed of 120 mph, a stalling speed of 30 mph with flaps deployed, a normal towing altitude as 12,000 feet and capable of carrying a 3,800 pound load.   

 

II - CG-4A Development:  

Aware of the changing attitude of Army brass in the development and use of military gliders engineers in the Aircraft Laboratory at Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, were already busy preparing  a specification for a 15-place glider, No. 1025-2.   When it was completed on 8 March 1941, it was sent to eleven companies.   Only four responded; Bowlus Sailplanes, Inc. of San Francisco, CA, Frankfort Sailplane Company of Joliet, IL, St. Louis Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, MO and WACO Aircraft Company of Troy, OH.   After evaluation of the proposals submitted only the WACO (pronounced “Wock Oh”) design by A. Francis Archier, chief design engineer, and his engineering staff was acceptable.   The design submitted by WACO was not aerodynamically sleek in form.  In fact, it was thought to be ugly by many who saw the design.  With its blunt nose and slab sides it looked more like a dragonfly than an aircraft.   However, it would prove to be easy to fly and more durable than expected.   

    

The WACO glider, designated the CG-4A, “C” for cargo and “G” for Glider, would become the mainstay in the Air Corps glider fleet.  As a utility glider it performed its mission well.  It not only transported infantry troops, but it also carried weapons, vehicles and cargo urgently needed by paratroopers fighting the enemy.    The big glider had none of the soaring capabilities attributed to its little sister, the high performance sailplane.  With an aspect ratio of 8.1 and a sink rate of 950 feet per minute at 100 mph, there was only one way for the CG-4A to go after release and that was down.  It was similar to any other transport aircraft except that it had no engines.  It reacted to the same aerodynamic forces and in the same manner as a powered airplane.  Any heavier-than-air pilot could step from the cockpit of a powered aircraft into the cockpit of a CG-4A and feel at home at the flight controls after suitable transition training.   

On 17 June 1941, the Procurement Office at Wright Field issued Contract ac-19629 to WACO for one static-test and two flight-test models of its glider.  Ten months later, on 28 April 1942, it delivered the static-test XCG-4 glider.  The following month, on 14 May 1942, the two flight-test models were delivered.  Extant records indicate that all static tests were performed at Wright Field by the Aircraft Laboratory, but there is also first-hand evidence that a preponderance of the 1942 flight tests was conducted by the Flight Research Unit of the Glider Branch at Wilmington, Ohio, at Clinton County Army Air Field. 

The XCG-4 was officially declared satisfactory on 20 June 1942.  However, so urgent was the demand for advanced training gliders that contracts to thirteen companies were issued in March and April 1942, even before the glider was declared acceptable.   In a further effort to increase production three additional companies were issued contracts in June and July 1942.       

The CG-4A glider was a high-wing, strut-braced monoplane built of steel tubing, plywood and aircraft fabric.  It was constructed in three sections, the nose section, the cargo section and the tail section.  It was designed to carry a pilot and a copilot, seated side by side, and thirteen glider infantrymen or cargo, for a gross load of 7,500 pounds.   Under emergency conditions a gross load of 9.000 pounds could be carried, not to be exceeded.   At a gross weight of 7,500 pounds the maximum permissible towing speed is 150 mph (CAS) or 158 mph IAS (Indicated Air Speed), less with a 9,000 pound gross load.  

  The original CG-4A had only a single control wheel, while later models had dual-control wheels.  The glider pilot could trim the glider in respect to all three axes with three separate trim tab controls located above and between the pilot and copilot seats.   The instrument panel housed an airspeed indicator, a sensitive altimeter, bank and turn indicator, rate of climb indicator and a compass. 

The CG-4A had a wing span of 83’ 8”, was 48’ 4” long and stood 12’ 8” tall at its highest point.  The cargo compartment was 13’ 2” in length, 5’ 10” in width and 5’ 6” in height.  According to a WACO report, dated February 1942, its empty weight with the jettisonable landing gear was 3,488 pounds, or 3,765 pounds with the training landing gear, and carried a useful load of 4.060 pounds.  However, T. O. No. 09-40CA-1, dated 15 June 1944, specifies its empty weight as 3,790 pounds with the jettisonable landing gear or 3,900 pounds with the training landing gear.   

By Air Corps edict, no strategic materials such as aluminum, copper, etc. could be  used in the glider’s construction.  These materials were reserved for bombers, fighters and transports.   The wood used in the construction of the CG-4A was mainly Sitka spruce and yellow poplar of carefully selected stock.  Western hemlock, Douglas and Noble fir, Sitka pine, sweet gum and mahogany veneer plywood was also used.   Much of the sheathing plywood was 3/32”, 5-ply stock; however some 3-ply was used.              

The nose of the CG-4A was hinged at the top so that it could be raised for loading cargo.  Two mahogany plywood bench seats could be installed along each side, and a single fold-down seat was mounted at the left rear entrance, to accommodate thirteen fully equipped glider infantrymen.  Entrance doors were provided on both sides of the aft section of the cargo section sufficiently wide for a fully armed man to walk through with ease.  Emergency exits were located on each side of the fuselage under the wings.  The glider infantrymen were issued Mae West life jackets but not parachutes.  Web type seat belts for the passengers were attached to the steel tubing of the glider side.  When a jeep was carried, all four bench seats had to be removed. 

Glider payloads included glider infantrymen, jeeps, jeep trailers, 57, 75 and 105 mm field guns, Clarkair CA-1 bulldozer, Case SI wheeled tractor, Adams 11-s towed grader, Letourner Q carryall, motorcycles, ammunition carts, medical supplies, rations, gasoline, and even chapel organs, hymnals and such things as a Red Cross doughnut making machine.  The cargo was limited only by the imagination and the payload of the glider.     

External visibility was excellent for the pilot and copilot, and there were four round observation windows along each side of the fuselage to help minimize airsickness on the part of the airborne troops.  According to the technical manual . . . “men aft of the center of gravity tended to become airsick very easily.”  There were two racks of sanitary containers in the glider for this possibility.

The glider fuselage, square in cross- section, was built of welded 1025 or X1430 chrome molybdenum steel tubing, with X1430 being specified for high stress areas.  The honeycombed cabin floor was covered with thin sheets of plywood.  The wings were rectangular in plan form and built in four sections.  Wood and plywood construction was employed, the structure consisting of a main spar, rear “l” spar, ribs and plywood skin covering.   The entire wing was covered with aircraft fabric and doped.  The inner sections of the wings were braced for torsion by a pair of streamlined airfoil struts.  The wooden and fabric tail section consisted of horizontal stabilizers, a vertical dorsal fin, elevators and a rudder.  More than 70,000 individual parts made up the CG-4A.  After its design was accepted in June 1942 some 7,000 modifications were made to the aircraft, although none were major in nature.

The CG-4A did not have flaps as originally conceived.  It was equipped with wing spoilers.   Each spoiler consisted of a 6.5 feet by 10 inch flush rectangular plate mounted 3 feet back from the leading edge of the wings.  A four foot long lever, set at a 30 degree forward angle, was located on the side of each cockpit seat so that either pilot could open and close the spoilers.  With this device the pilot was able to kill off a large percentage of the lift created by the modified Clark-Y airfoil.  Use of the spoilers increased the rate of descent from a normal 950 feet per minute at 100 mph to as much as 1,600 feet per minute.  Thus the glider pilot soon learned to plan his approach on the long or high side so that in the final moments before touchdown the spoilers could be utilized to put the glider on the intended spot.  

Originally, two types of landing gear were specified; one a shock absorbing gear, permanently attached to the fuselage for training, the other a tactical droppable take-off gear that was released by the pilot after becoming airborne.  Four thick spring-loaded laminated wooden skids, two mounted in tandem on each side of the glider mid-section, were provided for landing after the tactical landing gear was jettisoned.   The training landing gear was of the conventional type employing spring-oil shock absorbers in the main and tail gear units.  Hydraulically operated brakes were incorporated in the main gear.   The solid rubber tail wheel was a  full swiveling type with a self-centering spring.  Landing the CG-4A on wheels provided steering ability, while landing on skids alone did not.  Ultimately, the training gear became standard. 

Some early CG-4A’s were equipped with Radio Set AN/SCR-585, a portable short range transmitter-receiver communications system installed behind the copilot on the right-hand side of the fuselage.  A remote control was located below the instrument panel accessible to either the pilot or copilot.   The unit was removed by either pilot before leaving the glider.  Beginning in 1944, gliders were equipped with the Type AN/A1A-1 interphone system for communication between the glider and the tow plane.  The 3-conductor interphone cable was coiled around the tow rope but due to the stretching and contracting of the rope it frequently failed.   In the latter part of WWII the Army Air Force ordered a number of tow ropes with the interphone wires embedded in the rope, but there is no evidence that they were ever used in training or combat.         

III - CG-4A Procurement:  

As indicated above, sixteen companies were issued production contracts to build the CG-4A.  They were; Ward Furniture Manufacturing Company of Kansas City, MO (7), Ridgefield Manufacturing Company of Ridgefield, NJ (156), National Aircraft Corporation of Elwood, IN (1), Robertson Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, MO (170), WACO Aircraft Company of Troy, OH (1074), Ford Motor Company of Kingsford, MI (4,190), Cessna Aircraft Company of Wichita, KS (750), Timm Aircraft Corporation of Van Nuys, CA (433), Babcock Aircraft Corporation of Deland, FL (60), General Aircraft Corporation of Astoria, NY (1112), AGA Aviation Corporation of Willow Grove, PA (627), Laister-Kauffman Aircraft Corporation of St. Louis, MO (310), Gibson Refrigerator Company of Greenville, MI (1078), Commonwealth Aircraft, Inc. of Kansas City, MO (1470), Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation of St. Paul. MN (1509) and Pratt-Read and Company of Deep River, CT (956).   Actually, when tallied by serial number, only 13,903 CG-4As were delivered, not 13,906 or 13,909, as specified in many published books and articles.       

No sooner had CG-4A gliders began rolling off the assembly line than they were grounded because of frequent failures of the special fittings attaching the tail brace wires to the tail surfaces. New streamlined wires were quickly manufactured and just as quickly they also failed.  Finally, a stranded cable was installed and that solved the problem. 

In the first three months of 1943 50% or more of the CG-4As were grounded because of frequent failures of the landing gear fittings, the tow rope release mechanism and the nose-raising locking device.  After evaluating the problems the Army’s assessment was that the first problem was caused by pilot’s making hard landings, while the latter two problems were the result of faulty maintenance.  Dirt collecting in the mechanism was not being removed and lubrication of the devices was inadequate.

Once a CG-4A was built and released for shipment it was disassembled and packed in five wooden crates that were built in accordance to US Army Specification No. 23-78-A, dated 5 October 1942.  11,000 feet of Grade A lumber was required for the containers at a cost of $2,000.00.  The five huge crates occupied 5,231 cubic feet and weighed a total of 30.8 ship tons.  It took two railroad flatcars to transport one CG-4A.  Heavy brown paper was taped over the glider’s Plexiglas windows and windshields to prevent scratching.  Outlined below is dimension and weight data related to the glider shipping crates:

Box No.                    Contents                     Length       Width      Height         Weight

1.    Fuselage Nose Section                     8’ 10”          7’ 2”         5’ 9”          1800 lbs

2.    Fuselage Center Section                  24’ 3”          7’ 5”         8’ 3”          5200 lbs

3.    Fuselage Rear Section                      24” 3”         6’ 10”       6’ 11”        4400 lbs

           Tail Group                                                                                               

4.    Outboard Wing Panels                     17’ 2”          4’ 10”       11’ 7”        3750 lbs

5.    Inboard Wing Panels                        25’ 3”          4’ 4”         11’ 7”        5375 lbs

IV - Powered CG-4A Gliders: 

The WACO CG-4A glider proved to be rugged enough that Air Force visionaries decided that it would make an excellent short range cargo aircraft by adding a power package to a limited number of them.  This would relieve the overburdened C-47 and C-46 aircraft from this task.  Wright Field engineers envisioned that adding engines would also relieve some of the strain on tow planes during takeoffs, and would permit the glider to reach its destination in the event the tow plane was damaged or shot down by enemy ground fire.  The head of the glider program approved a project to test these concepts. 

In early 1943, a change order was issued to Northwestern Aeronautical Corporation’s glider contract to design and add two 125 h.p. Franklin engines to CG-4A, s/n: 43-27315.  Tests were performed to determine if the XPG-1, as this powered glider was designated, could take off and land under its own power.  It did so after a long run on a paved runway, but the ascent was slow and time consuming.   A second CG-4A, s/n: 42-58090, designated the XPG-2, was equipped with two 175 h.p. Ranger engines. The maximum speed was 135 mph.   Later in 1943, the 175 h.p. engines on CG-4A, s/n: 42-58090 were replaced with 200 h.p. Ranger engines.  

In the spring of 1944 a contract was negotiated with WACO to convert CG-15A, s/n: 44-90986, a cut down version of the CG-4A and designated an XPG-3, by adding two 230 h,p. Jacobs radial engines.  All of the static and flight tests proved satisfactory.  Extant records indicate that at least fourteen powered gliders were contracted for or built, 1 each XPG-1, 2 each XPG-2As, 10 each PG-2As and 1 each XPG-3.   It was ultimately determined that there was no tactical use for a powered glider, although if the occasion arose they were available for production.        

CG-4A Variants

XCG-4 …….    Prototypes, two built, plus one stress test article.

CG-4A ……. This glider became the G-4A in 1948, 13,903 were built by 16 contractors.

XCG-4B……   One CG-4A built of all-plywood structure.

XPG-1 …….    One CG-4A converted with two Franklin 6AC-298-N3 engines by Northwestern.

XPG-2 ……. One CG-4A converted with two 175hp (130 kW) L-440-1 engines by Ridgefield.

XPG-2A ….. 2 XPG-2 engines changed to 200hp; 1 CG-4A converted to 200hp engines.

PG-2A …….    PG-2A with two 200hp (150kW) L-440-7, 10 G-2A built by NW in 1948.

XPG-2B…… Cancelled variant with two R-775-9 engines.

LRW-1 ……. 13 CG-4A transferred to the United States Navy.

G-2A ……… PG-2A re-designated in 1948.

G-4A ……… CG-4A re-designated in 1948.

G-4C ……..  G-4A with different tow-bar, 35 conversions.

Mk 1Hadrain ….. Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A, 25 delivered.

MK II Hadrain …  Royal Air Force designation for the CG-4A with equipment changes.                         

           

V - Glider Pilot Candidate Qualifications: 

In April 1942 the qualifications for Army Air Corps glider pilot candidate were as follows:

1.       Age 18 to 32 inclusive.  (This was eventually raised to 35)

2.      Physical - Class I Flying physical.  (This was eventually raised to Class II)

3.      Flying experience:  Meet one of the following:

a.       Graduate of the CPT Secondary course.  (Eventually candidates with no flying experience were accepted. 

b.       Hold or have held a private pilot certificate or higher, with a 0 to 240 h.p. or 2’s rating. 

c.       Glider pilots with 30 hours or 200 flights.

4.      Enlisted personnel who can qualify under 1, 2, and 3 above are authorized to train in grade.   

5.      No candidate who has been eliminated from air crew training in the Army/or Navy Air Force will be eligible.   (This was later changed.  Wash outs were welcomed)

VI - CG-4A Tow Planes:

 The CG-4A was normally towed by the twin-engine Douglas C-47 Skytrain, Curtiss C-46 Commando or the Lockheed C-60 Lodestar.   It was towed by a 350’ nylon rope 11/16” in diameter at approximately 120 mph, the optimal towing speed.   The maximum designed speed on tow or in free flight was 150 mph CAS (Calibrated Air Speed).  Each of the three aircraft were capable of towing two gliders. 

Other military aircraft that towed the CG-4A or larger gliders were the Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, Douglas C-54 Skymaster, North American B-25 Mitchell, Boeing B-23 Dragon, Consolidated PBY Catalina, Lockheed P-38 Lightning, and the single engine Curtiss A-25 Shrike which towed only one CG-4A.   The four engined C-54 could tow three CG-4As.   None of these latter aircraft were used to tow gliders in combat.  Only the C-47 was used in that role.      

VII - CG-4A Aerial Retreival: 

The ability to retrieve CG-4a gliders from the ground by an aircraft on the fly proved to be economically beneficial and expedient during World War II.  Many gliders that were undamaged or reparable were snatched from combat their landing zones (LZ) and returned to their unit.  Glider pilots referred to the aerial retrieval technique as “snatch pickup,” which was actually the case.  The glider was snatched into the air by the retrieving aircraft, going from a standing start to 120 mph in a matter of 6 or 7 seconds. 

The system was developed for Army Air Corps by All American Aviation, Inc. of Wilmington, Delaware, and was accepted in October 1942.  However, the first system capable of retrieving a CG-4A, the Model 80 package, was not tested until the first half of 1943. The standard Model 80 package was mounted in a Douglas C-47 transport, and consisted of a winch containing 1,000 feet of 3/8” steel cable and a 20’ boom attached to the outside fuselage of the C-47. The winch cable was run through guides to the external boom and then to a hook at the end of the boom.   The system functioned much like a fishing rod and reel.   A 225’ length of 13/16” nylon rope was attached to the glider, while the other end in the form of a loop is stretched between two poles 12 foot high and spaced 20 feet apart.  The tow plane flies low over the ground pickup station with the boom and hook lowered.  The hanging hook snags the nylon rope and literally snatches the glider off the ground.     

The moment the hook engages the nylon loop the pilot poured on the power and climbed away at a fairly steep angle, dragging the glider behind it.  The pickup energy absorbing winch in the C-47 was equipped with a friction brake that could be adjusted for different glider weighs.  The amount of cable played out was directly proportional to the weight of the glider.  Under most circumstances less than 600 feet of cable was played out.   Once the friction brake was applied the winch started reeling in the cable until the nylon rope was reached.   No exact number of gliders retrieved in this manner is known, but the number exceeded 500.    

VIII - Glider Pilot Training:  

Pre-Glider Contract Schools

The following contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of the Southeast Army Air Forces Training Center, Maxwell Field, Montgomery, Alabama

Training School Name                          State                         City                                       Airfield Name

L. Millar-Wittig                               MN                   3 miles NNW                    Crookston Airfield

Capacity: 80                                                           Crookston

North American Aviation Co.           MN                   Stillwater                        Stillwater Airfield

Capacity: 112

Hinck Flying Service, Inc.                MN                   1 miles NNE                     Monticello Airfield

Capacity: 112

Fontana School of Aeronautics        MN                   1.7 miles SSE                  Rochester AirfieldCapacity: 112                                               Rochester

Anderson Air Activities                    WI                    Antigo                              Antigo Airfield

Capacity: 140

Jolly Flying Service                         ND                   2.6 miles WNW                 Grand Forks Air-

Capacity: 212                Grand Forks                      field

Morey Airplane Co.                          WI                    1.8 miles NNE                  Janesville Airfield

Capacity: 112                                                          Janesville

The following contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of the Gulf Coast Army Air Forces Training Center, Randolph Field, San Antonio, Texas

Training School Name                       State                         City                              Airfield Name

Grand Central Flying School           KS                    2 miles NNE                     Goodland Airfield

Wiliam A. Ong                                                         Goodland

Capacity: 240

Harte Flying Service                        KS                    1.5 miles E                      Hays Airfield

Capacity: 160                                                          Hays

McFarland Flying Service1              KS                    3.5 miles NW                   Pittsburgh Munic- 

Capacity: 120                                                           of Pittsburgh                   pal Airport

Kenneth Starnes Flying                   AR                    Lonoke                             Lonoke Airfield

Service

Capacity: 80

Sooner Air Training Corp.                OK                   2 miles ENE                     Okmulgee Airfield

Capacity: 160                                                          Okmulgee

Hunter Flying Service                     IA                     2.9 miles WNW                 Spencer Munic-

Capacity: 160                                                          Spencer                           ipal Airport

Anderson and Brennan                   SD                    2.9 miles E                      Aberdeen Airfield

Flying Service                                                         Aberdeen

Capacity: 160

Note 1:  Hunter Flying Service moved from Spencer, Iowa, to the municipal airport at Hamilton, Texas, on 20 October 1942.

The following contract pre-glider training schools were under the jurisdiction of the West Coast Army Air Forces Training Center, Santa Ana, California

Training School Name                          State                           City                                         Airfield Name

Big Spring Flying Service                TX                    18 miles NNW                     Big Spring Army                                                     

Capacity: 80                                                              Big Spring                     Glider Tng. Sch.

Cutter-Carr Flying Service              NM                   7 miles E                         Tucumcari Air- Capacity: 184                                                          Tucumcari                       field

Plains Airways, Incorporated           CO                   4 miles N                         Fort Morgan Air-

Capacity: 184                                                          Morgan                            field

Clint Breedlove Aerial                     TX                    7.5 miles N.                     Lamesa Field

Service                                                                   Lamesa

Note 1:  The 18 contract pre-glider schools listed above were scheduled to be in operation by 1 June 1942, but there was some slippage.  The pre-glider schools are listed on Page 19 of USAF Historical Studies No. 1 “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941-1943.” 

Note 2:  There is some evidence that there were also pre-glider schools, at least temporarily, at (1) Big Springs Flying Service, 6.5 miles west of Artesia, New Mexico, at the Artesia Municipal Airport; (2) Clovis, New Mexico; (3) Pine Bluff School of Aviation, 4 miles southeast of Pine Bluff at Grider Field, (4) Southern Airways, Inc., 3.2 miles East of Greenville Municipal Airport, Greenville, South Carolina, and (5) Starkville Municipal Airport, Mississippi.   

Note 3:  The official name of the school at Monticello, MN, was 14^th Army Air Force Glider Training Detachment.

Note 4:   On page 381 of Gerard M. Devlin’s book, Silent Wings, published in 1985, he lists two  pre-glider contract schools, Cutter-Carr Service, Clovis, New Mexico, and Ong Aircraft Corporation, Goodland, Kansas, that are not listed in the pre-glider contract schools above.  The contract schools listed above were taken from the official USAF Historical Studies, No.1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941-1943.”      

Elementary/Advanced Contract Glider Training Schools

The following glider training schools were listed very briefly as elementary/advanced glider training schools, but some became basic or preliminary glider training schools instead.   

Training School Name                    State                        City                             Airfield Name

Burke Aviation Service                    OK                   3 Miles North                   Vinita Airfield

                                                                              of Vinita

Arizona Gliding Academy                 AZ                    17 miles W                       Echeverria Field

                                                                              Wickenburg                       

Waterman Airlines Inc.                   AL                    10 miles W.                      Mobile Municipal

                                                                               of Mobile                         Airport

Twenty-Nine Palms Air                    CA                    5 miles N 29                    Condor Field

Academy                                                                 Palms

Dalhart Army Air Field                    TX                    Amarillo                          English Field

overrun

Blackland Army Air Field                TX                    Waco                               Blackland AAF

Lockbourne Army Air Base              OH                   Columbus                        Lockbourne AAB

                                                                                                                    

Note 1:  The schools at Twentynine Palms, CA, Mobile, AL, Wickenburg, AZ, and Lamesa, AZ, were the first Elementary/Advanced Glider Training Schools to open.  The Elementary/Advanced Glider Schools were to train glider students in light gliders followed by training in the heavy troop/cargo gliders.  The Basic and Preliminary Glider Schools trained students in only the light gliders.

   

Data Sources

1.   USAF Historical Studies No. 1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941-1943.”  

2.  Internet at http://www.airforcebase.net/aaf/cfs_list.html.  WWII Army Air Forces Contract Flying Schools – Database Summary.

3.  To Fly the Gentle Giants – The Training of U. S. WWII Glider Pilots by Dr. J. Norman Grim, published by Author House, Copyright 2009.

4.   Page 381 of Gerard M. Devlin’s book, “Silent Wings,” published in 1985. 

WWII Advanced Glider Training Schools

As the glider program progressed all advanced glider training was conducted by military glider pilot instructors at schools at Army Air Bases. 

           Training School Name                            Location                       City and State

            Bergstrom Army Air Field                         8 miles east                          Austin,  TX

            Dalhart Army Air Base                             3 miles SSW                         Dalhart, TX

            South Plains Army Air Field                     4.5 miles NNE                      Lubbock, TX

            Bowman Field                                          5.5 miles East                      Louisville, KY

            Fort Sumner Army Air Field                     2.6 miles NW                        Ft. Sumner, NM

            Greenville Army Air Field                         7 miles SSE                          Greenville, SC

            Lockbourne Army Air Base                       9.5 miles SE                         Columbus, OH

            Struttgart Army Air Field                         6.5 miles North                     Stuttgart, AR

            Victorville Army Air Field                         5 miles NW                           Victorville, CA

Note 1:  The first 60 CG-4A instructors graduated after two weeks training at Lockbourne Army Air Base.  Among the instructors graduating were Darlyle Watters, Ed Cook and William Sampson, the first glider pilot to receive his “G” wings.

Note 2:  The advanced glider schools at Stuttgart, Arkansas, Lubbock, Texas, Victorville, California, and Dalhart, Texas, opened during October and November 1942.  Classes began at Victorville in late 1942.  Former child movie star Jackie Coogan graduated from Victorville.

Note 3:  The advanced glider school at Fort Sumner was only open a couple of months.

Note 4:  After May 1943, all advanced glider training was conducted at Lubbock, Texas.  A majority of the glider pilots graduated from there.     

IX - CG-4A Glider Flight Techniques:

Before the student pilot began his CG-4A transition flying he was required to spend at least one hour of familiarization in the cockpit.  Comfortable seating in the CG-4A for the pilot depended to a great extent on how large he was and how many pillows was available.  The seat itself was not adjustable, either up or down or fore and aft.  After finding a reasonably comfortable position, probably the first thing the pilot noted was the extreme cockpit roominess and excellent visibility.    

The glider pre-takeoff check list was amazingly simple. “Control chocks off, pitot tube uncovered, controls checked for full movement, the Form 1 checked for glider status, safety belt fastened, 300 pounds of ballast installed behind each pilot position and properly secured, trim tabs set to neutral, meter pin flush in the tow rope release mechanism, altimeter set, brakes off, and ailerons in neutral position.”

Initially, the pilot held the control wheel in the full back position to apply full “up” elevator, so if the tow plane took up the rope slack too quickly there would be some assistance in keeping the glider from nosing over and riding on the skids on takeoff.   The tow rope attached to the glider was mounted high on the nose and there was a tendency for the glider to nose over on the initial pull of the tow plane.  As the glider began to move, the wheel was moved gently forward until the glider was in a level position, rolling on the landing gear.  The pilot applied enough rudder to keep the glider directly behind the tow plane. 

When 60 mph airspeed was achieved, the wheel was gently eased back until the glider was approximately 20 feet above the runway.  At this point it was necessary to ease the control wheel forward so that the glider was in a slight diving attitude to put slack in the tow rope, thus allowing the tow plane to leave the runway.  The CG-4A was to be flown not more than 25⁰ up, 20⁰ down or 20⁰ to the right or left of the extended longitudinal axis of the tow ship.  Some CG-4As were equipped with a BOGN (Bolt-On-Griswold Nose), a protective nose device.  The tow rope attachment was mounted in the center of the nose when a BOGN was installed on the glider.

Once the tow plane was airborne the glider was flown level until the tow plane came up to its proper position, which was just below that of the glider.  If the glider was flown too high immediately after takeoff, the tow ship was unable to leave the runway.  Takeoff commenced with the elevator trim tabs in a moderately nose-down position.  As the glider gained airspeed there was an appreciable nose trim effect.  The glider student was cautioned to devote his undivided attention to keeping proper tow position and to signal the copilot or instructor to trim the nose or wings immediately after takeoff if that was desirable.  A more experienced glider pilot could make the takeoff with one hand and trim the aircraft with the other.  

Techniques for takeoff are slightly different when the glider was fully loaded.  The glider pilot has to bear in mind during takeoff that the tow ship was dragging 3½ tons of weight, in addition to the full load of the tow ship itself.  The glider pilot should not increase drag by climbing too fast during the early stages but should wait until the tow ship had accelerated to its approximate liftoff speed; then by increasing the angle of attack to slowly transfer the weight from the landing gear to the wing so that the glider leaves the ground at approximately the same time as the tow plane.             

The CG-4A technical manual cautioned glider student pilots that they were sitting approximately 18 inches to the left of the longitudinal axis of the glider by virtue of the side by side seating, and hence the same distance to the left of the point where the towrope connected.  “By leaning to the right and sighting along the tow rope the glider student could easily see if he was lined up with the center of the tow ship fuselage; if not, he could correct his position accordingly.”  However, it was found that this increased the chances of vertigo, particularly during night flying.

The danger of taking off in a low tow position was emphasized. “Added drag of the prop wash could on occasion cause a tow rope failure. On takeoff the glider pilot should always be ready to release the tow rope in the event one of the tow ship’s motors failed or if the tow ship encountered difficulty leaving the runway.”  If the tow rope were to break, the procedure was immediately climb and hit the tow rope release lever.  This prevented dragging the lengthy rope along the ground with the potential of snagging the rope on an obstruction and crashing.  If a glider was flown low enough to get into the prop wash during takeoff, it was difficult to control and much additional strain was placed on the tow rope.  Flown too high, the tow rope became taut and exerted an upper pull on the tow ship’s tail.  The best position to fly was that which maintained constant sag in the tow rope and constant airspeed.  

The bank and turn indicator needle was the only cockpit indication of a good towing position.  The needle was centered with the rudder, the ball centered with aileron, and any pressures relieved by proper trimming.  Occasionally, a wing became so heavy that slight pressure would be required on the opposite aileron to maintain proper attitude even with full trim corrections.  In smooth air light pressure on the controls was all that was required; the prime difficulty of beginning students was a tendency to over control.  The cargo glider tended to oscillate while on tow; this characteristic was not experienced in the sailplanes and other light gliders flown by glider students.  The tendency to overcorrect would only result in increasing the oscillation.  The proper procedure was to pick up the low wing with the opposite rudder and use as little aileron as possible.  To stop the oscillation after it had started, cross-controlling was necessary. 

In moderate turbulence the tow plane and glider bounced around considerably and heavy pressure and large control movements were required to make the glider respond.   Keeping the glider in proper tow position required undivided attention on the part of the glider pilot,

and on tows of longer than half an hour it was recommended that the copilot take over for a few minutes to give the pilot a chance to rest his eyes and look around.

Turns presented no particular problem as long as the glider pilot could clearly see the tow plane.  As the tow plane started a bank for a turn, the glider pilot did likewise, matching the angle of bank observed.  Very little control pressure was required to bank the glider.  When

the desired bank had been accomplished, a slight pressure in the opposite direction was required to prevent over banking.  In climbs a glider pilot should maintain his position slightly above the tow plane and during descent moderate use of the spoilers dissipated altitude without excessive diving.

Indication of surface winds can be quite misleading.  As is well known, a wind velocity of 20-30 miles an hour on the ground can be considerably higher at altitude.  In stronger winds glide speed was increased from the normal 70 mph to 100 mph in order to cover any appreciable distance over the ground.  In these conditions the glide ratio was reduced to as little as 4-5 feet of forward distance to every foot of loss of altitude.  A pilot cutting loose downwind from the field in winds of high velocity had very little opportunity to plan an approach and land in the designated area.  If the tow plane failed to put the glider in the proper position on the upwind side at the prearranged altitude for release, the glider pilot could elect to stay on tow until a position was attained from which he could make a safe landing in the designated area.  Except in an emergency, the glider pilot always made the tow release decision.

Prior to release, the glider was pulled up gently to slightly above the normal tow position and all slack taken out of the towrope.  The glider was then put in a moderate dive to create slack for releasing.  Excessive speed was used to gain additional altitude if required.  As the airspeed settled down to approximately 70 mph, trim tabs were adjusted so that the glider would fly “hands off.”

The practice of stalls involved a very gentle entry with the ailerons in a neutral position.  After the nose dropped below the horizon, it was necessary to pull the wheel gently back again to establish a normal glide speed.  The lazy-8 maneuver in a glider was not too different from the lazy-8 in most other airplanes.  At 90-100 mph the glider was put into a 20⁰ bank toward the checkpoint, and the nose lifted in a coordinated climbing turn.  As a near-stall condition was reached at the top of the 8, the nose was eased through the checkpoint; during the downward swing almost full aileron travel was required to maintain the proper attitude, and this pressure gradually eased off as the glider gained the speed necessary for the second half of the 8.  This was the only maneuver the glider was stressed for other than steep turns and gentle stalls.  Under no conditions was a cargo glider to be allowed to spin or get the nose high enough for it to “whip stall.”   However, unauthorized spins were successfully performed by Major Mike Murphy and others but were not recommended by the manufacturer.  

No discussion of military cargo gliders would be complete without mention of the “Curry glide” (named after Lt. Col. (later Colonel) Ellsworth P. Curry of Bowman Field, Kentucky, and Laurinburg-Maxton Army Air Field, North Carolina, its exponent).  Some glider pilots called it the “Curry death glide.”   Actually it should have been called the “Curry mush.”  Colonel Curry repeatedly emphasized that students should land the glider at a slow enough speed to produce the shortest landing roll on touchdown.  Because of the positioning of the pitot tube on the CG-4A, the airspeed indicator was of little value because it fluctuated quite widely during this maneuver.  The best point of reference the pilot had was the bottom surface of the wing out near the wing tip.  When this surface indicated a positive angle of attack as related to the horizon beyond, he was approaching the proper attitude.  This actually produced a flight condition of riding just on the burble of an approaching stall.  The burble felt in the ailerons was probably the best indication of the proper glide speed.  The CG-4A in this configuration could be landed over a 50-foot obstacle and stopped with less than 300 feet of ground roll without the use of wheel brakes.  Unfortunately, since the rate of sink was around 1,500 feet per minute, quite often the gear collapsed on touchdown.   

Perhaps the most interesting and exciting stage of training for the glider pilot was the “night blitz landings.”  These were made under blackout conditions with a low-altitude release at 200 feet onto a base leg, followed by a 90 degree turn to final.  The only reference point out in that big black void of a field was a lighted smudge pot on the ground.  This maneuver was performed with as many as 20-25 gliders which arrived at the tow release point at intervals of approximately 30 seconds.   The idea was to make your turn, line up with the light on the ground, and park the aircraft so that your left wing tip was over the smudge pot.  The copilot immediately jumped out of his seat, ran out the left rear door, picked up the pot, ran behind the glider, and placed the pot 15 feet outboard of the right wing tip.  Thus the next aircraft in line would have a designated parking position.  It was not unusual for the pilot turning on final and lining up on the smudge pot to see the light all of a sudden jump up and follow an erratic course approximately 110 feet to the right. Taking this element of surprise into his mental calculations he readjusted his estimate of where he wanted to land and realigned the glider on final approach so that would wind up with the light under his left wing tip.   During the landing roll he might again see the light move to the right.  Not infrequently after an evening of this maneuver, the glider program shut down for a day or two so that maintenance could catch up on their repair work on damaged gliders.  

If a glider pilot saw that he has made an error in judgment, the first consideration was to save the equipment and thereby prevent injury to himself and his passengers.  In a strong headwind the speed of the glider had to be increased to 100 to 120 miles per hour to make any headway over the ground.  If it was evident that the glider would hit a fence or other obstruction at the normal glide speed, the speed was increased by pointing the nose down at the top of the obstruction and a few seconds before reaching it pulling the wheel back gently and zooming over it.  It was possible to lift the glider from 50 to 100 feet in this manner at an air speed of 100 miles an hour.   It was foolhardy to fly along at 60 mph and guess whether or not the glider would clear the obstruction.   

When landing in a rough field or among trees in an orchard, it was advisable for the pilot and copilot to place their feet on the instrument panel to prevent fractures of the lower ex-tremities.  The plywood and fabric covered nose provided very little protection for frontal impacts unless the Ludington-Griswold protective nose or the Corey Skid was installed. 

The glider pilot’s job after landing was that of an infantryman, at least temporarily.   During ground training glider pilots were required to qualify with the M1 .30 caliber Carbine, M1911A1 .45 caliber Colt automatic, the M3 .45 caliber submachine gun, known as the “grease

gun” and the MI .30 caliber rifle.  We also had to fire for familiarization the Browning Automatic Rifle (BAR), .30 caliber machine gun (both air cooled and water cooled), .50 caliber machine gun, Thompson submachine gun, and the Bazooka.   

    

            The CG-4A glider was used in 8 combat missions during World War II.  A summary of these missions is outlined below:

X - CG-4A Combat Missions:

Sicily Mission

9-12 July 1943

Operation Ladbroke, the invasion of Sicily, was a nighttime British glider mission, contrary to the fact that night flying training was not part of the British glider doctrine.  Members of the British Glider Pilot Regiment would fly American Waco CG-4A gliders with a few American volunteer glider pilots as copilots.   Pre-mission training in the Waco consisted of 4½ hours 1½ hours of it at night.  M/G Matthew B. Ridgeway, CO of the 82^nd Airborne Division, cabled B/G Maxwell Taylor in North Africa, before the scheduled mission, urging him to persuade General Dwight Eisenhower’s planners to change the mission from night to early dawn.  His plea failed.  By 13 June 1943, 346 of the 500 CG-4As shipped to Africa that March had been assembled by glider pilots and others.  Only 136 of the 300 were used for Operation Ladbroke which also included 8 British Horsas, 111 C47s, 25 British Albemarles and 8 Halifax bombers.   42 American glider pilots volunteered to train the British glider pilots in the CG-4A, but it is believed that only 19 of them flew as copilots on the Sicily mission.  The Americans who flew the mission were placed on detached service to the British Glider Pilot Regiment.  The 144 gliders participating in Operation Ladbroke were towed from six Tunisian airfields beginning at 1842 hours on 9 July 1943 by C-47s and C-53s of the 51^st Troop Carrier Wing.  Shortly after takeoff six tow planes turned back because of shifting loads in gliders, another turned back when the jeep it was carrying broke loose from its tie downs.  Further into the mission when the formation ran into extremely turbulent winds three gliders broke loose from their tow plane and vanished with all hands.  Two other tow planes became lost and returned to Tunisia.  High winds at the release point coupled with inexperienced tow pilots led to 69 gliders being released too far from shore and were unable to make landfall.  605 officers and men were lost, 326 presumed to have drowned.  Only 49 CG-4As and 5 Horsas landed on Sicilian soil within a 10 mile radius of their landing zones. Allegedly, only 5 CG-4As and 2 British Horsa gliders actually landed on their designated LZs (Landing Zones).  To make matters worse, eleven American C-47s and C-53s filled with paratroopers were mistakenly shot out of the sky by friendly Allied ships participating in the invasion. American Major General Joseph M. Swing, cited five major mission weaknesses; (1) Insufficient time spent in coordinating the air routes with all forces, (2) Complexity of the flight route and the low degree of training for the navigators, (3) The rigid naval policy of firing at any and all aircraft, (4) The unfortunate timing of the airdrops directly after extensive enemy air attacks, and (5) The failure of some army ground commanders to warn all antiaircraft gun units of the impending airborne missions.  Six (6) American glider pilots were killed.  In spite of the many difficulties all of the objectives were taken and the mission was considered a success.  In his report to General Eisenhower, General “Boy” Browning placed all the blame on American Troop Carrier crews.     

Burma Mission

5-11 March 1944

Operation Thursday, the invasion of Burma, was conducted by the 5318^th Provisional Air Unit (subsequently renamed the 1^st Air Commando Group) began on 5 March 1944.  The 5318^th, commanded by Colonel Philip G. Cochran, was launched from Lalaghat, India.  A total of 77 CG-4As were employed, although at least one source indicates that only 71 were used.  The first two gliders in the 60 glider serial, all on double tow, lifted off from Lalaghat at 1842 hours.  Colonel John R. Alison, co-commander of the 1ACG flew the lead glider.  Their destination was a jungle clearing, 200 miles away known as Broadway (24-45 N 96-45 E).  The gliders were towed by C-47s of the 5318^th PAU, 315^th TCS (USAAF), 27^th TCS (USAAF), 31^st Squadron (RAF), 62^nd Squadron (RAF), 117^th Squadron (RAF) and the 194^th Squadron (RAF).  Sixty-three gliders were originally planned for the Broadway serial, but General Slim reduced the number to sixty.  The gliders carried Chindit soldiers armed with Tommy guns, carbines, rifles pistols, and hand grenades.  All of them unwittingly carried considerable extra quantity ammunition grossly overloading the gliders.  Problems began to develop immediately after takeoff.  Four CG-4As crashed shortly after liftoff; two were cut loose over Lalaghat when the tow plane developed electrical problems; and two more were released over Imphal when their tow plane experienced such high fuel consumption that Broadway was unobtainable.  More problems developed when tow ropes began to fail.  Only 37 of the 60 gliders landed at Broadway.  34 of the 37were heavily damaged on landing.  The three flyable gliders were later recovered by snatch pickup.  Broadway was strewn with the wreckage of CG-4As caused by deep ruts, stumps and water buffalo holes hidden in the tall elephant grass.  Doug Wilmer contends in his video, “G” Stands for Guts, that only 54 gliders took off and only 39 of them made it to Broadway.  Fifteen gliders, he said, were lost because of snapped tow ropes.  Wilmer interviewed glider pilots Harry McKaig and Harlie Johnson, who flew this mission.  Harlie McKaig said that he flew 28 snatch pickup missions evacuating the wounded.  539 people, three mules, and 29,972 pounds of supplies were delivered to Broadway.  One glider carried a small 4,139 pound airborne bulldozer.  31 men were killed at Broadway, 30 seriously injured and 238 badly shaken up, but able to do light duty.  The records of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association notes that three (3) glider pilots was killed on 1 March 1944, one (1) on 6 March and three (3) on 8 March for a total of seven (7), with an additional18 injured.   On 6 March, a 12 glider serial was towed to Chowringhee and the following day an additional 5 gliders were towed there. All were single tows.  Eleven gliders crash-landed with no serious injuries. The mission was considered a success.  On 6 March 1944, 12 CG-4As were towed from Lalaghat, India, to Chowringhee in Burma.  Single tows were used because of the previous day’s difficulty with double tows.  Flight Officer Jackie Coogan (the child movie actor) flew the lead glider.    Eleven of the gliders crash landed, one of them flew into tree killing all aboard.   The following day 5 additional CG-4As were towed to Chowringhee.   Two of the gliders used for this mission were snatched from the Broadway LZ.  Glider resupply missions continued until mid-May 1944. 

Normandy Mission

6 June 1944

A total of 514 gliders were used in Operation Neptune, the airborne faze of Operation Overlord, the invasion of Normandy, France.  The glider phase consisted of 292 CG-4As and 222 British Horsas.  Some reports state that 517 gliders were used, but this is believed to be incorrect.  By February 1944, a total of 2100 crated Waco CG-4A gliders had been shipped to England from American factories.  At General Hap Arnold’s urging, the first of these gliders had arrived in May 1943.  American cargo ships delivered the crated Waco’s to the port of Southampton.  From there they were transported by trains and Lorries to the glider storage area at Crookham Common, 40 miles southwest of London.  There they were assembled by glider mechanics of the 26^th Mobile Reclamation and Repair Squadron and other technicians.  At the time of the Normandy invasion each Troop Carrier Group was authorized 64 C-47 aircraft and a reserve of 25%, totaling 80 aircraft, and 156 CG-4A gliders.  Prior to the invasion, during the night of 11-12 May 1944, the Allies conducted a full scale dry run in preparation for the invasion.  The dry run was called Operation Eagle.  Before D-Day the IX Troop Carrier Command had 2,000 glider pilots on hand.  According to Jack Kramer of the 441^st Troop Carrier Group, 1,034 of them flew the Normandy mission.   The US Army film, “Drop Zone Normandy,” reported that the glider LZs (Landing Zones) were 900 to 1500 feet in length and averaged 500 feet in width.  The fields were surrounded by hedgerows with trees 15 to 75 feet in height and dense undergrowth.  The release altitude of the gliders was 400 to 600 feet.  Operation Neptune consisted of six major glider serials; Chicago, Detroit, Keokuk, Elmira, Galveston and Hackensack.  Gliders delivered 4,047 troops to the battlefield, 412,477 pounds of combat equipment and supplies, 281 jeeps and 110 artillery pieces.  Some of the CG-4As were equipped with 8 foot deceleration parachutes and at least 288 were fitted with the bolt-on Griswold nose to protect the pilot and copilot from frontal damage during landing.  Many of the gliders landed outside of their designated landing zones because tow pilots became disoriented and gave them the green light to release too soon or too late. Records of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association notes that thirty-one (31) glider pilots were killed on D-Day, 6 June 1944, twelve (12) on 7 June and one (1) on Independence Day, 4 July.  A noteworthy accident occurred near Hiesville, a few miles from the Normandy coast.  Brigadier General Don F. Pratt, Assistant Division Commander of the 101^st Airborne Division, was killed when his glider crashed into a hedgerow at high speed, breaking his neck on impact.  He was the highest ranking Allied officer killed on D-Day.  Despite the haphazard release of gliders and paratrooper drops all of the Normandy objectives were taken.

Southern France Mission

15 August 1944

         

News of Operation Dragoon, the invasion of Southern France was the worst kept secret of World War II.  A total of 407 gliders were used for this mission that began on 15 August 1944.  At least one report indicates that 409 gliders were used.  All CG-4As were on double tow.  Six hundred glider pilots were sent to Italy in advance of the operation.  40 CG-4As flown by British glider pilots, towed by C-47s from the 435^th Troop Carrier Group, took off from Voltone, Italy beginning at 0400 hours.  35 British Horsas flown by British glider pilots and towed by C-47s from the 436^th Troop Carrier Group took off from Tarquina, Italy beginning at 0518 hours.  They were recalled because of ground fog over the LZ.  Two of the gliders were forced down on the return trip.  The mission was remounted in the afternoon, with the gliders arriving over the LZ at 1745 hours.  Both British missions were code named Operation Bluebird.  Thirty-three of the Operation Bluebird CG-4As landed on the LZ.  Six others failed to arrive at the LZ for various reasons.  One glider disintegrated in mid-air killing all aboard.  332 CG-4As flown by American glider pilots were towed from airfields in western Italy, between Galero and Follonica, beginning at 1510 hours. They were towed by C-47s from the 62^nd, 64^th, 438^th, 439^th, 440^th, 441^st and 442^nd Troop Carrier Groups.  The American mission was code named Operation Dove.  The gliders were towed in seven waves.  At least one American glider pilot, Bud Klimek, flew one of the older CG-4As with a single set of controls.  The airborne element of Operation Dragoon was conducted by the 1^st Airborne Task Force.  Some gliders were released between 2000 and 3000 feet when congestion developed in the glider release area.  Gliders in the rear began to overrun gliders in front causing the deadly congestion.  There were midair collisions.  None of the CG-4As used was equipped with the protective Griswold nose.  No effort was apparently made to recover by snatch pickup a single American or British glider used in the Southern France invasion.  Twenty-one (21) glider pilots were killed during the mission.  According to the records of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association, one (1) glider pilot was killed on 14 August 1944, nineteen (19) on 15 August and one (1) on 18 August, while approximately sixty-three (63) were wounded or injured.  The airborne success of Operation Dragoon was impressive, despite the miscues, and it was clear in mid-1944, even to the most earthbound skeptics, that troop carrier and airborne forces were already making a major contribution to the Allied war effort.  

Holland Mission

17-23 September 1944

More gliders were used in Operation Market, the airborne phase of Operation Market-Garden, the invasion of Holland, than any other World War II glider mission.   A total of 1899 CG-4As participated in the Operation Market, and 1618 of them landed safely.  The American objective was to take and hold the bridges from Eindhoven to Nijmegen so the British XXX Corps could speed to Arnhem with its tanks and ground forces.  There were not enough American glider pilots in the theater to provide copilots, so untrained glider troopers occupied the right seat.  To meet minimum needs an additional 150 glider pilots were flown in from the states just days before D-Day.  70 CG-4As from the airfield at Chilbolton, England, took off behind C-47s of the 437^th Troop Carrier Group at 1110 hours on 17 September 1944 and headed for Holland.  Two minutes later, 50 CG-4As towed behind C-47s of the 439^th Troop Carrier Group took off from an airfield at Balderton, England.  The following day, 18 September, 450 CG-4As were towed behind C-47s from airfields at Aldermaston, Welford, Membury, Chilbolton, Greenham Common and an unnamed airfield, beginning at 1120 hours.  Eleven minutes earlier, 454 CG-4A took off behind C-47s of the 61^st, 313^th, 316^th, 439^th, 440^th and 441^st Troop Carrier Groups and headed for Holland.  Beginning at 1437 hours on 19 September 1944, 385 CG-4As departed airfields at Aldermaston, Welford, Membury, Chilbolton, and Greenham Common and headed for their respective landing zones.   On D-Day plus 3, 20 September, only one CG-4A from the 53^rd Troop Carrier Wing was towed to Holland, departing from an unnamed airfield at 1430 hours.  Three days later, beginning at 1200 hours, 84 CG-4As from the 436^th TCG at Membury and the 438^th TCG at Greenham Common were towed to Holland by C-47s.  That same day, 23 September, 406 CG-4As towed by C-47s of the 61^st, 313^th, 316^th and 434^th Troops Carrier Groups from airfields at Barkston Heath, Folkingham, Cottesmore and Chilbolton respectively took off beginning at 1210 hours headed for their assigned landing zones.  101^st Airborne Division glider landings near Eindhoven were made on Landing Zone (LZ) “W”, an expansive landing area.  It was 1½ miles north of Zon and west of the north-south main road from Eindhoven.  The 82^nd Airborne Division glider landings near Nijmegen were on LZ “T” and LZ “N”, which were joined together in an oblong shape, 3½ miles long north to south and 1½ miles long east to west.  Nine gliders towed by the 61^st Troop Carrier Group to LZ “T” were mistakenly towed 12 miles into Germany, east-southeast of LZ “T”.  They were never seen again.  Of the 1899 gliders used in Operation Market only 281 were salvaged.  An additional 118 salvageable gliders were destroyed in a storm before they could be recovered.  Several military sources stated that as many as 700 of the gliders were equipped with the bolt-on Griswold nose or the protective Corey Skid, and as many as 900 were fitted with the 8 foot deceleration parachute.  According to the Membership Roster of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association forty (40) glider pilots were killed in action in Holland between 17 and 23 September 1944.   Seven glider pilots were killed on 17 September1944, thirteen (13) on 18 September, fifteen (15) on 19 September, one (1) on 20 September, one (1) on 21 September and three (3) on 23 September.   As many as 123 glider pilots were wounded or injured in action.  Some were captured by the Germans and became prisoners of war.  The Americans took all of their objectives, but the British failed to take Arnhem. 

Battle of the Bulge Mission

26-28 December 1944

This glider mission was known as Operation Kangaroo.  Two combat missions were flown on 26 December 1944.  The first lone empty CG-4A took off from Orleans, France (A-50) at 1025 hours towed by a C-47 from the 440^th Troop Carrier Group and flown to Etain, France (A-82).  The glider was piloted by 2^nd Lt. Charlton W. Corwin, Jr. with F/O Benjamin F. “Connie” Constantino as copilot, both men members of the 96^th Troop Carrier Squadron.  At Etain the glider picked up five surgeons, four medical technicians and medical supplies.  It was then towed off at 1436 hours, released at 300 feet over Bastogne, and landed without incident at 1511 hours.  Ten (10) additional CG-4As lifted off from Orleans beginning at 1510 hours towed by C-47s of the 440^th TC Group.  Each glider was loaded with medical personnel, artillery shells or 59 to 60 5-gallon cans of 80 octane gasoline.  They ran into consideration flak and ground fire upon reaching Belgium.   Three surgeons and four medical personnel were killed in the gliders from ground fire.  Flying at an altitude of 500-600 feet the first glider landed at Bastogne at 1715 hours.  The following day, 27 December 1944, beginning at 1015 hours, fifty (50) CG-4A gliders from Chateaudun, France were towed to Bastogne behind C-47s of the 439^th and 440^th Troop Carrier Groups.  There were no copilots on this mission.  Contrary to normal procedure, the glider pilots and their passengers wore parachutes. The flak was fierce as they neared the landing zone. Flying between 600 and 1500 feet the tow plane/glider combinations were easy targets.   Thirty-three (33) of the fifty (50) CG-4As reached the 101^st Airborne Division perimeter, seventeen (17) did not.  Thirteen (13) were shot down.  A total of sixty-one CG-4As and seventy-two (72) glider pilots were used in the Battle of the Bulge mission.  Four (4) glider pilots were listed as killed in action and fourteen (14) were captured by the Germans and became POWs.  At least one source asserts that 3 glider pilots were killed in action.  Doug Wilmer, in his video, “G” Stands for Guts,” asserts that fifteen glider pilots were reported as “missing in action.”  Fifty-five (55) glider pilots were evacuated from Bastogne on 28 December 1944, 22 of them had landed there on 26 December 1945.  These glider pilots were used to guard the German POWs that were being evacuated with them.

Rhine River Crossing Mission              

24 March 1945

The Americans employed 906 CG-4As in Operation Varsity, the Rhine River Crossing.  It was the largest single day glider operation of World War II.  The lead towship/glider combination took off from Coulommiers, France at 0734 hours followed by other combinations at thirty second intervals.  The 437^th Troop Carrier Group provided 80 gliders, 40 as Serial No. A-8 and 40 as Serial No. A9, towed off from Coulommiers, France; the 436^th Troop Carrier Group provided 144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A10 and 72 as Serial No. A-11, towed off from Melun, France; the 435^th Troop Carrier Group provided 144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A12 and 72 to Serial No. A13, towed off from Bretigny, France; the 439^th provided 144 gliders, 72 as Serial No. A14, and 72 as Serial No. A15 towed off from Bretigny and Chateaudun, France respectively.  All 592 gliders were towed to Landing Zone “S” across the Rhine River.  The 440^th Troop Carrier Group provided 90 gliders, 45 as Serial No. A16 and 45 as Serial No. A17, towed off from Bricy, France; the 441^st Troop Carrier Group provided 96 gliders, 48 as Serial No. A18 and 48 as Serial No. 20, towed off from Bricy, France and Chartres, France respectively; the 442^nd Troop Carrier Group provided 48 gliders, Serial No. A19, towed off from St. Andre, France; the 314^th Troop Carrier Group provided 80 gliders, 40 as Serial No. A21 and 40 as Serial No. A22, towed off from Poiix, France.  All 314 gliders were towed to Landing Zone “N”.  Serials A8 through A15 were double tow, while A16 through A22 were single tow.  General Paul Williams, Commander of the IX Troop Carrier Command, agreed to deploy the C-46 for the transport of paratroopers, but not the CG-13A glider.  He felt that the CG-13A had not been tested enough to be used in combat.  Only 49 of the 72 C-46s returned to airfield B-54 at Achiet, France.  23 were shot down or crash landed.  Following Operation Varsity the C-46 was prohibited from combat because of the vulnerability of its hydraulic control systems and the lack of self-healing gas tanks.  This was the only Troop Carrier mission in which the C-46 was used.  The British used 381 Horsas and 48 Hamilcar gliders and 858 glider pilots in their phase of Operation Varsity.  402 British gliders arrived over the Landing Zone.  One British tug and glider failed to take off and an additional 35 gliders broke loose enroute to the LZ.  There were six glider landing LZs used in Operation Varsity.  According to the Membership Roster of the National World War II Glider Pilot Association 89 glider pilots were killed in action and approximately 240 were wounded or injured.  Eighty-one (81) were captured by the Germans and became POWs.   

Philippine Islands Mission

23 June 1945

Six CG-4A  gliders and one CG-13A glider were used in the Philippine Islands Mission.  Operation Gypsy Task Force took place at Camalaniugan Airfield, near Appari, Luzon.  The towplane/glider combinations took off from Lipa, Luzon shortly after 0600 hours on 23 June 1945.  Glider pilots participating in the mission were Major Edward Milau, Lieutenant Max Cone, Lieutenant J. J. Booth, Lt. Drummond, Flight Officer W. Bartz, Flight Officer R. Brook, Flight Officer E. Doty, Flight Officer R. J. Meer, Flight Officer D. Orkney and Flight Officer O. H. Wallace.   The CG-13A was piloted by Major Milau and Lieutenant Cone.   The glider pilots were part of Major Milau’s 1^st Provisional Glider Group.  The gliders landed shortly after 9:00 a.m. with no Japanese resistance. Only one glider was damaged in landing when it hit a bomb crater.   The gliders carried troops, jeeps, ammunition trailers and armament, plus medical and communication supplies.

NOTE:   A total of 3,784 CG-4As were used in the eight glider combat missions of World War II. A few were used more than once.

Data Sources:

1.    “Flying Combat Aircraft of the USAAF-USAF,” edited by Robin Higham and Abigail T. Siddall, and published by the Iowa State University Press, Ames, Iowa, in 1975.

2.    USAF Historical Studies No, 1, “The Glider Pilot Training Program 1941 to 1943.”

3.    USAF Historical Studies No. 47, “Development and Procurement of Gliders in the Army Air Force 1941 – 1944.”

4.    AAF Manual No. 50-17, “Pilot Training Manual for the CG-4A Glider,” published by the Headquarters AAF, Office of Flying Safety, dated March 1945.

5.    US Army Air Force Glider Aerial Retrieval System, compiled by  former Major Leon B. Spencer, WWII glider pilot and Charles L. Day, author of “Silent Ones -  WWII Invasion Glider – Test and Experiment.” Published in 2001.

6.    Technical Order No. 09-40CA-1, dated 15 June 1944, “Pilot’s Flight Operating Instructions for Army Model CG-4A Glider.”