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Allied and Soviet Air Forces Please use this forum to discuss the Air Forces of the Western Allies and the Soviet Union. |
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#1
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special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Hi all,
On 17th september 1944 afternoon , a stream of DC3 towing gliders flew near La Louvière in Belgium. These planes came from the north to the south. La Louvière is about 45 km south of Brussels. During Market garden, planes took off from England and flew from the west to the east. There were 2 routes, the northern route ( by Zeeland islands in Holland ) and the southern route ( by Belgium ). This southern route was on the north of Brussels. Then, I don't understand why there was a stream coming from the north and 50 km south of the southern route ... Does anybody have an idea ? Thanks. |
#2
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Hi,
I cannot add much but a glider was forced to land just South of Nivelles when the towing cable broke. Story told by eye-witness, guess it was at that moment. ClinA-78 PS :by the way, what's your name? |
#3
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Bonjour Nicolas,
Thanks a lot. Christophe ... |
#4
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Ah yes...
(I visit today the landowner at Croix-Lez-Rouveroy, 20 years to the day after the P-47 dig there). All the best. Nicolas |
#5
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Hi Nicolas ,
Do you know some more info on the gliders crashlanding ? Grts Alain57 |
#6
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Nop...
ClinA-78 |
#7
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
I hope there's not a confusion with an RAF Hamilcar that came down came down in the vicinity of Nivelles in March 1945. Operation Varsity.
Regards, Leendert |
#8
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Perhaps Leendert, witness was not aware about the date.
ClinA-78 |
#9
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
I think this episode may be the result of confusion of dates. On the lead-up to Operation Varsity there was a "test run", a week before called Operation Token, where gliders where towed along the routes planned for Varsity, but they were then not released near the Rhine but were towed back to (or maybe near) their bases. A map of the Varsity planned routes is here (note the leg between Bethune and Wavre which runs a little north of La Louviere):
http://www.airbornetroopcarrier.com/...tevarsity.html I have not found how many planes and gliders were involved in Operation Token, (it may have been just a few squadrons or serials) nor an exact description of how or where the gliders landed, (i.e. back at the airfields or designated landing areas near the take-off points or what.) The main point is that they returned back along the outbound routes, so gliders may have been observed flying from NE to SW over Belgium. References to Operation Token can be seen on these links, (search for Token): (Note this man was based at Woodbridge): https://aircrew.org.uk/surrey/aircre...es/goughR3.htm https://news.yahoo.com/hitler-apos-n...180000769.html The fourth reference to "Token" on this link (taken from "Green Light" about the 81st TCS which was then based at A-80 (Mourmelon-le-Grand Airfield) in France): https://archive.org/stream/AFD-10092...7-040_djvu.txt says: "We performed only one glider training mission, aimed at familiarizing glider pilots with the hazards of double-tow gliding. Another purpose of this glider training mission (Operation TOKEN) was to check carefully on the rate of gas consumption in a C-47 towing two fully loaded gliders." Last edited by RSwank; 22nd March 2019 at 13:38. |
#10
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Re: special belgian route for a stream of Market Garden Gliders
Scroll down to March 15th and 17th, 1945 on this link for (part of) RAF involvement in 'Exercise Token': http://muhaz.org/operations-record-book.html?page=3
Hamilcar in my previous post was NX822 on 24 March 1945 "SW of Brussels". Regards, Leendert |
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