Looking for airfield/station Flying Logs or Operation Record Books used by both USAAF 52nd Wing and RAF 46 Group on Operation Varsity used for 6th Airborne Division. I assume that these documents are not available at TNA as these airfields were under the aegis of USAAF. Any information would be appreciated. 52nd Wing Chipping Ongar Boreham Wethersfield RAF 46 Group Birch Gosfied
Here is a link Pegasus Archive web site. If you look under War Diaries in the section The Rhine Crossing. you will find 512 squadron amongst others. 512 Squadron took off from Gosfield. My Uncle Lt R S Preston,Commander18 Platoon, B Company, 2 OXF & BUCKS was on board Glider CN2 towed by a Dakota piloted by S/Ldr W.A. Mostyn-Brown of 512 Squadron. A/Cdre L. Darvall was on board the Dakota to observe events. This was a coup de main mission to take the bridge over the River Issel ajacent to Hamminkeln Station at the start of Operation Varsity. The glider had the port wing blown off and crashed into a wood on the East side of the river. My uncle was one of 14 KIA.
Just remembered that I have a copy of 512 Squadron ORB for March 1945 which I downloaded from National Archives a couple of years ago. Due to the limited access to the Kew site, digital records including ORBs are currently free to download
RAF squadron ORBs are currently free to download from their site during COVID19. Check out Discovery database on their website. Read the last five posts on this TOCH thread. RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version) - Page 7 - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
RAF squadron ORBs are currently free to download from their site during COVID19. Check out Discovery database on their website. Read the last five posts on this TOCH thread. RAF and RAAF ORBs available on the Web (new version) - Page 7 - Luftwaffe and Allied Air Forces Discussion Forum
Hi, I was curious about the Troop Carrier Squadrons (TCS) belonging to the American Troop Carrier Groups (TCG) that carried British Paratroopers to Germany on Op Varsity. Below are the ones I could find but no idea if they all participated in Varsity. According to The Blackjacks at War Report the 53rd TCS for example provided twenty-one C-47s of the 243 total aircraft used to transport the Paras. Chipping Ongar - 61 TCG - 14, 15, 53, 59 TCS Wethersfield - 316 TCG - 36, 37, 44, 45 TCS Boreham - 315 TCG - 34, 43, 309, 310 TCS The attached document shows the aircraft and crews belonging to the 44th Troop Carrier Squadron which took part in Op Varsity. The highlighted individual Pilot Lt. Frederick Meyer carried a 13 Parachute Battalion stick and two Para dogs in his Dakota, CN 136. Regards ...
You might find the 46 Group ORB useful - AIR 25/650. It doesn't contain any specific operation or flight logs but it mentions some of the logistics and planning of the detachments to Birch and Gosfield.
Thanks for the help guys, I have the squadron ORBs for 46 Group just trying to confirm which Dakotas were used as 3x same RAF numbers were used by 437 and 575 for Varsity. So I am trying to confirm which Dakotas left by their RAF number; there should be a watch log confirming what time the aircraft left the airfield, pilot, operation, codename etc. I am also trying to find which Dakotas of 315th and 316th Troop Carrier Group dropped 6th Airborne Division. HighTow I will give AIR 25/650 a look as I do not have any record of it. Thanks Cee for 44th TCS' OO. brithm
If you can match up aircraft numbers and crew with stick lists then you would have officially won at everything! I’ve never found the aircraft details other than which group took over 7 Para for example. Alex.