my grandad and one proud granson

Discussion in 'General' started by Paul Young, Oct 19, 2017.

  1. Paul Young

    Paul Young Member

    found the part my grandad was mentioned in the book bridge to far wow
    Researching my grandfather, glider pilot regt

    "Sergeant Roy Hatch, copiloting a Horsa carrying a jeep, two trailers filled with mortar ammunition, and three men, wondered how they were going to get down when he saw the antiaircraft fire ahead of them on the run-in. As Staff Sergeant Alec Young, the pilot, put the glider into a steep dive and leveled off, Hatch noticed to his amazement that everyone seemed to be heading toward the same touch-down point—...including a cow which was frantically running just in front of them. Somehow Young put the glider down safely. Immediately the men jumped out and began unbolting the tail section. Nearby, Hatch noticed three gliders lying on their backs. Suddenly, with a tearing, rasping sound, another Horsa crash-landed on top of them. The glider came straight in, sliced off the nose of Hatch’s glider, including the canopy and the cockpit where Hatch and Young had been sitting only moments before, then slid forward, coming to a halt directly in front of them."

    It was some time after midnight when Young and Hatch and another glider pilot began making their way toward the river. They walked along the bank for a few minutes and then came a boat. In it were the bodies of two rather young-looking civilians. They had been shot. They did not bother to remove the bodies. The three of them got in and pushed the boat off, paddling furiously with their rifle butts. About 10 yards from shore, the boat began filling with water and slowly sinking. They swam back to shore and Hatch remembers watching, with horrified fascination, the bodies of the two dead Dutchman as they floated downstream."
     
  2. Shiny 9th

    Shiny 9th Member

    Be very proud Paul, of your grandad. We all hope that young men never have to take such risks again, but his generation really did rise to the occasion.
     
    Tricky Dicky and Paul Young like this.
  3. Paul Young

    Paul Young Member

    Oh they did indeed my respect goes out to each and everyone of them
     
  4. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    ... and don't forget that the family can apply for his Service Record - you may have even more reason to be proud of him - and to think that only a few seconds saved him from ending in Arnhem cemetery.
    You ought to visit Arnhem, just to see the respect and pride everyone, especially the school children that tend the graves.
    No doubt there'll be some of his mates that weren't so lucky.
     

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