Supply drop for "Varsity" 1945

A 2344 means Nord de Guerre Zone rA2344


P.s. The grid system of some Wesel 4305 maps are different Nord du Guerre and Transverse Mercator

And look at the spot West of the farm, traces of Oil and fire ??

 

See the different grid system.

 

I am of course going by the Nord de Guerre system. All map references in Allied papers I studied use that grid.

 

Thanks. Yes I know Betsy, we have chatted for hours about all this. I have her book on her fathers service. Stalder was apparently found. Alan Keenan buried him under German supervision. Never seen any grid reference for where he was found.

 

And more supplies.

 

C.L.E. containers were also dropped for 17 US ABD... see color picture with Glider Pilots resting along Tram track/ Flürerener weg/ canaopy alley..

 

Hi Pen and Dagger, where did you find those inset photos?

 

what do You mean with inset? I paste the pictures over the google maps screenshot in a powerpoint and then make a new screenshot.

 

It is CI (576 Bomber Squadron Code)- Q (radio Call sign RLC) form Bomb Group Code D (392 BG)

 

Excellent pictures, thanks. Is the source Peter Loncke's book "The Liberators who never returned". Probably a very good book, nowhere to be found!!

 

I mean - where do photos like this one come from? Which archive? Are they researchable/available online?
Best
Alex

 

Ok, this explains a lot. I considered myself already lucky with a color map of Dingden and Wesel, but I shoul have looked for this other grid system..

 

Ohh, OK: B24.net

DZ-Wese WWII Bombing Mission March 24, 1945 (b24.net)

hope this helps..

 

I mean - where do pics like this one come from? Which archive?

 

Thank you!

 

Hi Everyone,

I saw there were some questions about the location of the SDP and which area was chosen.

To help track this down, the extracts below are from the HQ RASC diary's appendix which can be accessed via Headquarters, Royal Army Service Corps and contains a significant amount of additional information that I have not cited below.

"One crew under command of Sjt Whittall landed very near the RV and were therefore first on the scene at approx. 1100 hrs, and this party were the only men of the Coy present until at about 1300 hrs"... (edd)

...."From this it will be seen that at the time the supply drop took place at 1300 hrs, there was in fact no transport available to clear the SDP. The only personnel on the scene were the party under Sjt Whittall who were very busy giving covering fire to Lt Campbell of 22 Indep Para Coy who was marking the SDP".

In previous threads WWII Talk user Cee suggested a possible location for Whittall's glider, which we believe is CN 278 "Hitlers Headache" and was (fairly likely) the one photographed by Hardy being unloaded by the RASC near Kopenhof.

Question: I wonder if the hardy photograph of the containers is nearby the glider photo?

"The supply drop which was carried out by Liberators was extremely scattered as will be seen from the attached sketch map which has been marked up in red. Not only was it very widely dispersed but it was also dropped from a very low altitude which caused much of the ammunition to be damaged. In fact, many of the container chutes did not properly develop before the container had hit the ground. With the very limited transport which was at the disposal of Capt. Sutherland-Waite it was quite obvious that too much space would be take up in the trailers etc if the whole container was brought into the dump as had been the intention and it was therefore decided to open the containers on the SDP and bring in the contents only. This was in progress when OC Coy arrived and assumed command of the proceedings."

Note: There should be a map of the drop somewhere in the National Archives.

Note 2: (for context) OC, Major C.P.R. Crane is currently believed to have been onboard a Hamilcar that hit powerlines in the American sector, hence Capt SW was commanding the SDP operation until Crane arrived later in the day / evening.

"The job of clearing the SDP therefore proceeded after darkness had fallen but it became apparent at about 2330 hrs that the enemy was infiltrating into the woods beside the dump and also crossing the SDP itself".

Note 3: Although not confirmed the original dump was proposed as a clearing in the woods south of the railway line (this clearing which contains some boggy ground, ponds and a modern boardwalk still exists). The location appears to have been changed, my assumption was that this was to the farm near the RASC RV point although I could be wrong here.

This doesn't help with the American sector drop location but hopefully provides some more details on the 6th Airborne's supply drop situation.

BR
SH

 

Trouble with the Schwarze Heide location is that there is no tree lined road coming from left to right and crossing a little bridge, so water north of road under construction.. Have been looking everywhere.. even with Bedee: no joy... even looked at west side of the Rhine...