RAF Brize Norton D-Day Gliders ... ?

Anomalous Sgt Harris Footage ... ?

Capt. Malindine and his cine partner Sgt. Harris (5 AFPU) shot many scenes at RAF Harwell capturing troop preparations in the days leading up to D-Day. There are a series of clips from a British Pathe compilation that are marked as taken on June 3rd which show gliders with numbers which don't match those that belong and left from Harwell. See attachments below:



The chalk numbers could possibly correspond with gliders that left from RAF Brize Norton both on Operation Tonga and Mallard. Are CNs 27 and 28 two of the Horsas destined for the Merville Battery that carried 9 Para and RE men? These clips are a bit of a mystery as to how they fit in with the pre-Day camerawork of Sgt. Harris. Note the D-Day stripes have yet to be applied to the gliders' tails and would have been painted around the numbers later. Harwell glider numbers weren't done in so prominent a style.

It may turn out to be a curiosity with a simple explanation.

Regards ...

 

Yes, 27, 28 where two of the gliders towed to the Merville Battery by 297 Squadron from Brize Norton. The raid reports for both confirm it.

 

Merville Battery Horsas

That is interesting but I'm still mystified by Sgt. Harris' movements during this period. The vast majority of his footage appears to have been taken at RAF Harwell. CNs 95 and 107 were very likely gliders carrying members of the 6th Airlanding Brigade HQ on Op Mallard out of RAF Brize Norton.

There is nice story on Neil Barber's site on how they were able to take 9 Para Veteran Gordon Newton to visit the landing spot of his glider, Chalk 28:

Discovery of the Landing Position of the First Glider to arrive above the Merville Battery – Pegasus Bridge

Aerial:



Regards ...

 

A70 25-3 IWM

The above links to the same footage as seen in the Pathe compilation, including a few extra left out scenes. Brize Norton is acknowledged in the description without going into detail. It would appear that one series of clips by Sgt. Harris taken on June 3rd captured scenes at RAF Brize Norton. I'm not aware of any photos taken at same airfield by Captain Malindine. A few other Brize Norton captures - the loading of CN 99 (Mallard).



Regards ...