During the year of 1941 the German Army committed their Airborne Forces, including a small glider force, to assault on the island of Crete. After that assault the German Airborne Army would not drop in strength again, owning to the huge casualties it sustained, history was about to repeat itself some three years later. A little later in that year two British Horsa Gliders were towed over Norway, to attack the German Atomic Plant there. The glider pilots and the military load were never seen or heard of again. Hardly a promising start for the British Airborne Forces.

In 1942 on orders from the War Office, The Glider Pilot Regiment was established, perhaps the most unique military organization conceived. All were volunteers and trained pilots and yet fully organized and equipped to fight in all and every capacity on the ground.

Major-General Roy Urquhart returing from the battle of Arnhem. Can anyone tell me who the 5 Glider Pilots are, and is the man standing in the door way USA or SAS.

Roy Urquhart, arriving back in England after Arnhem. Left to right: J. Bonome, D Hartley, unknown (at the back), John Woodword, Roy Urquhart and H Counter (standing behind Urquhart). The four named men are all of the Glider Pilot Regiment.

The Commander of the Airborne Division was Major-General Boy Browning, Browning was from the Grenadier Guards before joining the Airborne Division sometime in 1942 he had a meeting with one George Chatterton who you see above and ask him why he wanted to join the Airborne Division. Browning on seeing Chatterton, R.A.F wings ask him 'When were you with them ? he told him in 1930 Chatterton, had what Browning, was looking for R.A.F wings and at this time he was in the Army. A few weeks later he received a telegram informing him that he had been selected Second -in -Commander to Lieutenant-Colonel Rock, 1st Battalion Glider Pilot Regiment. Thus George Chatterton met Boy Browning for the first time, and fell under his spell as everyone did. Just how closely we should be linked in the building up of the Airborne Forces, He could not know.

Bulford April 1943

Back Row Sergeant Bennett, Bennett, Barker, Broadway, Clark, Lt Cox, Sgt Crook, Dawkins, Dawson, Fletcher. Middle Row Sgts Garnett, Gill, Harmer, Higgins, Harry Howard, Kelly, Lomas, McDonald, Mallison, SSgt Mather. Front Row Sgt Meakin, Naismith, Perfect, Quitter, Smith, Southey, Tigar, Willaims, Willis, Wildman. Losse at Silcily included both Bennetts, Barker Harmer, Higgins, Smith and Willis.

Bulford April 1943

Back Row Sergeant Bennett, Bennett, Barker, Broadway, Clark, Lt Cox, Sgt Crook, Dawkins, Dawson, Fletcher. Middle Row Sgts Garnett, Gill, Harmer, Higgins, Harry Howard, Kelly, Lomas, McDonald, Mallison, SSgt Mather. Front Row Sgt Meakin, Naismith, Perfect, Quitter, Smith, Southey, Tigar, Willaims, Willis, Wildman. Losse at Silcily included both Bennetts, Barker Harmer, Higgins, Smith and Willis.

Dawkins , Lieutenant Cox were killed later in the French Alps crash in Dec 1944 on their way to India.

Captain Barclay was killed at the some time.

Richards was killed at Arnhem

Photo and Information care of Major Steve Elsey AAC

General Aircraft Hotspur 11

The G.A.L. 48 Hotspur 1, designed to A.M. Spec. 10/40, had a pointed-tip wing with a span of 61 ft. 10in. This version did not achieve series production, and on the principal version, the Mk. 11, some eight feet were taken off each wingtip to improve performance and handing characteristics. Originally intended as an operational troop carrier, the Hotspur relinquished this role to the Horsa and was primarily employed for operational training with the Airborne Division. Interesting they made an Experimentally, one G.A.L 48 Twin Hotspur was completed, consisting of two standard fuselages and outer wings sections joined by a new " centre section" and a common tailplane.

General Aircraft Hamilcar

Designed to A.M. Spec. X.27/40, the Hamilcar was used with great success in Normandy landings of 1944 and Arnhem it was the first Allied glider capable of transporting a 7-ton tank. Possible loads included a Tetrarch Mk. 1V or U.S. Locust tank, two Bren carriers or scout cars, or a mobile Bofors gun. After a half-scale trial model had been made, the full-size prototype flew on the 27th March 1942, and 390 Hamilcar 1s were build all but the first 22 Mk 1 gliders converted in respone to Spec. X4/44 for power-assisted version. With two 965 h.p Bristrol Mercury 31 radials installed, the Hamilcar X had a loaded weight of 47000 lb, ( compared with the glider's 36000 lb), a maximum speed of 145 m.p.h. and a range of 1,530 miles. Usual tug for the glider version was the Halifax 111. Hamilcar X Type below

Airspeed Horsa

Entering Army servive in the late autumn of 1942, the A.S. 51 Horsa was the first British glider to have a tricycle undercarriage. The main wheels of this glider were jettisoned after take-off, touch-down being made on the castoring nosewheel and sprung central skid. With a capacity for 30 men or an equivalent freight load, the Horsa had an all-up weight of 15,500 lb. It was in all the Airborne Division Landings Sicily, Normandy and Arnhem. Some of them were at one time used by the U.S forces on a kind of " reverse Lend-Lease"

Captain Ogilvie The Glider Pilot Regiment & Lieutenant Colonel Ian. Murray Capt Ogilvie talking to Lt Col Murray, CO No 1 Wing GPR, on the junction of Utrechtseweg and Kasteelweg. This was where Div HQ was on the morning of the 18th.  Padre Pare of the GPR wrote in his diary: 'I was taken by some roundabout route, eventually landing on the main Arnhem-Wageningen road, and caught up with Colonel Murray’s party, which was awaiting a movement order.'

Sgt John Wray Brown army no 1779063 member of F squadron, 16 flight, took of from Broadwell on 17 th 44 with S/Sgt Ernest 'Bonnie' Baker.
They landed on LZ-S just north of railway line. Load jeep, 6 pndr/ at gun and 4 men of 1st Border regiment.
Bonnie and John left LZ in the direction of Wolfheze railway station.
After fighting Krafft's men went trough woods in direction of Oosterbeek, here F and E squadron took up position in Sonnenberg area west of Oranjeweg later to Paul Krugerstraat till withdrawal.
Bonnie lost track of his co-pilot and never saw him back.
I first met Bonnie in 1980 when he visited Oosterbeek for the first time.
I asked him to come over to make a presentation of a diorama I build for the Hartenstein museum depicting part of LZ-S with 3 horsa gliders just after landing Bonnie died a fesw years ago but last september his wife son daughter and two grandsons came over to put half of Bonnies ashes near Oranjeweg for he always said "I am half Dutch"
I have tried to retrace the steps of Bonnie and his co-pilot to find out John Brown drowned during evacuation.
His body washed ashore on the south side of the river just opposite of renkum near a brickfactory.
Remains were found by police man W.H.M. Leeuwis from Heteren, the police report tells mr Leeuwis found a body in the Rijswaard of Brickfactory van Wijck at Heteren dogtag was not readable but his armybook showed it was John Wray Brown, born 15 april 1921, Sgt of Glider pilot regiment, army number 1779063.
Remains are buried in grave no 1 Heteren Municipal Cemetery

Regards Bart Belonje my Thanks to Bert for the photo and Information

Memorial to 2 Glider Pilots and 21 Royal Engineers of the 9th Field Company. This Memorial is at Double Hills near Paulton the 23 Soldiers were the first casualties of Market Garden. The Glider Pilots are Sergeant Robert Fraser 953786 and Staff Sergeant Leonard Gardner 878764. There is a service of remembrance on the Sunday 24th Sept. Muster 1400Hrs. That Information was sent to me by Peter Yeates Double Hills Arnhem Memorial Organiser.

What Happen to the Glider Pilot's and Royal Engineers

Note ! This is an edited version of the Service Programme issued to participants in a long ago ceremony, dedicating a Memorial Site to the memory of the first casualties of the 1st Airborne Division during the 'battle of Arnhem.'  

The 1st British Airborne Division went into battle with 10,005 men, casualties amounted to 7,872 in killed, wounded and missing. The first casualties of the airborne battle were 21 Royal Engineers of the 9th Field Company (Airborne) and two glider pilots, (Army Air Corps), who died at Double Hills, a location near Paulton in England, shortly after take-off.

On Sunday, September 17th 1944 at 10.25 am, a Tug Aircraft Short Stirling, No. LK 148 of 299 Squadron, 38 Group, took off from RAF Keevil, Wiltshire, towing Horsa Glider RJ113, containing  a complement of the 21 Royal Engineers and piloted by S/SGT L. J. Gardner with co-pilot Sgt R. A. Fraser. They took a course north-west towards Gloucester to pick up Squadrons from Fairford and then headed out over the Severn and Bristol Channels to form up. Here Stirling LK. 148 with Horsa Glider R113 took a turn south-west down the Bristol Channel with other aircraft and gliders, and made a turn east over Weston-Super-Mare and headed for Arnhem. 

At approximately 11.05 am, over the village of Farrington Gurney, which is to the west of Double Hills, an explosion occurred in Horsa Glider RJ113. The tail was blasted from the rest of the fuselage; the glider then lost lift and crashed to earth breaking  the tow line. It crashed into the fields called Double Hills, killing all those on board. Flight Sergeant Ken Crowther, Second Pilot and Sergeant Wally Simpson MM, rear gunner, members of the crew  of the Tug Aircraft, described the scene. Wally Simpson was watching the glider trailing behind. Suddenly, 'the glider just seemed to part in the middle.' Horrified, Simpson shouted to the Captain. "My God, the glider's coming apart." The tow rope broke and the front of the glider sank, 'like a rock falling to earth.' The Stirling marked the spot, circling endlessly, according to the village people, who were now running to the crash. The aircraft returned to Yeevil; the crew grabbed a jeep and drove the 22 miles to Paulton. Flight Sergeant Ken Crowther said, "I saw a scene of carnage, the like of which I hope never to see again." Recalling the event in later years he said, "Time passes; I was 21 then and didn't particularly ever want to to come to Double Hills again, but I came to live locally, joined the Memorial Committee and am glad that the chaps are now remembered." 

Stirling LK 148 went on to Arnhem next day to carry out a supply drop. It was hit by flak and crashed near Driel, Holland. Wally Simpson dragged Ken Crowther from the wreckage, plus other members of the crew; but Ken lost a foot, an injury from which he still suffers.

The men that died at Double Hills were soldiers who had fought in North Africa, and Sicily, and had trained endlessly that summer of 1944. The remainder of 9th Field Company, in other gliders, went on to Arnhem and fought bravely. Their job among others was to demolish charges on the railway bridge, (not the road bridge); they nearly succeeded but the bridge blew up in their faces. Most remained to fight in the ever decreasing perimeter that became the 'Devil's Cauldron' in Arnhem, for nine days. One platoon went on to the road bridge to join Lieutenant-Colonel Frost's 2nd Battalion, helping to hold the north end of that bridge. They held out , against all odds, for three fearsome days, until finally captured by the enemy.

The loss of so many men, who died en-route to Arnhem, seriously depleted No. 1 Platoon, but they continued to fulfil their tasks, in the fierce perimeter fighting at Oosterbeek.

The 9th produced many unsung heroes. No. 1 Platoon was led by Captain Riger Binyon, who was travelling in another glider. Captain Binyon went tank hunting on Friday, the sixth day at Arnhem; a German tank was killing his men. He tracked it down and tried to destroy it with a hand-held rocket launcher, but was killed in the attempt.  Major Winchester, Officer Commanding 9th Field Company, wrote, in his account of the battle, "Out of 8 Officers and over 200 sappers who had left England by air two weeks earlier, all who came back across the river were myself and 56 sappers, mostly of Company HQ and No.  Platoon."

The land on which the Memorial stands is owned by His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales. He generously assigned, under Trust Deed, to Peter Yeates, Chairman of Double Hills, in company with Lt-Colonel Nichols, Army Air Corps, Chairman Glider Pilot Regt Association, the land on which the Memorial stands. His Royal Highness takes a great interest in the Memorial.

Information care of Arthur Underwood site