First casualties of Operation Market Garden

[gurkharifles]

I met with some other volunteers of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission today at Milton Rd Cemetery, Weston Super Mare. It's a huge site with over 150 war graves from both wars. However there is one corner which is particularly moving, it contains the graves of 23 men who died in a Glider crash on 17th Sept 1944 - they were almost certainly the first casualties of Operation Market Garden (Arnhem). I found this on the internet: Just after 10.00 hours on Sunday 17 September 1944 sixteen glider and tug combinations took off from RAF Keevil for Arnhem as part of Operation Market Garden. Horsa Glider RJ113 (Chalk 389) was in this group of aircraft and contained 21 men from No 1 Platoon 9th (Airborne) Field Company Royal Engineers. The glider was flown by S/Sgt L. J. Gardner and co-pilot Sgt R. A. Fraser from D Squadron, The Glider Pilot Regiment. It was towed by a Short Stirling, No. LK 148 of 299 Squadron, 38 Group.
The tugs and gliders 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.

While over the village of Farrington Gurney an explosion occurred in RJ113 splitting the glider in two. With no tail section the glider lost lift, broke its tow line and crashed into the Double Hills meadow near Paulton killing all occupants. The event was witnessed by the Stirling’s rear gunner who recalls watching the glider falling like a rock to earth after the explosion had occurred. One of the CWGC managers believes the explosion must have been caused by an accident with the demolition charges that the sappers were carrying. If you look carefully at the pictures you'll see that each of these headstones has a small painted pebble placed on the top. Each year the local infants school commemorates the 17th Sept with a special service and a visit to the cemetery. I think that its a nice way to keep the memory of these particular young men alive.

[mike_vee]

Thank you for posting , it is good to see that their memory lives on.

There is an ANZAC section in Harefield Cemetery and the local school kids place flowers on the graves on ANZAC Day.

Ever since 1921 the children from Harefield School (now Harefield Junior School) have put flowers on every grave in the cemetery to remember those who died so far from home and this ceremony is followed by a Commemorative Service.

https://hillingdonlibraries.wordpres...tes-anzac-day/


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[Home Guard]

At one time I had some of the pieces of that Horsa in my aviation collection. To further my current interests I let it go.





Terry

[Petrick]

Hi Terry, have you got some more info about the pieces you have got of the Glider RJ113 ? Thanks in advance.

Patrick

[Luc]

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/fi...ustine-fraser/

I believe placing pebbles on a headstone is a Jewish tradition. It is good to see these men are not forgotten.