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Aviation History
1947
1947 - 1402.PDF
-2O4 FLIGHT AUGUST 2IST, 1947 Mr. Churchill visiting the Parachute School, Ringway, in April, 1941. At that time five obsolete Whitleys, carrying 40 para- troops, and five single-seat gliders comprised our complete airbor.-.e effort. to Ringway we felt an overwhelming sense of griei and dis- appointment. It seemed to us that our cherished weapon, which we had helped so much to create, had been mis- used. All the knowledge that had been gained from study and experience of airborne assault during the past four years appeared to have been disregarded. Why, we wanted to know hadn't the principles of the brilliantly successful Normandy plan been followed? Propaganda sought to ex- plain that unexpected difficulties had arisen, particularly as regards the weather—as though the planning oj^ airborne operations could not be expected to take account of such contingencies—and obscured the failure of the action in a blood-red mist of patriotic emotion and national glory. There is little doubt in my mind that, had it been pos- sible for the Arnhem operation to have been carried out to a plan similar to that used for the invasion of Normandy, in which the first lift was landed before dawn and the second lift followed a few hours later, the chances ot success would have been immeasurably greater. The policy behind the development and training of British air- borne troops, and the aircrews to fly them, assumed that the fullest advantage would be taken of the cardinal factors of surprise, rapid concentration and close support or reinforcement. But lack of sufficient suitable aircraft made it necessary for us to ask the Americans to provide the "lift" for our parachute troops. After their experiences in Sicily and the Cotentin Peninsula they would only agree to do this if the flying were carried out in daylight. Even then. British "Pathfinder" aircraft were to drop the markers on the dropping zones and landing grounds. There must have been bitter disappointment and mis- giving in the hearts and minds of some of our Service chiels when they learned that, owing to the unwillingness or in ability of the Americans to operate their aircraft on such a large scale at night, the tremendous effort which we had made to attain a high standard of efficiency in night opera- tions was to be wasted. 1 I, To carry heavy equipment the kit-bag was strapped securely » the leg until the man had jumped and the parachute opened. Then a quick-release allowed the kit-bag to drop 20 feet at the end of a rope so as not to impede the all-important act of landing-
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