Operation, The Glider Pilot Regiment - Special Forces in World War 2

Operations

North East Europe

March 1943 – August 1943

Operation Turkey Buzzard/Operation Beggar

No. 2 Wing, The Glider Pilot Regiment

Operation Turkey Buzzard, also known as Operation Beggar, is a British supply mission during the Second World War, carried out between March and August 1943. The mission involves transporting Airspeed Horsa gliders from England to North Africa, using Handley Page Halifax bombers of No. 295 Squadron Royal Air Force as tow aircraft, to support the upcoming Allied invasion of Sicily (Operation Husky).

The 1^st Airborne Division plans three airborne operations for the invasion of Sicily. The Horsa gliders, with capacities to carry up to 27 troops or a combination of a jeep and artillery, are preferred for delivering troops and equipment to strategic locations, such as key bridges and ports.

The mission is conducted by No. 2 Wing of the Glider Pilot Regiment and No. 295 Squadron of the Royal Air Force.
The gliders are needed to supplement American Waco gliders, which lack sufficient capacity for British airborne operations. The Horsa gliders, modified for long-distance towing, are flown over 5,100 kilometres in challenging conditions, facing enemy aircraft and adverse weather. Despite losing five Horsa gliders and three Halifax bombers, along with the loss of twenty-one RAF crew members from No. 295 Squadron and seven glider pilots from No. 2 Wing, the mission successfully delivers twenty-seven gliders to Tunisia.

Operation Ladbroke

1st Airborne Division, The Glider Pilot Regiment

Operation Ladbroke is a glider landing mission carried out by British airborne troops near Syracuse, Sicily, beginning on July 9^th, 1943 as part of Operation Husky, the Allied invasion of Sicily during the Second World War. It is the first Allied operation involving large numbers of gliders, launched from Tunisia by the British 1^st Airlanding Brigade under Brigadier Philip Hicks. The mission involves a force of 136 Hadrian gliders and eight Airspeed Horsas. The objective is to land near Syracuse, secure the Ponte Grande Bridge, and ultimately capture the city, including its strategically important docks, in preparation for the full-scale invasion of Sicily.

During the flight to Sicily, sixty-five gliders are released prematurely by American towing aircraft, resulting in crashes at sea and the drowning of approximately 252 soldiers. Of the remaining troops, only eighty-seven make it to the Ponte Grande Bridge. Despite their small numbers, they manage to capture the bridge and hold it until their ammunition is exhausted, and only fifteen unwounded soldiers are left. Ultimately, the troops surrender to Italian forces. The Italians attempt to destroy the bridge but are thwarted, as British soldiers had previously removed the explosives. Meanwhile, other members of the 1st Airlanding Brigade who land elsewhere in Sicily successfully destroy communications lines and capture enemy gun positions.

By December 1942, the Allied forces are advancing through Tunisia, bringing the North African campaign to a close. With victory imminent, discussions among the Allies turn to their next target. While many American commanders advocate for an immediate invasion of Northern France, the British, along with General Dwight D. Eisenhower, believe that the island of Sardinia is a more suitable objective. In January 1943, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt decide at the Casablanca Conference that Sicily will be the next Allied target. The invasion aims to open Mediterranean shipping routes and provide airfields closer to mainland Italy and Germany. The codename for this invasion is Operation Husky, and planning begins in February.
Initially, the British Eighth Army, under General Sir Bernard Montgomery, is to land on the southeastern corner of Sicily and advance north towards Syracuse. Two days later, the U.S. Seventh Army, commanded by General George S. Patton, is to land on the western coast and move towards Palermo. In March, it is decided that both armies will land simultaneously along a 160-kilometre stretch of coastline. To support the amphibious landings, Major-General George F. Hopkinson’s British 1st Airborne Division and Major General Matthew Ridgway’s U.S. 82^nd Airborne Division are tasked with conducting airborne operations behind enemy lines. However, General Montgomery revises the plans in early May, focusing on landing airborne troops near Syracuse to secure the valuable port. As a result, the British 1st Airborne Division’s mission is adjusted to include three operations: capturing the Ponte Grande Bridge, securing the port of Augusta, and taking the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto.
Due to a lack of transport aircraft, the decision is made to carry out the glider operation in stages, with the first mission being Operation Ladbroke, aimed at capturing the Ponte Grande Bridge. The 1^st Airlanding Brigade is also tasked with capturing Syracuse harbour and its surrounding area, as well as neutralising a coastal artillery battery in range of the amphibious landings. Training for the glider operation proves challenging. Initially planned as a parachute drop, Montgomery changes it to a glider-based assault to maximise firepower. However, the 51^st Troop Carrier Wing, assigned to the mission, has little glider experience, while the 52^nd Wing, with more experience, is assigned to a parachute mission, leading to logistical challenges.

On the night of 9 July 1943, 2,075 British troops, along with jeeps, anti-tank guns, and mortars, take off from Tunisia bound for Sicily. Adverse weather conditions and anti-aircraft fire result in confusion, with many gliders released too early and crashing into the sea. Only a small number land at the designated locations, with just twelve gliders reaching their intended target. At the Ponte Grande Bridge, a single Horsa lands with a platoon of infantry from the South Staffordshire Regiment, who successfully capture the bridge and dismantle the demolition charges.

Despite limited reinforcements arriving, only eighty-seven men are present at the bridge by morning. The British defenders face repeated Italian counterattacks, with reinforcements arriving throughout the day. Eventually, the Italian forces overwhelm the defenders, who are forced to surrender by the afternoon of July 10^th, 1943. However, the bridge is saved from destruction due to the removal of explosives by the British troops.