Wartime Glider Survivors

[David Dunlop]

The powered aircraft seem to get all the attention, so I thought it might be interesting to see how many wrecked or restored gliders might be known about today.

There was Glider Training School at RCAF Station a Rivers, Manitoba at one time. Not certain what aircraft were used there, but a Horsa was mentioned many years ago as ending up as a target on the Shilo Range at one time. A second Horsa was converted to a cottage at Gimli, Manitoba and those are the only ones I am aware of in Manitoba.

Perhaps the big drawback to restoring a glider is the need for a pretty heavy duty tug to get it airborne.

David

[rob love]

We have the remnants of one here in Shilo. I believe it was recovered from somewhere between Kenora and Thunder Bay.

[Gordon Yeo]

The Museum at Brandon Airport has some interesting units in their collection, any chance they might have something?

Gord

[Jon Skagfeld]

AFAIK, the only fully restored (but not flyable) Horsa is the one at the Merville Battery museum site near Pegasus Bridge.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Jon, I think you mean the one at the Pegasus Bridge museum itself(?). Merville does have a C47, but no Horsa that I am aware of.
As far as I know, the one at Pegasus is a repro (?) with an original fuselage displayed next to it.
There is at least one Horsa being rebuilt in the UK, using some original parts.

The Glider collection in Wolfheze (well worth a visit!) has an original Horsa fuselage that was recovered from the UK, where it had been in use as a garden shed. They also have the canopy of a Hamilcar and are rebuilding a WACO, from original parts.

There is a WACO in the St Mere Eglise museum and one or more WACO frame section in the Wings of Liberation museum in Best. However I am not sure if these are original or movie props from Band of Brothers.
Alex

[Ed Storey]

Here is an image of the replica Horsa at the Pegasus Bridge Museum in Normandy - 2006.

[Ed Storey]

Here is a photograph of a replica CG-4A that is on display in Yorkshire.

[Jon Skagfeld]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Jon, I think you mean the one at the Pegasus Bridge museum itself(?). Merville does have a C47, but no Horsa that I am aware of.
As far as I know, the one at Pegasus is a repro (?) with an original fuselage displayed next to it.
There is at least one Horsa being rebuilt in the UK, using some original parts.

The Glider collection in Wolfheze (well worth a visit!) has an original Horsa fuselage that was recovered from the UK, where it had been in use as a garden shed. They also have the canopy of a Hamilcar and are rebuilding a WACO, from original parts.

There is a WACO in the St Mere Eglise museum and one or more WACO frame section in the Wings of Liberation museum in Best. However I am not sure if these are original or movie props from Band of Brothers.
Alex

Alex: You're quite right about the Horsa being at the Pegasus site. I was still a bit jet lagged at this stage of the tour and got my sites mixed up.

[Ed Storey]

This Horsa cockpit can be seen in the Museum of Army Flying at Middle Wallop.

[David Dunlop]

Wow! Certainly not much by way of original complete survivors showing up so far. More Mosquito hulks around globally it seems. Was Horsa production unique to Britain during the war I wonder. If so, that would mean any showing up in Canada would have to have been shipped here for assembly somewhere. Wonder what the Devil's Brigade trained with and where.

[Ed Storey]

While in Berlin this April, I stumbled upon this nicely restored wartime German DFS 230 Glider on display in the Luftwaffe Museum, Gatow, Berlin.