FLYING DRAMA FLYING DRAMA IN THE PYRENEESIN THE PYRENEES · 2009-06-19 · FLYING DRAMA FLYING DRAMA IN THE PYRENEESIN THE PYRENEES Pic de la Camisette (Ariege) December 5th,

FLYING DRAMA FLYING DRAMA FLYING DRAMA FLYING DRAMA

IN THE PYRENEESIN THE PYRENEESIN THE PYRENEESIN THE PYRENEES

Pic de la Camisette (Ariege) December 5th, 1944

Lt.Col. (Ret) Jean-Claude MATHEVET

Translation by Jean-Pierre Garnier, member of ARSA -"Association Rhodanienne pour le Souvenir Aérien"- a society dedicated to the Duty of Remembrance in aviation. In 1995-1997, then a teacher of English, with his students, he conducted a search, both on the crashsite and in Britain, on the circumstances of Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory's death in the Alps in November 1944.

In Le Rivier d'Allemont (Isère), a small museum is now open to the public, exhibiting most of the artefacts they collected on the site.

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In Memory

On December 1944, a new tragedy hit the Royal Air Force, the Army Air Corps and the

Glider Pilot Regiment again.

A Royal Air Force C-47 Dakota crashed on a snowy, majestic ridge in Ariège.

Twenty three airmen were on board, twenty of whom belonged to the Glider Pilot

Regiment. Seventeen of them died on that day; another one died a few days later because

of his injuries. Some of the bodies were only found the following Spring, when the snow

had melted away.

Three men were saved thanks to the courage and outstanding determination of two among

their comrades who, though seriously wounded themselves, managed to reach the village

of Mijanes for help.

This story is dedicated to the memory of those eighteen British airmen who lie in

Mazargues cemetery today.

J.C.M.

September 2003

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British glider pilot's wings, and British second pilot's wings.

"Nothing is impossible"

Crew members killed in the crash:

F/LT N.O. CLEMENTS Pilot Royal Air Force F/LT M.L. RICHARDS Navigateur " F.O W.P. GRIFFITHS Radio "

Glider pilots killed: MAJ R.S. CROOT Glider Pilot Regiment CAPT F.H. BARCL AY " CAPT R.V.D. PALMER " CAPT R.D. TELFER LT E.H.W. NORMAN " LT A.J. C OX " LT G. HORROCKS " WO2 W. WATT " S/SGT A.S. ANDERSON " S/SGT D.J. LAWT ON " SGT A.J. GIB BS " SGT E. WAKEFIELD " SGT J. WALSH " SGT J. WOODWARD " SGT G.P. DAWKINS "

Survivors:

MAJ J.F.B. BLATCH S/SGT J.A. AINSWORTH S/SGT E.J. BAKER SGT A.A. WIGMORE SGT HENWOOD

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THE ROUTE THEY FOLLOWED

DECEMBER 5 Th, 1944

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NORTHOLT AIRBASE (Britain)

TUESDAY 5 DECEMBER, 1944

At 09.00 AM (1), two twin engine Dakota III took off from that important airbase located in the western surroundings of London.. They were bound to India. Both aircraft belonged to 24th Squadron of RAF Transport Command, based in Hendon. One of the Dakotas, serial 42-92220, numbered FL 588, was coded NQ - Z. On board were three RAF crew members and twenty members of Glider Pilot Regiment (GPR), all practised glider pilots, except for Captain(2) Palmer, who was a Queen’s Own Royal Regiment parachutist. He yet belonged to the GPR.

Some RAF Dakota IIIs on an airbase in Britain. Note that the second plane is numbered FL 589, whereas the crashed Dakota was FL 588.

(1) The times indicated in this text are those quoted by Major Blatch. We can therefore consider they correspond to British local time. At that time of the year, British local time was BST (British Summer Time), one hour earlier than GMT time. French time had been imposed by occupation forces. It corresponded, at that time of the year, to CET (Central European Time), also one hour faster that GMT. So, in December 1944, British local time and French local times were the same. (2) For precision’s sake, we deliberately decided to indicate ranks using the terms and spelling in their countries.

NQ – Z "DAKOTA" LAST FLIGHT

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The twenty glider pilots on board the aircraft had been hastily gathered the day before at a London transit camp. They came from different squadrons.. Some of them knew each other, as they had already been on other missions together. Major Robert Croot, who was the highest ranking officer, was in command of the party. He carried along with him documents regarding the creation of an airborne force in Asia, and the mission of the Glider Pilot Regiment in that force. The planned route was the same for all airplanes bound to southern Europe. On account of areas which were still occupied by the Germans, and also to keep away from mountain ranges, they were to go south via Cherbourg, Poitiers, Toulouse, Marseilles, then the Isle of Elba and Italy. A stop over was to take place in Marseilles at 14.30 hours. That first leg of the trip was 770 miles long. The flight was to last 5 hours and 30 minutes.

THE FIRST PART OF THE FLIGHT As was quite frequent at that time of the year, the weather conditions were fairly poor on Northolt airbase. Clouds were very low and it was pouring. The runway was wet, and the aircraft rolled a long time, maybe longer than usual, before taking off. As for all other flights, radar contact was established two minutes after take-off by the 11th Group control tower, and the plane was traced on the screens as far as Barfleur Point. The first leg of the flight went on without anything special. About ten minutes after take-off, the Dakota had reached her cruising altitude. The heading was first to Barfleur Point, then Cherbourg, the navigator’s first checking point. Flying over the channel brought very special memories to some of the glider pilots on board the aircraft. Six months earlier, they had already flown over that rough sea before landing their gliders in Normandy, on 6 June 1944. That day, the very bad weather conditions had made the flying specially hard and several of the gliders had dived into the Channel, causing the death of their crews. Over France, the plane flew between 8 and 10,000 ft above sea level. Her cruising speed was about 165 mph. The towns of Laval, then Poitiers were passed . As they came near Toulouse, on a 170 ° heading , the weather conditions deteriorated fast. They soon got awful: Snow and melting ice.. On board, the passengers could hear the roar of the two 1,200 hp Pratt & Whitney engines. The pilot had just firmly set them to full power. He wanted to fly over the rough weather area. Violent air turbulences shook the aircraft and her passengers. All were experienced airmen, though, and they just couldn’t be seriously worried with that. During their careers as glider pilots, they had often known much worse circumstances, particularly during long towed flights, specially “shaken” during operations in the Netherlands, or when the Rhine had been crossed at last. Many tow cables had broken, and the crews had disappeared into the ice cold waters of the North Sea. Yet they did feel better when a piece of paper was brought by one crew member and circulated in the cabin. It told ETA in Marseilles was 14.30 hours. 5

THE ROUTE THEY FOLLOWED DECEMBER 5 Th, 1944

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Some time later, they were amazed to hear Dawkins’s voice: he had managed, with incredible efforts, to climb up the few yards of snowy slope, in spite of his injuries. Major Blatch and S/Sgt Baker went in his direction and helped him do the rest of the way. Of course the distance was not too long, but the effort they had to do for it was tremendous. They settled him in the shelter of the fuselage, by the side of Wigmore. The day had fully come by then, but temperature was still very low. Major Blatch and S/Sgt Baker watched the hostile looking landscape that surrounded them. They were now six survivors, but how many would they be in a few days, or even in a few hours? Both of them decided to “do something”? They had to go and fetch help . But they didn’t know at all where they were. Which way were they to go? Would they be able, in the first place, to make their way through the thick snow and among the rocks? Sgt Wigmore thought it was a foolish idea, and that they wouldn’t do it. But the decision to go was made all the same. Then a long wait started for the four wounded men that remained up there. Wigmore tried to find some food in the fuselage but did not find anything. Quite exhausted, he crawled back to Dawkins. They huddled up to each other, to try and feel some heat, and talked to stay awake for they knew that if they fell asleep, they would never wake up again. All had to cling to life now. (9)

Last hope trek In the morning of Wednesday 6 December, about 10.00 o’clock, Blatch and Baker set out. They would walk downhill and go down until they found “some life”. The walk was long and difficult. They were waist deep in the snow. Repeatedly, they tumbled and helped each other alternately. They were hungry. Baker’s wounded leg was cruelly painful. Blatch helped him along. A hellish walk down. Many times, they were tempted to stop and rest, and particularly when they came across a sheperd’s cabin, but they knew the fate of the other wounded survivors depended on them, and the idea gave them sufficient strength to walk on.Major Blatch said later they followed a small mountain stream (Most probably the Barbouillère and Bruyante). Exhausted, they reached a house at last, at the entrance of the village of Mijanes: it was the baker’s shop at the time.(10) It was about 04.30 pm.Both survivors were in a very poor physical condition. (11) The ordeal of the walk down had lasted nearly seven hours and the crash had occurred twenty seven hours earlier.Major Blatch, who spoke a little French, explained what had happened. Both airmen were comforted, their wounds dressed, and they were both made warm.

(9) Informations from R.Seth’s book (op. cit. p.208) (10 ) In 1998, Major Blatch drew on a map the route he supposed they followed down from the mountain. He added: ‘...When I come to think about it, I can’t see how we could have followed another route, as we didn’t have the faintest idea where we had started from and where we were going to.” The map can be seen at the end of the booklet. (11 ) In July 2001, Madame Emilie Labourgade, whose mother ran the village in at the time, told us she clearly remembered the arrival of the two aviators and their poor physical state. She remembered “one of them had one thigh opened all along ” .

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The mayor, Mr Julien Soulé, had been informed at once, so that authorities should know about it and the rescue be organised. (12)

Up there in the mountain, pressed against each other in the battered wreck, Ainsworth, Wigmore, Henwood and Dawkins who suffered horribly, clung to life hard. They couldn’t know whether their friends’ attempt had been a success. They couldn’t know either they would have, once again, a long night to wait through ... Down in the valley, both heroic survivors were transported to Ussons-les-Bains where the nearest doctor lived. During the night, an ambulance took them to the hospital in Carcassonne. The Rescue A small team of courageous men from Mijanes had immediately set out to find the wreck. But night was falling, and it was snowing continuously. Though they were all quite familiar with the area, their rescue mission was to be exceptionally difficult. As it happened, Major Blatchhad been unable to tell them exactly where the wreck was. Confronted with blizzard, their climb had to stop, and, reluctantly, they had to give their attempt up.

THURSDAY DECEMBER 7 th It was still dark when another team of determined men left the village of Artigues-du-Pla. They also knew the area well. They followed La Barbouillère brook. The walk was hard. Between the Pic de Roc Blanc and the Pic de la Camisette, they could spot Blatch and Baker’s track, which had not been totally covered with snow in that place. At dawn, they found the wreck. A desolate, deadly sight. The rescuers would keep the vision stamped in their minds for a long time. . An article in the daily newspaper “Le Républicain“ (13) gave details on the wreck and the survivors: “ The forward part of the plane had been smashed to pieces, only the tailplane was complete. Inside of it, three wounded men called for help. Close to them, a dead body was lying. Another injured man was outside, his head caught under a sheet of iron. He had his feet frozen.(14)” Several bodies could be seen lying around the wreck of the aircraft. They had been thrown out of the cabin by the final shock of the plane on the rocks, after sliding down the slope.

(12) Marseilles had radioed a warning after realising that the plane had not landed in due time. We were unable to know for sure whether an air search was organised then, as is usual for air crashes. (13) The article in “The Républicain”, dated 9 December 1944, does give interesting details. It is printed in extenso at the end of the booklet. (14) It was not possible to know for sure which of the survivors had indeed remained outside, in very cold temperatures, injured, and for nearly 40 hours. The information, if it is true, will undoubtedly remain an unsolved mystery. Yet it should be compared to what R.Seth said (note 8).

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The four injured men - S/Sgt Ainsworth, Sgt Wigmore, Sgt Henwood and Sgt Dawkins were given first aid care and “prepared” to be carried down on men’s backs. The climb down was difficult. The rescuers proved exceptionally brave and tenacious to bring the men down, through a particularly thick snow, to the mountain hut of Le Pla. Ambulances were waiting for them there. They were directly taken to the hospital in Carcassonne.

During the following days

Very soon, numerous British and French military personnel came to the village of Mijanes, in which a totally uncommon activity could be seen. They stayed several days. Some found accomodation at the village inn, and about a hundred military had their meals there. Teams were formed in order to go and very quikly bring back the victims’ bodies that were still lying in the mountain.(15) The inhabitants of the village who participated in those parties were deeply impressed by the event. They could never forget it. But days were short at that time of the year, and weather conditions were often no good for any large scale operation. But as soon as the weather permitted, some rescuers climbed up to the crashsite. Until December 19th, eleven bodies were brought back: - 10 December: Lt Horrocks - Capt. Barclay - 11 December: Sgt Woodward - Sgt Gibbs - Capt Telfer - Maj. Croot - 16 December : F/Lt Richards - Lt Norman - 19 December: S/Sgt Lawton - W.O. Watt - Sgt Walsh After that date, the weather conditions got really bad. They had to wait then, maybe till the following Spring, to go up again and bring back the six remaining airmen. The bodies that had been brought down were religiously placed into coffins and gathered in the church of Mijanes, where ceremonies were held. The eleven bodies were then buried at the top of the cemetery. From then on, the spot was to be called “The Englishmen’s Plot”(16)

(15) The state of the various bodies and informations on each of them are indicated at the end of the booklet. Those informations can be considered as quite reliable (16) That part of the cemetery is still called so today. M. Jackie Caux, a town councillor, could give us a very important information that puts an end to many controversies. He was positive that only the eleven bodies that were brought down in December were buried in the churchyard of Mijanes. They were exhumed between 1950 and 1953 to be buried again by the Commonwealth War Grave Commission in the cemetery of Mazargues, in the neighbourhood of Marseilles. The six remaining bodies, that were brought down from the crashsite in the Spring of 1945, were not buried in Mijanes. They were immediately passed on to the military authorities. But it has not been possible, so far, to locate the place where they were first buried.

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The “Englishmen’s Plot”. This picture of the eleven graves was made in 1946 by Commander PALMER, father of Captain PALMER, killed in the crash. (Doc. Denzil Cooper)

2003 - The bodies do not lie in the “Englishmen’s Plot”, in the top right hand corner of Mijanes churchyard, any more. They were gathered in Mazargues cemetery in the 1950’s.

The Survivors

As early as Decemlber 9th, members of Royal Air Force rescue and medical services reached the hospital in Carcassonne, coming from Istres airbase. On 10 December, members of American medical services came to help. In consultation, both medical units decided to transfer Maj. Blatch, Sgts Baker, Ainsworth, Wigmore, and Henwood to N° 43 American general hospital in Marseilles. It was decided that Sgt Dawkins, too seriously injured to be transported, would stay at the hospital in Carcassonne, with members of the RAF medical service. His injuries were very serious. Both his legs were broken, and he suffered from very extensive frostbites. His wounds were so bad that his left leg had to be amputated. In spite of intensive care, he died on December 13th. Major Blatch left hospital on 2 January 1945, “sufficiently fit to assume some light service”. He was sent to 340th Wing (Air Control Unit). After reporting about the crash to the investigating officer in Istres, he took off on 11 January for Britain. His plane landed in Ford airbase about 19.00 hours. A well deserved back home trip for that officer who had shown an amazing courage. On January 3rd, 1945, the four other survivors were transferred to Dijon in an ambulance train and from there they also took off for Britain. For them too, the nightmare was over.

The last bodies found...

The first months of 1945 were exceptionally cold. The hope for a nearby final victory made the inhabitants of Mijanes happy, but they knew six bodies were still lying in the snow and that worried them.They wished they could “complete the rescue mission”, but the weather conditions made any attempt in the mountain impossible. They had to wait until May before they could start the search again. On May 8th, at last, the war was over in Europe. Those airmen, killed in their full youth, had died for a victory they would not even know of... On 23 May, the first melting snow gave back the bodies of S/Sgt Anderson (17) and F/Lt Clements. They were brought down to the village. A few days later, the others were found in their turn - 26 May: Sgt Wakefield - 28 May: Capt. Palmer and F.O Griffiths - 19 June: the last body, Lt Cox’s, was brought down to the valley at last. All the bodies were at once passed on to the military authorities. A few years later, they were all gathered in the military cemetery in Mazargues where they now lie in peace.

(17) It is rather surprising that Sgt Anderson, who, according to Maj.Blatch’s report, died during the first night after the crash inside the fuselage, should have been found only the following Spring.

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THE CAUSES OF THE CRASH

The causes of the crash were never clearly explained. They might have been of three different types: mechanical, meteorological, or human. Most probably, a conjunction of the three types of causes led to the drama. The Route The planned route was what had been officially settled by Transport Command for all aircraft coming from Britain and heading to southern Europe: Northolt (take off airfield) - Cherbourg - then a 170° heading to Laval and Poitiers. They were to turn left over Toulouse to a 090° heading to fly over Montpellier. Landing in Marseilles/Marignane for a first stop over. Technically, that was a good route, which was followed many times by Transport Command aircraft. Over France, it allowed the crews on the one hand not to fly too close to some areas that were still occupied by enemy troops that might have had flak artillery at hand, - on the other, to avoid flying over mountain ranges, and notably the Alps. It was precisely that same route the Avro York which transported Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory should have followed on 14 November 1944, as he was going to India to take his command, and which crashed in the Alps. The route, besides, allowed the pilots, in case of need, to divert to one of the numerous airfields that had been recently liberated by Allied troops. Before take off, both crews had very attentively studied the flight plan, a long way to Ceylan. They had been given the last instructions: emergency airfields, radio frequencies; prohibited areas, safety altitudes, enemy controlled areas, etc... They all knew of the weather conditions they were to be confronted with during the first part of the trip.(18) On that Monday 5 December 1944, a very clear deterioration in the south of France was announced.

(18) In 1944, the weather forecast was not so precise and reliable as today. It was based on ground observations transmitted by airbases and by indications given by in flight crews.

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The Aircraft “ ... The Dakota took the whole length of the long runway at Northolt to become airborne, and the appeared to be having difficulty in making height.(19)

The declaration requires an explanation. The plane was surely at her maximum weight at take off: 23 passengers plus their luggage, and besides, she was carrying as much fuel as possible, that would have permitted any necessary diversion. It was therefore only normal that she needed a long run on the ground before taking off. Was there an engine problem? The Dakota wore the serial: 42-92220. She had been built in the States in 1942. Over two years of intensive use, first by the Americans, then by the British, had surely made the machine less reliable, even though the engines had been replaced several times. After the crash, Sgt Wigmore reported that when the crash occurred, “ … it appeared as if the aircraft was in a state of animated suspension, its engines in the last stages of exhaustion.” (20)

Navigation There was, apparently, no difficulty during the first part of the flight. It’s quite sure the crew followed the flight plan. When they were coming near Toulouse, yet, the weather conditions suddenly got worse. Enormous clouds, heavy with snow, surely did not allow the pilot to keep on his heading and the altitude that had been planned. “...the pilot climbed steadily in an attempt to get above the weather, which rapidly worsened to such an extent that the glider pilots had difficulty in maintaining contact with the floor on which they were sitting ” (21)

Other Britih documents make it possible to suppose that the pilot had preferred ”avoiding the disturbed area by flying round it”. Over Toulouse, and as indicated on the flight plan, the pilot should have turned left, to the east, to head to Montpellier. It appears he kept on a 160° heading. Such a heading could not but take him to the first summits of the Pyrenees after about half an hour’s flight. It seems quite likely that the changes in heading and altitude that the pilot made to avoid the rough weather area contributed to make the navigator’s calculation wrong, all the more as he was probably disturbed by the tense atmosphere in the cockpit at that moment.. He probably thought the plane had not passed Toulouse yet. The aircraft impacted the mountain at an altitude of about 7,800 ft. Why was she flying at that altitude? Two things can be imagined:

� some mechanical trouble reduced the engine power, so that the pilot could not gain the few feet he needed to clear the Pic de la Camisette. One can suppose anyway that had he flown over that one, he would have had the same problem with the next ones.

(19) R. Seth : op. cit. p.206 (20) R. Seth : op. cit. p. 207 (21) R. Seth op. Cit. P. 206

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As part of the continued fight against Japan, Headquarters decided, on 19 September 1944, to strengthen the battle units in the Far East. For that purpose, six glider squadrons were formed in India during the years 1944 – 1945 - 668th Squadron, formed in Calcutta on 16 November 1944 - 669th Squadron, formed in Bikram on 16 November 1944 - 670th Squadron, formed in Fatehjang on 14 December 1944 - 671st Squadron, formed in Bikram on 1 January 1945 - 672nd Squadron, “ “ 16 November 1944 - 673rd Squadron, “ “ 27 January 1945 Each squadron counted 80 WACO CG4A gliders, which gave a total number of 480 gliders at least.(22) WACO gliders were American built, and were called “Hadrian” in Britain. They had been preferred to the British made Airspeed HORSAs, made of wood, that didn’t resist the very damp weather conditions of Asia. None of the six squadrons was ever engaged in combat. Pilots from the Glider Pilot Regiment and Royal Air Force were appointed to the new squadrons. Airplane pilots would be soon trained for glider flying. The first glider pilots who were sent there had been selected on account of their abilities. Their mission was to set up the new squadrons. On 5 December, they were going to join their new posts. They had with them, on board the Dakota, important documents regarding such an organization. Those documents would be missed very much by the local authorities there.(23)

The Glider Pilot Regiment, which had lost a number of crews during operation “Market Garden” in Arnhem in September - 229 were killed then - , found it very difficult to carry out their new missions. The pilot transfer on Dakotas from Britain to India wasn’t achieved without tragedies. It was precisely during one of those transfers that the crash on the Pic de la Camisette occurred.

(22) Britain received a total of 745 WACO CG4A gliders. 522 of those were delivered directly to India by boat, in separate pieces, between July and October 1944. Each glider required 5 huge crates. They were stored for future airborne operations. A few of them were used by different units for training purposes. Over 80 machines were destroyed by a tornado in May 1945, but most of them were kept in stores until they were voluntarily destroyed on the spot in February 1946. (23) The documents were, for most of them, found and salvaged by rescuers and given to the police in Foix.

Reasons for those flights to India

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When he came back to England, he was posted in India and was among the passengers of that tragic flight. For his courageous conduct during the crash, he was awarded the Order of St George of Jerusalem. After the crash, he didn’t fly a glider any more for medical reasons. He left active service in 1948. He specialised in the law and made a successful career as a civilian. He retired for good in 1981 but remained very active in lots of associations. Among other things, he got very much involved in the Royal British Legion.Major John F. B. Blatch died on May 1st, 2002, aged 85. He had come back to Mijanes in 1984 and had been able to meet there one of the inhabitants who had participated in his comrades’ rescue. Staff Sergeant E.J. Baker had been involved in the Normandy landings. For that, he had been awarded a DFM (Distinguished Flying Medal).(27)

Staff Sergeant John Ainsworth also survived the crash. He was a particularly qualified glider pilot. He had participated in operation “Husky” in Sicily in July 1943. He had also been second pilot for Staff Sergeant Wallwork during that so famous operation to take the tip-bridge called “Pegasus Bridge”. The two of them flew the first of the three HORSA gliders which landed close to the bridge, after being cut off above Cabourg. The shock was extremely violent. Both pilots, still fastened to their seats, were thrown through the cockpit perspex windscreen. They were followed by the two other gliders that landed exactly on the planned spot. The 63 men (troops of the 2nd Battalion The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry) from the gliders caught the bridge, and managed to keep it intact under their control till the arrival, about 01.45 AM, of the very first 6th Airborne Division men, that had been dropped in the Ranville area as early as 00.45. The operation was considered by Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory as“ one of the most exceptional flying achievements of WWII.” Staff Sergeant Ainsworth had been awarded an MM (Military Medal) for that deed. After the end of the conflict, Sergeant A. A. Wigmore kept in touch with Major Blatch until he died. Both his legs had been broken in the crash, and both his feet had been seriously burnt. He had to have them amputated later on. He remained General Secretary of the Glider Pilot Regimental Association until his death.(28)

(27) To the present day, it has been impossible to find any information concerning S/Sgt Baker after he was repatriated to Britain in January 1945. It has been the same thing for S/Sgt Ainsworth and for Sgt Henwood. (28) Wigmore died before 1984.

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Both engine tore away at the moment when the aircraft was stopped by the rocks while sliding down the slope. They continued sliding a few yards further down. One of them stopped close to the wreck in the smaller of the two lakes, shown on the map as being the “Etangs de la Camisette”. The second engine still lies a few yards further east. We lived a specially intense moment when one of the RAF roundels was discovered, intact, under the fuselage. We had to remove a good amount of snow before we could see, on the other side of the fuselage, an American white star, partly covered by the RAF roundel. After close examination, we concluded that was the left part of the plane.(33)

We looked vainly for the plaque Denzil Cooper had fitted there in 1997, on the remaining part of the wing, and which read:

“ IN MEMORY OF THE 15 BRITISH ARMY GLIDER PILOTS WHO, TOGETHER WITH THE AIR FORCE CREW, DIED HERE ON 5 DECEMBER 1944”.

It had disappeared, probably taken away by some souvenir hunter without scruples. We imagined the circumstances of the crash. We thought we saw the aircraft, after impacting on the mountain, sliding fast on the slope, her front part smashed and torn, and the brutal stop on the rocks. Was it instant death for all the victims? We also thought of the courage of the wounded survivors, who clung to life hard, waiting for their two comrades that had gone to find help.... Watching the smashed , torn up aircraft, we can’t help referring to the crash of that Avro York, on board of which were a crew of eight and Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory.(34) That was on November 14th, 1944

(33) American built C-47s, called "DAKOTAs" in the RAF, were painted before leaving the factory. That baked paint was especially resistant. On aircrafts which were later delivered to the RAF, British roundels (Red, White and Blue, circled yellow) covered the U.S. white star. The second paint was not so good quality as the first one. That is what explains the fact that the white star became visible again. The second RAF roundel, on the right side of the fuselage, remained practically intact, for she was better protected from the sun and weather by the remains of the fuselage. (34) An "Avro York" is exhibited in the museum, on RAF Cosford airbase, near Birmingham. Another one has been recently exhibited in Duxford museum, near Cambridge, in civil (DANAIR) painting.

This text synthetises all the informations we could collect on the tragedy, to the present day. Of course it does not boast of being final. Every fact told here was checked meticulously, though many details regarding places, hours, etc...will stil l be, for a long time to come, causes of controversies. This story could never have been completed without many people helping.We are specially grateful to M. Christian Dubuc - Mayor of Mijanes - who very deliberately told us all he knew about the crash. He kindly gave us the text he himself had written about it, as well as many documents and informations kept in the town hall. He particularly allowed us to study the cemetery register. The great interest he feels for the matter is quite obvious and could very well materialise. Let him be sincerely thanked for his amiability. Our gratitude also goes to Denzil Cooper - himself a former glider pilot, a member of the Glider Pilot Regiment and close friend of William Watt, who died in the crash. They were flying the same glider in Normandy on June 6th 1944, and in Arnhem too, some months later. That created eternal links between them . Three times did Denzil Cooper come to that part of the Pyrenees to honour the memory of his killed comrades at arms. He was kind enough to pass on to us numerous informations. More than a special correspondent, he has become a friend whom my wife and I met in Britain several times.In the excellent magazine published by the Glider Pilot Regimental Association, entitled “The Eagle”, we could read all that was ever written by British actors of the drama or by any person that felt an interest for the case. Letters by Major Blatch were published in the magazine, and are indeed really interesting. The editor, David Brook managed to give the magazine a historical quality which is duly appreciated by those who are interested in the Glider Pilot Regiment and the history of war gliders. We also want to thank M. Vigneau, from Donezan Tourist’s Office who quite friendly guided us to the site. Walking up after him was one of the best times of the day. Very attentive to the local fauna and flora, in a few hours, he made us discover the beauty and wealth of the mountain.(35)

(35) I pray M. Vigneau to forgive me for making him lift sheets of metal and clear the snow away, that we could see the roundels at last ...

Acknowledgements

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ANNEX I

(See next page) 29

Ranks

Names

Origin

Role on board

Date of death

Comments

F/Lt HORROCKS

George

G.P.R (2)

Deceased on 5/12/44. 1944. Death registered by the town hall on 10/12/44. Death Certificate n°8.

Capt.

BARCLAY Frank, Horase

G.P.R.

Deceased on 5/12/44. Death registered by the town hall 10/12/44. Death certificate n° 9

Sgt

WOODWARD John

G.P.R.

Deceased on 5/12/44. Death registered on 11/12/44. Death certificate n° 10.

Sgt

GIBBS Albert, James

G.P.R.

1st Wing


Capt.

TELFER Ronald, Douglas

G.P.R.


Maj.

CROOT Robert, Shirley

G.P.R. 1st Wing

Cdt du "G"Sqdn.


F/Lt.

RICHARDS Malcolm, Lawrence

R.A.F. (2) Navigator


Lt.

NORMAN Edward, Harvey,W.

G.P.R.

Deceased on le 5/12/44. Death registered on 16/12/44. Death certificate n° 15.

S/Sgt

LAWTON Douglas, James

G.P.R.

1st Wing


WO2

WATT William

G.P.R. Squadron –

Sergeant Major. 1st Wing. B Sqdn.


Sgt

WALSH James

G.P.R.

1st Wing


The survivors

Maj.

BLATCH John, Franck

G.P.R.

Second in command 2ndWing

Shocked, but unhurt. Walked long hours in the mountain with S/Sgt Baker to go and find help.

S/Sgt

BAKER Ernest, John

G.P.R.

Survived in spite of serious injuries: face burnt 2nd degree, deep open cut on left thigh, serious frostbites.

S/Sgt

AINSWORTH John, Alfred

G.P.R.

Hands burnt 2nd degree, broken ribs, very serious frostbites at both feet and finger tips.

S/Sgt

WIGMORE A.A.

G.P.R.

Left ankle broken. Very serious frostbites on both feet and left leg. Face burnt 1st degree. Will have both feet amputated later on.

Sgt

HENWOOD

G.P.R.

Face and hands burnt 1st degree. Serious frostbites at his feet.

S/Sgt

ANDERSON Andrew, Smith

G.P.R.

2nd Wing

Dead in the night following crash. Body only recovered the following spring. Death registered on 23/05/45. Death certificate n° 3.

F/L.

CLEMENTS Neville, Oxynham

R.A.F.

Pilot of the "Dakota"


Sgt

WAKEFIELD Edward

G.P.R.

1st Wing


Capt

PALMER Robert, Victor, D.

Queen's Own

Royal West Kent Regiment

(Paratrooper)


F/O

GRIFFITHS William, Price

R.A.F. Radio


LT

COX Alfred, John

G.P.R.


Sgt

DAWKINS Geoffrey, Peter

G.P.R.

Seriously injured in the crash: two legs broken and serious frostbites. Taken to hospital in Carcassonne. Died of his injuries on 13/12/44 (Death non registered in the town hall of Mijanes)

ANNEX III

AIR DISASTER IN ARIEGE

A snow storm prevents rescue teams from reaching the victims’ bodies

From Rouze.

More informations came through regarding the

dramatic plane crash that caused the

immaculate snow of the Ariège Pyrenees to

turn red.

As soon as the two wounded survivors had

arrived in Mijanes, a rescue team left to look

for the aircraft. Night fell as they were on the

Col des Paillères, and, confronted with a

violent snow storm, they had to give up the

search.

Next day, 11 men left Artigues-du-Pla and

walked up along La Barbouillère stream,

between the Pic du Roc Blanc and the Pic de la

Camisette. They met tracks left by the two

survivors in the snow, and followed them up to

about a hundred yards from the summit of the

Pic de la Camisette. There, 6,600 ft above sea

level, the debris of an aircraft lay. The whole

plane was torn to pieces, only the tailplane was

complete.

Inside, three injured men were calling for help.

Nearby, a dead body was lying. Another

wounded man was outside too, his head caught

under a sheet of metal. His feet were frozen.

The four injured airmen were carried back to

the climbers’ cabin of Le Pla, where

ambulances, as well as the deputy prefect from

Limoux, with civil and miltary officials, were

waiting for them.

The bodies of the other passengers, all of them

RAF military , had been thrown out of the

cabin by the shock of the aircraft on the

rocks.Seven of them could be spotted around .

The others probably buried under the snow.

A column of volunteers left yesterday from

Artigues to try and get all the bodies down, but

snow made operations difficult, and it is most

likely that they will have to be interrupted for

several days.

Different documents on board, that were

collected on the spot, were given to a police

warrant officer, from the station in Foix.

32

Article published by the local newspaper

“LE REPUBLICAIN”, dated Saturday 9 December 1944

ANNEX IV This twin-engine aircraft is maybe the most famous of all transport aircraft, civil and military as well. The Douglas C-47 was derived from the civil DC-3. The prototype was first flown on 1st December 1935. During WWII, the type excelled on all theatres of operations. That aircraft was also the transport “work horse” for all Allied armies. She was also used to tow gliders and drop parachutists. 10,123 of them, of all different types, were produced during the war. Twenty five RAF squadrons could exist only because 1800 C-47, known in the country as "DAKOTAS", were delivered to Britain. General Specifications : TYPE: Military transport aircraft for 25 passengers (or 18 fully equipped parachutists) and a

crew of 3 Power Plant: Two Pratt & Whitney engines, 1,200 HP each. Performances: Cruising speed: 155/170 Mph Maximum Speed: 230 Mph Range: 1550 Miles Ceiling: 22,000 Feet Weight: Empty: 18 300 Lbs Fully Loaded: 25 800 Lbs Measurements: Span: 29,11 m Overall lentgh: 19,43 m Height: 5,18 m Armament: None �� An American C-47 is exhibited in Ste Mère Eglise in the museum dedicated to the airborne U.S troops that participated in the invasion of Normandy (82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions). Another one has been completely restored by "Assault Glider Trust" at RAF Shawbury.

DOUGLAS C-47

33

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