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Horsa

Name : Horsa Manufacturer : Airspeed Production Began : 1941 Retired : 0 Number Built : 3600

The Airspeed AS 51 Horsa named after Horsa the legendary conqueror of southern Britain in the 5th century was built by Airspeed Ltd during the second world war. The Horsa was a troop carrying glider that also could carry light vehicles. On the 19th / 20th November 1942 the Horsa was used for the first time for Operation Freshman, the unsuccessful attack at Rjukan in Norway on the German heavy water plant. The two Horsa gliders, each carrying 15 sappers, and one of the two Halifax Bombers used to tow the gliders, crashed in Norway due to bad weather. All 23 survivors from the glider crashes were executed on the orders of Adolf Hitler. In preparation for further operational deployment, 30 Horsa gliders were air-towed by Halifax bombers from Great Britain to North Africa but three aircraft were lost in transit. On 10 July 1943, 27 surviving Horsas were used in the invasion of Sicily during Operation Husky. During the Normandy landings over 250 Horsa Gliders were used by British and US Forces. The first units to land in France during the Battle for Normandy were at Pegasus Bridge where 6 Horsas were used in the capture of the bridge over the Caen canal, and a further bridge over the River Orne. In 1944 large numbers were also used for Operation Dragoon and Operation Market Garden, and in March 1945 Horsas again were used during Operation Varsity and the final operation for the Horsa when 440 gliders carried soldiers of the 6th Airborne Division across the Rhine. The Horsa Glider was towed by a variety of aircraft, usually bombers. The Short Stirling, Handley Page Halifax, Armstrong Whitworth Whitley and the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and also the Douglas C-47 Dakota. During Operation Market Garden, a total of 1,336 C-47s along with 340 Stirlings were employed to tow 1,205 gliders, and Curtiss C-46 Commando. They were towed with a harness that attached to points on both wings, and also carried a intercom between tug and glider. The glider pilots were usually from the Glider Pilot Regiment, part of the Army Air Corps, although Royal Air Force pilots were used on this occasion.

Pilots and Aircrew for : Horsa
A list of all aircrew from our database who are associated with this aircraft. A profile page is available by clicking their name.
Name	Info
Boyle, Peter B Click the name above to see a profile of Boyle, Peter B	Boyle, Peter B One of the pilots in the third glider to arrive alongside what was to become famous as Pegasus Bridge, Boyle had a key role in perhaps the most dramatic action by airborne forces on D-Day. The Horsa landed heavily on the edge of a pond throwing two officers through cockpit windows and temporarily trapping some of the troops in the aircraft - one had been killed, the only fatal casualty in the landings. Boyle then joined in the actions across bridge. Although demanding very accurate flying (all three gliders landed within 500 metres of the bridge), they had been rigorously trained for the landings; Boyle remembers more than 40 individual rehearsals. A few months later he landed another Horsa at Arnhem but was taken prisoner in the subsequent fighting.
Easby, Lishman Click the name above to see a profile of Easby, Lishman	Easby, Lishman Lishman Y. Easby (Wireless Operator) joined the RAF in 1941 after service in the Home Guard. He was selected for training as a Wireless Operator/Air Gunner but after training as a W/Op he was posted to Coastal Command 159Gp HQ, Liverpool, and served in 1942 as a ground wireless operator. Later in the year he was called for training as a W/op (air) which was followed by an air-gunner course. Following this he was posted to an Operational Training Unit and joined Ron Clark and his crew as a W/op on 4 engined aircraft – the two jobs were separate. The crew were later posted for further training, first on Halifax and then on Lancasters; then posted to 100 Sqn, Waltham, near Grimsby, where they were given a brand new Lancaster which they named the Phantom of the Ruhr. Their Flight Engineer, Harold Bennett DFM painted its name and insignia on the nose of the aircraft. The same name today adorns the Lancaster which flies as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. In the Phantom they completed 21 ops to Germany and two to Italy, after which the Phantom was taken in for extensive repairs due to enemy damage. The crew completed a further four ops which then completed their tour. For their 27th op the crew were transferred to 625 Sqn Kelstern (Lincs) which turned out to be their final operation and they were then disbanded. Lishman Easby was then posted to OTU near Shrewsbury to help with the training of new crews. Later he was posted to 298 Sqn Transport Command with another pilot (Ian Forbes) and crew where they received training in towing Horsa Gliders in preparation for an airborne attack on Singapore. However, the war ended suddenly and the Sqn was posted to India and eventually to Burma to take part in Operation Hunger. This entailed dropping sacks of rice on isolated villages thus saving them from famine. This ended his service and he was released from service in 1946. He agreed to his name being held in reserve as a Minute Man until aged 45. During this time he could be called back in an emergency for immediate service. However, this never happened.
Topp, Roger Click the name above to see a profile of Topp, Roger	Topp, Roger Commanded Royal Air Force Coltishall. Commandant of the Aircraft & Armament Experimental Establishment, Boscome Down. Commanding Officer and acrobatic team leader of No. 111 Squadron joined the R.A.F. in 1943 and learned to fly in Canada. When he returned, to England in 1944 there was a surplus of powered aircraft pilots so he transferred to the Glider Pilot Regiment. On March 2, 1945, he flew a Horsa glider carrying jeep, guns and troops in the airborne crossing of the Rhine. In 1947 he joined No.98 Squadron, flying Mosquitos in Germany, becoming a flight commander and instrument flying examiner for his Wing. He was awarded the Air Force Cross in 1950. In that year he took the course at the Empire Test Pilots School, and remained at Farnborough on the staff of the Royal Aircraft Establishment. He undertook flying tests of various experimental armament installations, including guided weapons and the new 30 mm. Aden gun, four of which formed the Hunters armament. He was a leading acrobatic demonstration pilot on the Canberra twin-jet bomber, flying before the Emperor of Ethiopia and the Shah of Persia during their visits to Britain. In 1954, with another pilot, Squadron Leader Topp shared the 100 hours intensive flight testing of the Comet jet air liner undertaken from Farnborough. He was awarded a Bar to the A.F.C. in 1955 and a second Bar in January 1958 for work with the acrobatic team.
Wallwork, Jim Click the name above to see a profile of Wallwork, Jim	Wallwork, Jim Horsa glider pilot who flew forces into the airborne assault on Pegasus Bridge on D-Day.

Known Individual Aircraft : Horsa :
Type	Serial	Codes	First Flew	Squadron History	Aircrew History	History Notes	Engine	Factory
Horsa	DG597		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DG603		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DG609		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DK258		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DK346		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DK349		-	no information	no information	no information
Horsa	DK353		-	no information	no information	no information

Squadrons for : Horsa
A list of all squadrons known to have flown the Horsa. A profile page is available by clicking the squadron name.
Squadron	Info
No.298 Sqn RAF Country : UK Founded : 24th August 1942 Fate : Disbanded 21st December 1946 Silent we strike Click the name above to see prints featuring aircraft of No.298 Sqn RAF	No.298 Sqn RAF Full profile not yet available.

Last edited : 15:21, March 18, 2017
Last editor : HMS

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