War Diary: 2 Wing Glider Pilot Regiment

Month and year: August 1944

During the No. 2 Wing Glider Pilots Regiment August 1944 war diary, the unit continued training and operations throughout the month. On 5 August, 10 WACOs carrying French SAS troops and Jeeps took off from Tarrant Rushton and landed between Vannes and Lorient in Brittany. On 6 August, Exercise Consternation II saw 48 HORSAS from Blakehill Farm, Broadwell and Down Ampney mass land at Netheravon, while Exercise Mole on 8 August involved 32 gliders night-landing at Netheravon. No. 15 and 12 Flights of Murray Force moved from Watchet Camp to RAF Shrewton for refresher training. Throughout the month, crews trained at Harwell, Fairford and Brize Norton. Operation Transfigure was prepared and all crews briefed but cancelled at the last moment. Exercise Welsh Wales from 21-24 August sent crews independently to Llanbedr in North Wales. On 26 August, 5 crews went to RAF Stoke Orchard to fly Hotspurs. By month end, 2 Wing Headquarters moved to Broadwell, completing reorganisation

National Archive Reference: WO 171/1235

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WO 171/1235 2 Wing Glider Pilot Regiment

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Page 1 of 2

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	1
DOWN AMPNEY	2	One Officer and 14 ORs started a four day maintenance course on the HORSA Glider.
	3
	4
TARRANT RUSHTON	5	10 WACOS carrying French troops of the SAS and Jeeps took off at 2005 hours and landed safely between VANNES and LORIENT in BRITTANY.
	6	Exercise CONSTERNATION II. 48 HORSAS, 16 each from BLAKEHILL FARM,
		BROADWELL and DOWN AMPNEY mass landed by day at NETHERAVON. Op Order is attached as Appendix "A".	App A
		No: 15 Flight (MURRAY Force) moved from WATCHETT Camp to R.`A.F. Station SHREWTON for refresher training on Tiger Moths.
TARRANT RUSHTON		No: 12 Flight (MURRAY Force) moved from WATCHETT to Shrewton. A mass take-off of five HAMILCARS and 6 WACOs took place.
	7
	8) 9)	Exercise MOLE. 32 Gliders, 16 each from BLAKEHILL FARM and BROADWELL mass landed by night at NETHERAVON. Op Order is attached as Appx "B". -	Appx B
	10	it is incorrect as DOWN AMPNEY did not participate.
DOWN AMPNEY do:	11 12	11 Flight relieved 25 Flight at COLESBOURNE CAMP. 11 Flight returned to DOWN AMPNEY.
BROADWELL	13	15 Flight returned to BROADWELL from SHREWTON.
DOWN AMPNEY	13	12 Flight returned to DOWN AMPNEY from SHREWTON.
TARRANT RUSHTON		A mass take-off of 20 unloaded HAMILCARS took place.
	14
BROADWELL	15	13 crews of 15 Flt went to R.A.F. Station HARWELL and 6 crews to R.A.F. Station FAIRFORD.

Page 2 of 2

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
DOWN AMPNEY	15	58 Pilots went to R.A.F. Station BRIZE NORTON.
	16	Operation TRANSFIGURE had been in preparation since the 10th - all crews
		were briefied but operation was cancelled at the last moment. Ops Order is attached at Appendix "C".	Appx: C
DOWN AMPNEY		60 pilots went to TARRANT RUSHTON. N.B. All these moves were necessitated by Op TRANSEIGURE. On cancellation
		all pilots returned to their parent station.
	17
TARRANT RUSHTON	18	A Mass Take-off of 29 HORSAs and 8 HAMILCARS (all fully loaded) took place.
	19 20
	21	Exercise "WELSH WALES" (Lasting to 24 Aug). An "escape" or "initiative" exercise. Crews proceeded independently to LLANBEDR, N. Wales, reporting
		at various places en route, and returned by air.
	22
TARRANT RUSHTON.	23	9 of the WACO crews who went to BRITTANY on the 5th Aug returned to the U.K. One crew is injured and in hospital.
	24. 25	5 crews went on attachment to RAF Station, STOKE ORCHARD to fly HOTSPURS.
	26 27
	28 29
BLAKEHILL FARM.	30 31	2 Wing Headquarters moved to BROADWELL. Movement Order attached as Appx: D	Appx D