Here's another photograph I have of a Horsa that has successfully landed in Normandy. I can't quite make out the serial number L**21. It could be LG*21 but the first digit is unrecognisable. The name Toby is written on the fuselage just aft of the wing trailing edge. Now the location could be identified as the Horsa has stopped by the side of a large water trough and the grass has been worn down due to the cattle drinking from the trough. So it should be easy to identify on an aerial photograph. However I've searched with no success. Can we find the location? Neil.
Apart from Toby which is on the rear, I can't make out what's on the nose. The edge of the photo is blurred which doesn't help. I've tried to equalise, invert and increase contrast but with no luck.
Hi Neil and Pat, I had a look, but no luck just yet. I have to wonder if the water trough is closer to the wing than we think because maybe what we expect to stand out is just a little closer to the wing tip to hide it just a bit. Another interesting thing is that the tail is still attached and overall excellent condition which is also not normal in many Horsa photos we see. As for the tail number I believe it starts LG, being that looking at the 82nd Horsa manifest I don't see many options that go with the 'L'. I see LH, LJ, LG, LF, and LN... I think LG is the most probable based on the shape of the unknown letter. I also considered the number to be 321 or 521... I could not find anything that matched an LG _21 considering any number filling the space. It may be a 101st glider. John
Hi Guys, Chances are the water trough is near a gateway into the field, as it was almost certainly filled by hand back in those days. The pasture looks rough on the far side of the glider...I wonder are we on the Boutteville Marshes...what about one of the two intact Horsas over the hedge from the 'Axe Head' field at the western end? Just a guess.... Pat
Guys, I am scanning photo #4, page 113 of Philippe Esvelin's 'D-Day Gliders'...there is something on the far side of this Horsa in front of and above the nose wheel... Back in a few minutes.... Pat
Not what I had hoped for... ...its just the cargo door The chalk number is missing from your photo Neil and its unlikely to have been applied to just one side. The ladder and rubber dingy are also absent but these could have been removed in between photos. I do notice an object or tuft of grass in the green rectangle above which seems to have a buddy in your photo...though it could just as easily be a shadow aspect from the glider and therefore common to all Horsas. Philippe's caption reads: "Horsa glider 'Jeanie I (inscriptions on the left side of the glider) flown by Darlyle Watters. Note the quality of the landing. Photo taken on June 7 or 8 by F/O Robininson." Regards, Pat
Hi Guys, I have a new development in the hunt for the water trough Horsa... I was paging through the book "Looking Down on War, The Normandy Invasion" by Col Roy Stanley. On page 87, I came across the following top photo, and I am looking at the Horsa to the lower right facing the camera. As I look at it closer, I believe there is a water trough... Here is the best I could do by zooming in.. This would be just west of les Forges, and just to the left of the popular aerial we are all familiar with. Let me know what you think. John
Hi Pat, NCAP does not have aerial coverage of this area just west of Blosville and Les Forges. That is likely why we didn't find it earlier. John
There is one aerial which covers Utah Beach to Les Forges and I can see the Horsa that John has identified but there's not enough detail to show the water trough. This is the aerial which covers the Bouteville marshes but I can't remember it's ident number.