Hello and thank you, My name is Brian Stitzinger and I am asking for assistance in searching for the landing site of my father’s glider. My father F/O Bruce L Stitzinger was with the 437th TCG and flew the Elmira Mission serial 30. He was co-pilot with F/O Willis R. Huckleberry in a Horsa. The ICS was taken from my father. Per the ICS they hit a tree during the landing and F/O Huckleberry was killed. Link to ICS ICSdocs.pdf Serial 30 formation link D-Day : Normandy 1944 - U.S. Airborne in Cotentin Peninsula and the IX Troop Carrier Command My father states they "missed the landing field" but gave coordinates 93 ¾ x 35 ½ -1/250. I've been told the coordinates may refer to a grid map overlay of the area. My thoughts are he landed south and maybe east of LZ W, possibly near LZ E. I derived this partially because they missed the “landing field”. He also made note that he spent the night in a foxhole and the next morning walked to St Marie Du Pont and the beach. May be a wild guess, but at this point it’s all I got. I've also used the Whitebeam Google map of glider landings showing several Horsas in this area. Thank you, Brian
Hi Brian, The coordinates given likely are map coordinates, but they are normally not given in that format. They could be lambert map coordinates that if we interpret these 93 3/4 and 35 1/2, they likely mean 93.7 and 35.5 ... or for map plotters 937 355, or 937355. Technically they also wrote them down on the wrong order too. you generally read the numbers left to right, then up or down as needed. So, 355 937 or 355937 would be correct. This area is the west end of LZ'W' and when he wrote that they missed the field, they likely intended on landing in a larger field they had planned on within the landing zone (LZ) that would be large enough to land a Horsa glider safely. I plotted the coordinates onto a map and onto my Google glider map so that you can see the location they pinpointed. now when they documented those coordinates, they likely gave a "ballpark" type of estimate as to where they came down. In other words, they landed, got to a map after getting back to the UK later, then estimated where they landed and documented the location. There were some Horsa gliders in the general area, but a few of them are in the middle of fields. There is a pair of Horsa's wrecked into a treelined hedgerow a few hedgerows west from their estimated landing point that are good possibility of being your father's Horsa. Below are some wartime maps of the area with the coordinates plotted, the same location on my google glider map, and a few aerials that show the area and the Horsa's I mentioned. NCAP aerial US30/4108 frame 1100... location of Horsa's zoomed in... Respectfully, John Szweda
John, Thank you very much for the detailed reply. Your knowledge and response is impressive. This new finding means another trip to Normandy for my wife and me. My dad left many photos and docs of his service, which I have been cataloging and researching off and on for several years. Your input has added a great deal to our dad’s life history. You're very much appreciated and thank you again!!! Brian
Brian, Good luck with your next visit to Normandy... Based on the information you provided, the 2 Horsa wreck location seems the most likely possibility, but there would be no way to know for sure then or even now. There seem to be no other Horsa wrecks in that general area crashed into a hedgerow. John