Crashsite Waco CG-4A

On 23 September 1944, a Waco glider of the 325th Glider Infantry Regiment of the 82nd US Airborne Division landed early at this site. The Waco was part of a group of 408 gliders towed by as many C-47 Skytrains that served as final reinforcements and supplies for the rest of the division that had already landed on 17 September.

As an approach route, the air fleet maintained the so-called ‘corridor’ to Nijmegen. This was the narrow area from Leopoldsburg (B) to Eindhoven, and on through Son, Sint-Oedenrode, Veghel, Uden and Grave, which was in Allied hands on the ground. It was mistakenly thought that this route would offer the most security, but the Germans proved well able to adequately straf the aircraft from the sides.

The Waco was actually supposed to land on the DZ/LZ-O near Overasselt but the towing aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft fire and the Waco was prematurely detached.

All 12 occupants whose four names are known got out of the plane in one piece, but were immediately attacked from all sides by German soldiers. By evening, their ammunition ran out and they had to surrender. They were all wounded and ended up in German captivity.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Christ-jan van Ganzewinkel
• - Noodlanding van twee zweefvliegtuigen in Erp - BHIC
  
• - 84. LUCHTOORLOG XX. Op Erps grondgebied neergestorte vliegtuigen 15 – Erp in WO2
  

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