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while looking for something else (I'm sure you know all about that kind of thing) I came across this little ditty in The Wild Blue Yonder: Songs of the Air Force (9181):

The Glider Song

Don't flush the toilet on the towship,

When the glider's on behind,

For there's nothing quite so

disconcerting,

As flying blind.

I love the high tow, I love the low tow,

I love to listen to the whistle of the wind;

But when you flush the toilet on the towship,

Brother, that's where I came in.

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Okay here is the answer that came through a historian who spoke to a crew chief of That’s All Brother (TaB). “In the tail . . . TaB has a urinal . . on the copilot side of the door . . . a sink on the pilots side along with a honey bucket.” So the song had some credence!

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Not something I remember finding in my references (though most of my library focuses on the gliders and not the towplanes, in my defence).

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It’s a good question, now we know.

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Nov 21Liked by Forgotten Archives of History

And are aware of yet one more hazard faced by our glider pilot heroes

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I have never seen that - how funny! That sounds like glider humor - I’ll have to look it up. I’m familiar with the Glider Riders song about being a dope on a rope and the airborne song about jumping so it is fitting the gliders had one too!

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Yes, it’s also news to me that tow planes had toilets on board? Since it’s US I assume it’s a C47.

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From what I understand they did not - they were modified from the DC-3, which was a passenger airline, to be more utilitarian for military use. I don’t know if the DC-3 had one, but I would think since it was a commercial airliner it would have. It could also be military humor or maybe there were a few that did? I know someone I can ask - I’ll find out and get back to you. Now I’m curious as well!

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