The Forgotten WWII Glider Pilots of the CBI

One glider pilots harrowing trek through the jungles of Burma.

The WWII glider pilot of the China Burma India Theater of War (CBI) has received less recognition than the glider pilots of the European Theater of Operations (ETO). Most people are familiar with the major missions in Europe such as the Invasion of Normandy or Market Garden, but substantially fewer have heard of Broadway or Luzon in the CBI. Recently, I was digging deeper into my research on the glider pilots in the CBI and came across a report titled A Glider Pilot Comments Upon His Experiences by a glider pilot who took part in the Broadway mission.

Operation THURSDAY, the mission that included the landing zone Broadway originally consisted of 3 landing zones - Broadway, Piccadilly and Chowringhee. Two of the three landing zones were abandoned at the last minute leaving Broadway as the sole landing zone. The operation was planned to bring as much equipment, and as many personnel and mules as possible to this small clearing. The men would then silently slip away into the jungle with their version of the jeep - mules and horses - used to haul their weapons and supplies. The glider pilots would fly back to their bases in the cargo planes that had followed the gliders in once a runway had been quickly constructed.

The planners of Broadway made the most of the short window of opportunity to slip into the jungle without alerting the Japanese or giving them an opportunity to launch a counteroffensive. To deliver the most impact in a short period of time the tow planes would do double tows - tow two gliders per plane - over the Himalayas. This meant climbing to high altitudes to clear the range. What was not realized was how overloaded the gliders were as the soldiers being transported packed extra ammunition and supplies. Also unknown was the deteriorated condition of the tow ropes (cables) that connected the tow planes to the gliders, caused by moisture and heat of the jungle. Adding to the strain on the already weakened towropes by overloaded gliders were the tendencies of the ropes to be pulled taut between the tow planes and the heavily laden gliders when being towed to the the higher altitudes and then upon descending over the mountain range to surge forward and then pull back creating a tug and release motion. Many of the ropes connecting the planes finally snapped leaving the glider pilots to land wherever they could find a clearing - if they had enough glide to make it to one - and find their own way to safety. One such glider pilot who found himself in this situation was Flight Officer Wagner. The following is his report:

“Took off for Broadway from Lalaghat, approximately 18:30, 5 March 1944. Cable separated about two hours out, altitude approximately 10,000 feet. Crash landing in rice paddy. Bumped right side of back on co-pilots seat. While getting equipment from glider we were fired upon by Japs. (Rifle and Machine gun) from cover about 75 yards to our right. Exposed and unable to locate enemy we deployed, made for cover from fire some 250 yards away. No one was hit.

Organized column, Burmese Captain Barr and four Burmese riflemen leading. Marched westward, avoiding villages and trails. Followed by Japs with dogs. Lost them. Short rest about 0100 6 March. On at 0200 to cover at 0500, 6 March. Few hours sleep. Small rations, cheese and bread at 0700. Took stock of rations; one box “K” ration per man for four day march.

Broke camp about 1500 hours 6 March. Tea at 2300. Camp at 0400 7 March. Breakfast (Tea and K rations) 0700 hours. Jap advanced scouts sighted within 100 yards of camp. They apparently leaving to report, we broke camp, heading into swamp area to the West. Reached Chindwin River at 1500 hours 8 March.

Made camp, ate, packed for river crossing, slept. Crossed river at 0500 to 0600 hours 9 March. One man drowned. Several lost packs. Remaining fifteen men shoeless. Improvised sandals, ate “K” rations, moved on at about 1100 hours. After several false starts succeeded in getting through heavy jungle of river bottom. Following elephant trails, continued North and West. Camp at 0100 hours 10 March.

Water and “K” rations at 0800 hours. Native village at 1100 hours. Feast of rice and curry. To nearby British Gurkha camp, rice, peafowl and tea for dinner. At 0900, 11 March more rice and curry. Three hours march to village. Picked up by light planes at about 1730 hours 11 March 1944. Dinner American Camp Tamu. Arrived Hailakande at 2300 hrs 11 March 1944.”

Flight Officer Wagner wrote another account while he was recovering in Sick-Bay from severe dermatitis of his right foot from his walk out of the jungle.

“On 5 march at 1815, glider took off in double tow behind a C-47 and three hours and fifteen minutes later broke off over the Irrawaddy River in Burma and landed on a sandy strip opposite the town of Katha. During the next sixteen days the party of eighteen covered about one-hundred miles crossing the Irrawaddy River one and one half times, one railroad, and innumerable hills and streams before finally reaching Broadway, where the party was divided. The English joined their own forces and the American pilot and co pilot were evacuated by C-47 the same night.”

A few things struck me about his two accounts. Initially he stated they were two hours out when the rope snapped and later wrote three hours and fifteen minutes out. This could be simply because had time to check the details with his copilot or others in who flew the mission. The other item that stood out was the number of men he cited. They landed on March 5th and on March 9th F/O Wagner described the state of the men. The total includes 1 man drowned and fifteen shoeless. We don’t know if he and his copilot are in that total or if there are additional men that are not in a particular state to warrant mention. In his shorter version from sick bay he states there were eighteen men - this does not include the drowned man. The CG-4A glider was a fifteen place glider (15 men including the two pilots). From his report it appears there were at least 16 men in the glider possibly nineteen. We don’t know how many Ghurkas joined them and if this made the total eighteen. If there were 18 men with extra hidden equipment and ammunition in a possible overloaded glider this could account for the tow rope snapping. However, this is only a theory and many additional details including the gliders manifest would have to be located to determine what may have been the cause of the glider rope snapping.

One final note - I have read references to a soldier, possibly a glider pilot, that drowned when he refused to cry out for help although he could not swim to avoid alerting the Japanese nearby. I cannot say whether this that same person or another and I’m not sure we will ever know. Regardless, it certainly can be said that the glider pilots of the CBI had experiences equally as harrowing as those in the ETO.