Photo : IWM Tarrant Rushton airfield before D-Day

Rushton Tarrant Memorial to 298 Squadron.

Details of a Hamilcar Glider

Tarrant Rushton airfield 1945

Simon Glancey has submitted the following:

Flying Officer Dixon was killed when Handley Page Halifax VII NA311 A-K of 298 Squadron was lost on Operation 'Varsity'. The Halifax was towing a Hamilcar heavy glider, carrying heavy guns for the Rhine crossing operation. After the glider had been released, the Halifax was seen to be hit by flak, roll onto it's back and crash into the ground. All six crew were lost. [One of Five Halifaxes hit by flak].

Though without Anger: Losses of Transport and Special Duties Aircraft and Assault Gliders 1940 to 1945, C. Cummings, 2009, Nimbus Publishing, ISBN 978-0952661962, page 539.

The First Hamilcar Glider appeared at Tarrant Rushton in November 1943 where training began with this giant of a Glider under the command of Group Captain T. Cooper, DFC, and Major A. Dale, DFC.

The loads assigned to the Hamilcars were similar to those used during Operation Market Garden, with sixteen of the gliders transporting 17-pounder anti-tank guns, as well as their vehicles and crews. Twelve were assigned to 716th Airborne Light Composite Company of the Royal Army Service Corps, and were loaded with twelve Universal Carriers, trailers and stores of ammunition and equipment. The company were to use the Universal Carriers and trailers, along with transport to be provided by 6th Airlanding Brigade, to collect, control and issue supplies dropped by aerial resupply drops to the airborne troops as they fought. Eight Hamilcars were to transport M22 Locust light tanks which belonged to 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, and another four were to carry panniers of supplies. Two more were to carry a single Royal Engineers D4 bulldozer each, and finally 3rd Parachute Brigade and 5th Parachute Brigade were assigned three Hamilcars each; these would each carry a Universal Carrier for use as transport by the headquarters staff of the brigades. All of the gliders successfully took off at 07:20 on 24 March, but seven were lost en route to the landing zones, the majority being forced to cast off and land in Allied territory due to their tugs suffering engine failures; however, one Hamilcar which carried an M22 Locust broke up in mid-air as it approached the Rhine, possibly due to structural failure, and all aboard were killed. Three more of the gliders were destroyed by German anti-aircraft fire as they approached the landing zones, as their slow speed made them easy targets. The thirty-eight that remained landed successfully between 10:46 and 11:00, although a number of them suffered damage from anti-aircraft fire. Particularly hard hit were the Hamilcars that carried the RASC personnel and supplies; eight landed successfully, but only three were sufficiently undamaged to allow the stores they carried to be recovered. Of the eight Hamilcars that transported the M22 Locusts of 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, seven reached the landing zones intact but had problems when they landed due to anti-aircraft fire and smoke obscuring the area. Four landed safely, but the other three came under heavy German anti-aircraft fire and crashed as they landed; one tank survived with a damaged machine gun, another crashed through a house which put its wireless radio set and main armament out of action, and the third broke loose of the glider as it landed and was flipped over onto its turret, which rendered it useless.

No 298 (GT) Squadron. Codes: 8A and 8T (as from 20th May 1944).

Initially activated on paper as a mixed Haliax/Whitley uit on 24th August 1942, but formation suspend until 19th October 1943. Physically formed at Tarrant Rushton on the 4th November 1943 with 17 A Mk V Halifaxes, [and seven Horsa gliders], in two flights; 'C' Flight formed on the 5th February 1944 but transferred as nucleus of No 644 (GT) Squadron, on the 18th March 1944. [Ten crews from 259 Squadron were posted in to form 'A' flight, whilst 12 crews from 297 Squadron formed 'B' Flight]. In October began converting to A Mk IIIs. Began converting to A Mk VIIs in February 1945. Squadron transferred to Raipur, India (238 Wing), in July, taking with them tropicalized A Mk VIIs. In September role changed to transport work but changed again in July 1946 under title of Bomber, Airborne Support and Heavy Equipment Dropping Squadron. Disbanded in December 1946.

Rootes Securities Ltd (340 aircraft)
Contract No ACFT/637, requisition HA3/E11/40. Deliveries commenced August 1944 (MZ945) and 4.2.1945. (NA311).
B/A/GR/Met. Mk III MZ945-989, NA102-150, NA162-205, NA218-263, NA275-310.
AMk VII NA311-320, NA336-380, NA392-431. Note Two A Mk IIIs, NA428 and NA452, and a GR III, NA368, in a Mk VII batch. Last Rootes-built Halifax, NA 468, completed 12th July 1945.

Source : Handley Page Halifax K.A. Merrick 1990 ISBN 0946627608.

George Dixon is remembered in Billingham on B139.05 and at Port Clarence on P36.01 and P36.02.

Tarrant Rushton airfield crash with Hamilcar
History of the Hamilcar glider
The CWGC entry for Flying Officer Dixon