Lafayette Journal and Courier

WW II vet remembers 'air armada'

By Bob Scott

Lafayette resident Bill Taylor, 82, will never forget March 24, 1945.

On Thursday, he and other veterans will pause to remember the 60th anniversary of Operation Varsity -- the largest one-day airborne operation of World War II. Operation Varsity also was the first airborne invasion over the east bank of the Rhine River to strike at the heart of Germany.

Taylor said it is important that Americans, especially young people, know the history of World War II.

"Hopefully, people will remember that a great price was paid to keep what we had, our freedom," said the former principal at Edgelea Elementary School.

Operation Varsity took place seven weeks before the war in Europe ended. Germany surrendered on May 7, 1945, and Japan on Sept. 2 that year.

Randy Roberts, a Purdue University history professor, said many battles important to the Allies' victory do not get much attention.

He said he knew about Operation Varsity.

"Most attention, however, goes to the capture of the bridge at Remagen (March 7)," he said.

"Remagen was the only bridge on the Rhine that the Germans did not destroy."

Planes, troops

When Operation Varsity started, Pfc. Taylor still was coping with frostbitten feet sustained several months earlier in the Battle of the Bulge. He was in the 194th Glider Infantry Regiment and drove a Jeep for the commander of an anti-tank company.

"The world has never seen an air armada this big on any day in history," he said.

A total of 5,940 aircraft were involved in Operation Varsity. Almost 900 fighter planes escorted 1,696 troop carrier transports to Germany. Another 2,153 fighters provided top cover. There also were 1,348 gliders that carried 21,680 American and British troops from the U.S. 17th Airborne Division and the British 6th Airborne Division.

Taylor said many people are surprised when they learn about gliders in combat.

"Not too many people even know that gliders played a major role in the war," he said.

"Until about 1970, the glider operation of Operation Varsity was classified information. I don't why."

Roberts, who specializes in military history, said the silent gliders also were part of the D-Day invasion of Normandy.

"The gliders were important in the war," he said.

Drawing fire

Taylor said the TACO CG4A glider held a pilot, co-pilot, 13 fully equipped soldiers and a Jeep. The nose of the glider lifted up to allow the Jeep to enter. Taylor was strapped into the driver's seat of the Jeep as the glider made its way over the Rhine.

"It was cramped," he said. "There was two inches between the Jeep and the seats of the pilot and co-pilot."

The daylight raid drew anti-aircraft fire, along with small arms fire. Taylor's glider was riddled with bullets and took a few hits from shells.

The glider began spinning, but the pilot gained enough control for a crash landing.

"We hit hard enough that the front left wheel of the Jeep broke and went out the side of glider," he said.

"The pilot and co-pilot both had broken legs. I hit my Adam's apple on the Jeep's steering wheel."

Taylor did first aid on a corporal with an eye injury.

"He called me 'doc,'" he said with a laugh.

The glider had landed near a German paratrooper regiment. The jarring impact broke Taylor's M-1 rifle, making it inoperable.

"I pushed out the emergency door and got out," he said. "We had hit hard enough that we scooped a little place out of the ground. We got in there."

Taylor and his comrades then scrambled to a water-filled ditch about 25 yards away.
"We got our heads out of the line of fire," he said. "About a city block away, there also was an anti-aircraft gun firing at other gliders."

B-24 Liberators dropped in supplies within an hour, he said.

"There were 24 knocked down," Taylor said. "A good friend of mine from Monticello, a pilot, was killed in a B-24."

On the third day of the invasion, a British commando brigade reached the glidermen and troops. Taylor and his fellow soldiers stayed with the British and took part in the capture of Munster.

Bridges were built across the Rhine to Wesel on March 25. About 2,000 German soldiers were taken prisoner by the 17th Airborne Division, which suffered 159 killed, 522 wounded and 250 missing.

War ends

After the successful invasion, Taylor was assigned to the 11th Airborne Division, which was scheduled to invade Japan that summer.

"Then Harry Truman dropped the (atomic) bombs," he said. "We weren't looking forward to invading Japan."

Taylor was mustered out of the service in October 1945. On Sept. 12, 1945, during a 22-day assignment to his hometown of Monticello, Taylor married his high school sweetheart, Frances also called "Babe." They will celebrate their 60th wedding anniversary this year.