OPERATION "TONGA" 6th Airborne Division |
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Operation Tonga was the codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by the British 6th Airborne Division between 5 June and 7 June 1944. The paratroopers and glider-borne airborne troops of the division, commanded by Major-General Richard Nelson Gale, landed on the eastern flank of the invasion area, near to the city of Caen, tasked with a number of objectives : -The division was to capture two strategically important bridges over the Caen Canal and Orne River ('Bénouville Bridge' and 'Ranville Bridge') which were to be used by Allied ground forces to advance once the seaborne landings had taken place, destroy several other bridges to deny their use to the Germans and secure several important villages. -The division was also assigned the task of assaulting and destroying the Merville Gun Battery, an artillery battery that Allied intelligence believed housed a number of heavy artillery pieces, which could bombard the nearest invasion beach (Sword Beach) and possibly inflict heavy casualties on the Allied troops landing on it. -Having achieved these objectives, the division was then to create and secure a bridgehead focused around the captured bridges until they linked up with advancing Allied ground forces. |
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Wave #1 - Operation 'Coup-de-Main' ('Bénouville Bridge' and 'Ranville Bridge') | ||||||||
CN | AC No. | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Airfield | Time | LZ | Tug Pilot | Sqn |
91 | PF800 | S/Sgt J.H. Wallwork | S/Sgt J. Ainsworth | Tarrant-Rushton | 0020 | LZ "X" | W/Cdr Duder | 298 |
92 | LW943 | S/Sgt O.F. Boland | Sgt P. Hobbs | " | " | " | W/O Berry | " |
93 | LH469 | S/Sgt G. Barkway | Sgt P. Boyle | " | " | " | W/O Herman | 644 |
94 | PF723 | S/Sgt A. Lawrence | S/Sgt H. Shorter | " | " | LZ "Y" | F/O Clapperton | " |
95 | LJ326 | S/Sgt S. Pearson | S/Sgt L. Guthrie | " | " | " | W/O Bain | 298 |
96 | PF791 | S/Sgt R.A. Howard | S/Sgt F. Baacke | " | " | " | F/O Archibald | 644 |
Wave #2 (Merville Gun Battery) | ||||||||
CN | AC No. | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Airfield | Time | LZ | Tug Pilot | Sqn |
66 | S/Sgt V. Ockwell | S/Sgt T.R. Hellyer | Harwell | 0050 | LZ "V" | S/Ldr Grice | 570 | |
67 | S/Sgt W.K. Marfleet | Sgt V. Haines | " | " | " | F/O Lawson | " | |
68 | S/Sgt E. Thorpe | Sgt R. Hardie | " | " | " | F/Lt Unwin | 295 | |
69 | S/Sgt M. Bramah | Sgt R. Bartley | " | " | " | P/O Yull | " | |
218 | Lt A.E. Pickwoad | Sgt M. Watts | Blakehill Farm | " | LZ "K" | W/Cdr Morrison | 233 | |
219 | S/Sgt W. Ridgeway | Sgt P. Foster | " | " | " | W/O Bailey | " | |
220 | S/Sgt R. Banks | Sgt B. Hebblethwaite | " | " | " | F/O Wood | " | |
221 | S/Sgt W. England | Sgt J. Graham | " | " | " | F/Lt Barley | " | |
222 | S/Sgt J. Heron | Sgt D.N. Davidson | " | " | " | F/O Fram | " | |
223 | S/Sgt L. Weeden | Sgt S. Griffiths | " | " | " | F/O Hardimand | " | |
261 | Lt C.B. Dodwell | Sgt B.S. Osborne | Down Ampney | " | LZ "V" | W.Cdr Booth | 271 | |
262 | S/Sgt N. Andrews | Sgt P. Senier | " | " | " | Maj Joubert | " | |
263 | S/Sgt J. Lovett | Sgt J.L. Wilson | " | " | " | F/O Wilson | " | |
264 | S/Sgt A. Gardner | Sgt A. Oliver | " | " | " | F/Lt Beddow | " | |
265 | S/Sgt H.A. Rancom | Sgt E. Collard | " | " | " | F/Lt Edwards | " | |
266 | S/Sgt W.C. Herbert | Sgt G.R. Moorcraft | " | " | " | P/O Williams | " | |
267 | S/Sgt V. Saunders | Sgt J.H. Fuell | " | " | " | W/O Wood | " | |
Wave #3 | ||||||||
CN | AC No. | Pilot | Co-Pilot | Airfield | Time | LZ | Tug Pilot | Sqn |
27 | S/Sgt D.F. Kerr | Sgt H. Walker | Brize Norton | 0430 | Btry | F/Lt Thompson | 297 | |
28 | S/Sgt S. Bone | Sgt L. Dean | " | " | " | F/O Garnett | " | |
28a | S/Sgt A. Baldwin | Sgt J. Michie | " | " | " | F/Sgt Richards | " | |
29 | S/Sgt J. Bowen | Capt J.F. Smellie | " | 0324 | LZ "N" | S/Ldr Trim | 296 | |
30 | S/Sgt N. Jenkins | Sgt E. Raspison | " | " | " | F/O Brott | " | |
31 | S/Sgt G.H. Nye | Sgt A. Smith | " | " | " | P/O Nichols | " | |
32 | S/SGt H. Harris | Sgt J. Nash | " | " | " | F/O Wharmby | " | |
33 | S/Sgt F. Stratup | Sgt L. Worthingtn | " | " | " | F/Sgt Cunningham | " | |
34 | S/Sgt W. Apps | Sgt G. Briggs | " | " | " | F/Lt Cowderoy | " | |
35 | S/Sgt C. Hopgood | Sgt D. Phillips | " | " | " | F/O Halpin | " | |
36 | S/Sgt L. Hedgecock | Sgt C. Jackson | " | " | " | F/Sgt Beetham | " | |
37 | S/Sgt A. Sepherd | Sgt L. Bullivant | " | 0325 | " | P/O Jasper | 297 | |
38 | S/Sgt F. Corry | S/Sgt R. Wright | " | " | " | F/Sgt Littlemore | " | |
39 | S/Sgt B. Goodwin | Sgt H. Beveridge | " | " | " | F/Sgt Flavell | " | |
40 | Lt H.M. Norton | Sgt C. Waterhouse | " | " | " | F/Sgt Lee | " | |
41 | S/Sgt K.A. Evans | Sgt J. Thompson | " | " | " | F/O Stewart | " | |
42 | S/Sgt J. Braham | Sgt E. Lightowler | " | " | " | P/O Brydon | " | |
43 | S/Sgt R.F. Ashby | Sgt J. Donalson | " | " | " | F/Lt Horn | " | |
44 | S/Sgt R. Steele | Sgt J. Greene | " | " | " | F/O Onley | " | |
45 | S/Sgt W. Jones | Sgt J. Potts | " | " | " | F/O Bull | " | |
70 | Maj S.C. Griffiths | Ssm K. Mew | Harwell | 0320 | " | W/Cdr Macnamara | 295 | |
71 | Maj J.P. Royle | Lt R. Smith | " | " | " | S/Ldr Stewart | 570 | |
72 | T/Cap R.K. Cross | S/Sgt C.W. Bishop | " | " | " | S/Ldr Potter | 295 | |
73 | " | " | " | F/Lt Cooil | " | |||
74 | S/Sgt D. Wright | Sgt B. Powell | " | " | " | P/O Peel | " | |
75 | " | " | " | F/O Wheatley | " | |||
76 | S/Sgt W. Bradshaw | " | " | " | P/O Proctor | " | ||
77 | S/Sgt P.J. Wilsn | Sgt H. Harris | " | " | " | P/O Scott | " | |
78 | " | " | " | F/Lt Byrom | " | |||
79 | " | " | " | F/Lt Wood | " | |||
80 | " | " | " | F/O Churchill | " | |||
81 | " | " | " | F/O Bowman | " | |||
82 | " | " | " | F/Lt Gay | 570 | |||
83 | S/Sgt K. Hannan | Sgt B. Spencer | " | " | " | F/O Maunder | " | |
84 | " | " | " | P/O Fisher | " | |||
85 | " | " | " | F/Sgt Hincks | " | |||
86 | " | " | " | F/Sgt Marshall | " | |||
87 | S/Sgt A. Hunter | Sgt C. Collins | " | " | " | F/O Matheson | " | |
88 | " | " | " | F/O Spafford | " | |||
89 | " | " | " | P/O Robson | " | |||
90 | S/Sgt R. Luff | Lt J.L. Bromley | " | " | " | P/O Hougate | " | |
97 | LG725 | Maj J.F. Lyne | S/Sgt W. Bridgewater | Tarrant-Rushton | 0327 | " | S/Ldr Norman | 644 |
98 | PN665 | S/Sgt W. Goodwin | S/Sgt E.W. Woodrow | " | " | " | W/Cdr Pope | " |
99 | LH402 | S/Sgt R.G. New | Sgt J.R. Gibbons | " | " | " | F/Lt Hobbs | " |
100 | LH405 | S/Sgt A.R. Dow | Sgt R. Chadwick | " | " | " | F/O Nickel | " |
101 | LH440 | Capt B. Murdoch | Sgt T. Page | " | " | " | F/O Bretherton | " |
102 | PW662 | Capt J.M. Walker | Sgt F. Carpenter | " | " | " | F/O Rampling | " |
103 | PF690 | S/Sgt W. Higgs | S/Sgt W. Oliver | " | " | " | S/Ldr Rymills | " |
104 | LH339 | S/Sgt G.A. Rickwood | Sgt J. Gray | " | " | " | W/O Woodward | " |
105 | LH554 | S/Sgt D. Thompson | Sgt R. Crawley | " | " | " | F/O Richards | " |
106 | LH353 | S/Sgt G. Browne | Sgt L. Jones | " | " | " | F/O Calverley | " |
107 | LH431 | S/Sgt F. Stevenson | LT S.J. Moorwood | " | " | " | F/O Blake | " |
108 | LG936 | LT I.C. Muir | Sgt H Stone | " | " | " | F/Lt Cumberworth | " |
109 | LG992 | S/Sgt A.H. Smith | Sgt J. Stepenson | " | " | " | F/Sgt McConville | " |
110 | LH435 | S/Sgt J.G. Hunter | Sgt W.H. Stonebanks | " | " | " | W/O Shapley | " |
111 | LH373 | S/Sgt W. Dodd | Sgt J. Keeley | " | " | " | F/Sgt Wells | " |
112 | LH406 | S/Sgt W.J. Statham | Sgt C. Boswell | " | " | " | S/Ldr Briggs | 298 |
113 | LH442 | S/Sgt A.L. Bashforth | Sgt R.F. Dray | " | " | " | F/O Northmore | " |
114 | LH570 | S/Sgt A. Johnson | Sgt J. D'Eath | " | " | " | P/ODougill | " |
115 | LH378 | S/Sgt R.E. White | Sgt F. Eason | " | " | " | F/Lt Imber | " |
116 | LH375 | S/Sgt E.B. Helme | Sgt N. Hornsby | " | " | " | S/Ldr Brownrigg | " |
117 | LG831 | S/Sgt A. Coombes | Sgt R. Usher | " | " | " | F/O Brown | " |
118 | PF790 | S/Sgt R.C. Downing | Sgt D. Elliott | " | " | " | W/O Smith | " |
119 | PF803 | S/Sgt W. Musitano | Sgt S.W. Perry | " | " | " | F/O Stark | " |
120 | LH380 | S/Sgt R. Jolliffe | Sgt A. Prentice | " | " | " | F/O Carpenter | " |
121 | LH568 | S/Sgt E. Stocker | Sgt S. Allan | " | " | " | F/Sgt Griffiths | " |
122 | PW732 | S/Sgt E. England | Sgt J. Plant | " | " | " | F/Sgt Davies | " |
123 | PF715 | S/Sgt W.R. Howe | Sgt W.A. Shannon | " | " | " | F/Sgt Cunliffe | " |
124 | LF912 | S/Sgt V. Daves | Sgt L. Cavalli | " | " | " | F/O Andreson | " |
125 | LH145 | S/Sgt G.E. Phillpott | Sgt E.M. Taylor | " | " | " | F/Sgt Mutton | " |
126 | LH236 | S/Sgt J. Mackenzie | Sgt M. Argyle | " | " | " | F/Sgt Smith | " |
500 | HH932 | 2lt T.W. Taylorson | Sgt R.J. Simpson | " | " | " | F/O Baird | 644 |
501 | LA670 | S/Sgt L. Ridingq | Sgt R.A. Harris | " | " | " | F/LT Sizmur | 298 |
502 | HH934 | S/Sgt H. Dent | Sgt P. Rodgers | " | " | " | F/Lt Enson | 298 |
503 | LA671 | S/Sgt E. England | Sgt J. Hill | " | " | " | F/O Fisher | 644 |