Uniform Patches, Pins, Medals Worn By Glider Pilots

The glider pilot wings with the G on the shield, a refinement of the power pilot wing, has become a symbol for the work being done in uncovering and preserving the history of this large, once ignored and under appreciated group of aviators. Other soldiers worn the patches, medals and other symbols shown here and in earlier posts; only a special group of aviators wore the glider wings.

A good summary of their unique missions can be found at the web sites for the Silent Wings Museum and the WWII Glider Pilot Association noted under the blog banner.

The golden eagle was worn on Sylvan's dress uniform hat. However, on the blog banner photo above you see that Sylvan wears power wings on his hat. The photo was taken soon after he graduated from Advanced Flight School. I was told it was not exactly proper for glider pilots to wear this officer insignia, since they were warrant grade officers, but no one minded if they did.
It was entirely common for glider pilots, especially the ones trained early in the war, to co-pilot C-47s and to fly small planes.

The patches worn on the airman's sleeve can be bought at any museum gift store today. The ones you see here are the real thing, once worn by a WWII member of the 316th Troop Carrier Group! Note the bars for the Air Medal and ETO ribbon. Prior posts give their full import.

Five Star Mother Flag

This small flag placed in my grandmother's window makes me thing the small pin
with blue stars, previously displayed, was worn by Sylvan because there were four brothers serving. Normally, the gold star, indicating a son killed in the war, would be placed over a blue star. In this case, Sylvan's youngest brother, still in high school, joined the army, so she placed the gold star to one side.
His brothers, Bernard, Lanny, Delphis, in the service at the time of his death, send letters home which are printed in this blog. Their service records are noted.

Medals Earned by Glider Pilots, Distinguished Unit Citation

The pin, a small blue rectangle, for the Distinguished Unit Citation, as it was called in World War II, is not shown in this view of my glider pilot uncle's uniform decorations. It was awarded to units of the United States Army and the allies for extraordinary heroism in action against an armed enemy in such a way as to set the unit apart from other units.

I believe Sylvan Lucier would have two and perhaps three Distinguished Unit Citations because he saw action in three Troop Carrier Groups at the very time they earned this award; the 313 for Sicily, the 438th for Normandy, and the 316th for Holland. The pin would be about the same size as the bars shown above and somewhat unimpressive in appearance, but hugely important. The degree of heroism required is comparable to the Air Force Cross or the Navy Cross. I have read about this Citation in a number of books about the units Sylvan serve in. He was stationed in Africa with the 313th group preparing for the invasion but his squadron's gliders were taken over by the British glider pilots. Thus Sylvan's 49th squadron (313th) did not fly the Husky (Sicilian) missions but were soon stationed in Sicily to support the invasion continuing in Italy.

The tiny wings with the propeller were earned when my uncle became a power pilot early in his training. The star in a circle are shown on the left label of Sylvan's dress uniform. I'm not sure what it indicates.

The red bordered rectangle with four stars, and the smaller one with one gold star, are something I can only guess. They may have been given by the government to my grandmother who had four sons in the war. Or perhaps Sylvan wore the four star pin on his dress uniform. The four stars remind me of a keepsake I have, called "the Mother's Flag", shown in a family's front window during WWII. My Lucier family flag has four blue stars for the four sons that served at one time, with a gold star pinned off to one side. If a mother lost a son, the gold star was pinned over one blue star. In Eva Lucier's case, she pinned it to one side because her youngest son, still in High School, joined the Army as soon as his brother died.

Sylvan had glider wings of course and I have to scan them and post it later. I will also post the picture of the small (6" by 8") Five Star Mother flag, one of the most poignant items in the collection.

Medals Earned by Glider Pilots, Orange Lanyard

The Orange Lanyard of the Royal Netherlands Army. This is the highest award for valor awarded by the Netherlands Government during WWII. It is the Militaire Willems Orde Degree of Knight of the Fourth Class. Due to an oversight by the Airborne and the Army Air Corps, it took 38 years and the efforts of the WWII Glider Pilot Association to correct the error. It was presented at the National Reunion in Reno, Nevada in 1982, by the Netherlands Military Attache on behalf or her Majesty, the Queen of the Netherlands.

George Theis, Treasurer of the National WWII Glider Pilot Association, recently sent me this award given by the Government of Holland, because he knows I want every fact documented about my uncle's participation in the war and what his sacrifice meant to other. The lanyard came with a card attached:

The Orange Lanyard is presented to the Glider Pilots of the IX Army Air Force Troop Carrier Command in recognition of their participation in the airborne operations and subsequent combat actions of Operation Market Garden.

Medals Earned by Glider Pilots, Air Medal

I can thank our friend Chuck Foreman, Wing I Commander of the National World War II Glider Pilots Association, for gifted me with this beautiful medal that I had sought on Sylvan Lucier's behalf for quite some years! My husband and I spent time with Chuck and glider pilot Don Manke at the Pima Air Museum a year ago when he promised to obtain it for me.

I found the small gold and blue bar in my grandmother's box. It is possible the medal went missing before I received the memorabilia but I doubt that. When an awards ceremony was staged following a mission, government written orders were given with names listed. I don't know if the medal itself, or just a letter confirming the medal was handed out.

In Sylvan's case, he had died before the tiny Oak Leaf Cluster (indicating a Second Air Medal) could be given to him. Although Sylvan was stationed in Africa in 1943, preparing for an invasion of Sicily, I'm told he was not listed as a pilot or co-pilot in that mission. He would have done a lot of flying later in Sicily, was transferred to the 36th Squadron of the 316th group, and left for England in late March, 1944. So the First Air Medal could not be from the Husky (Sicilian) mission.

A document given me by 316 TCG Historian Mike Ingresano, provided proof that Sylvan was given his first Air Medal for flying a Horsa glider on D-Day in Normandy, while assigned to the 88 Squadron. I also have the document of glider pilot from the 316th group on Temporary Duty to the 88th. In a search the 88th Squadron War Diaries I found no list of glider pilots receiving an air medal. They had returned to their own group in early August, and I think air medals would have been presented by then. Once again, the frequently reassigned glider pilots are left out of reports.

In this photo I have placed the new air medal and the older bar from Sylvan's uniform on a white tea napkin embroidered by my mother in her youth. There is a tiny oak leaf cluster (which was given when the pilot earns a second air medal) on the bar as well as the ribbon now. I think there were glider pilots who earned four air medals (Normandy, Southern France, Holland and the Rhine crossing) but probably not five.

Medals Earned by Glider Pilots, ETO Ribbon

When I began my research into my uncle Sylvan's time as glider pilot I had my grandmother's scrapbook of letters, photos and official papers, a few saved items like the flag from his coffin, and a small box of medals. For some reason, understanding the small pins my glider glider pilot wore was one of my first pursuits. They were a mystery to most people, even those in the research areas of aviation museums. The easy one to identify was the ETO medal with the Africa/Europe colors on the bar. But I had only the colored bar with three little stars on it. When we visited the Utah Beach museum in June 2008, on our memorial trip, my husband asked a clerk if they sold the ribbon. A very nice person made a great effort to search high and low in the storeroom. My husband spoke to her in French about Sylvan landing his Horsa in Normandy on D-Day and she was so charmed, she gave the medal to him.

When I scanned the medal I placed it on a blue silk scarf surrounded by Belgian lace. I bought the lace in 1981 in Belgian, a country liberated by the Allies. I am not sure why there were three stars on the the bar. Sylvan was in two groups (313, 316, and temporarily the 438th) as a glider pilot and was stationed in Africa, Sicily, England and flew missions in Normandy and Holland. If anyone knows what the stars mean, I would appreciate hearing from you.

Glider Pilot Christmas Greeting, 1942, Dalhart TX

Of the many cards my uncle F/O Sylvan Lucier sent home,
this Christmas card with Glider Pilot wings is most meaningful!
My best wishes to WWII veterans gathered with families this week,
and my prayer for peace to those service persons today separated from family.
To those who have lost loved ones, light a candle and talk about the love that lives on.

Confirmation of Glider Pilot Death

Fatal Glider Accident, Tiffield England

SYLVAN R. LUCIER, KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY
ONE OF 351 GLIDER PILOTS WHO DID NOT RETURN HOME FROM THE WAR

According to information in a Glider Pilot Roll of Honor contained in the web site www.pointvista.com, there were as many as 6,000 American Combat Glider Pilots. Of these, 211 died in combat, approximately 636 were wounded, and another 140 died in the line of duty, usually in glider training accidents. The combined casualty rate came to 16.4 % of the total number of pilots. Examining just those killed or injured in combat, it amounts to about 20%. This was considered very high by any standard.

AN EARLY TRAINING ACCIDENT
The accident that took Sylvan's life was not his first. The development of war time glider usage went on for some time in the U.S. and the number of stateside accidents as young men learned the techniques is not often chronicled. Overseas time between missions was also spent sharpening a pilot's skills. Landing one's load of men or equipment in whatever terrain required, under fire, in daylight or darkness, took a lot of practice. Charles L. Day writes the book about the manufacturer 's role in the development of the CG-4A glider: Silent Ones, WWII Invasion Glider Test and Experiment. It is published by the author.

In February 2008, while working at Maxwell Air Base Research Center, my husband found an index of glider accidents and putting in my uncle's name, found that a training accident was recorded in January, 1943, at the Army Air Force's Glider School at Dalhart, Texas. The pilots involved were, Sylvan R. Lucier and co-pilot, Ben Grobman. They were in the 880th Glider Training Squadron at Dalhart, Texas and were also together in the 49th Squadron in Africa. (Pictures of Sylvan, Ben and other glider pilot friends in the 880th were posted earlier on this site. )

Synopsis of the January 7, 1943, accident:
Glider: CG-4A
A.F. No: 42-61849
Pilot Charged: Sylvan R. Lucier, 338th BH & AB Squadron, of the 880

On January 7, Sylvan Lucier, at that time a Staff Sargent, was on a night time glider training mission with his friend and co-pilot Ben Grobman. He undershot the lighted landing area and made an unsuccessful landing. . The “Report of Aircraft Accident” says Lucier had eight hours experience flying this model and that within the last three months he had put in nearly 32 hours flying including almost eight hours in the dark of night. The landing gear broke on landing, causing damage to other parts of the aircraft; the left skid, the nose section, the jury strut and the left wing. The statement of responsibility says: The pilot stated that he undershot the lighted landing area and landed in a soft spot on the field causing left landing gear to give way. The aircraft accident officer finds that the accident was due to 100% pilot error by undershooting the designated landing area and making an unsuccessful landing.

KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, WHILE FLYING DOUBLE TOW
In February, 2006, while searching the internet, I found an aviation archeology site in the United Kingdom. The staff gave me the names of individuals in Arizona who had reports of American glider/airplane crashes. For a small fee I was quickly sent the “Report of Aircraft Accident” for my uncle's glider accident which cost his life and that of his co-pilot, Iving Krohn, and a mechanic, Durwood Basham. Since then the details of that report have filled my mind and fueled my research.

Tiffield , a village of about 100 in 1944, is about 65 miles by road from Greenham Common Air Base from where the 20 gliders were being towed by 10 aircraft that day of October 13, 1944. The 316 Troop Carrier Group, to which Sylvan belonged, was based at Cottesmore, Rutland which is about 50 miles further North East from the crash scene. Greenham, Tiffield and Cottesmore are almost on a straight line with each other.

Sylvan R. Lucier, was flying double tow from Greenham Common to Cottesmore. His glider hit a field one half mile from Tiffield, Northants. All three occupants were killed in the CG-4A glider crash.

Burl B. Miner, a 2nd Lieutenant, was the pilot of the glider on the long tow. He too had a co-pilot and glider mechanic on board. His statement is as follows:
We were flying double tow at an altitude of approximately 1600. Flight Officer Lucier, S.R. was pilot of the Glider on the short rope and I was piloting the glider on the long rope. At approximately 1200 hours 3 minutes south of North Hampton we came very close together. The glider on the short rope started down rather suddenly, and in going down, his right elevator struck our left wing. The glider stayed on tow for approximately 30 seconds directly beneath us then he cut, and Lt. Ernst, (2nd Lt. William S. Ernst, Michigan) started looking for him. The tug ship made an immediate turn to the left, circled the area, and no one saw the glider, except Lt. Ernst who said he thought he saw it cracked up on the ground.

Edward S. Ash, 1st Lt. was the pilot of the Tow Plane. His statement regarding he accident:

The tow ship was at 1600 feet with the base of broken clouds at approximately 2500. The visibility wa four to six miles and there was moderate turbulence. The tow ship airspeed was 115 MPH as the pilot had just noticed the speed as he felt the plane lurch forward. The pilot immediately had the crew chief look out the dome to see how many gliders were on the tow. He reported that there was but one left so the pilot made a 360 degree turn so as to locate and report on the other glider. Although the tow ship made two 360 degree turns, with one glider in tow, the personnel could not locate other glider so the pilot proceeded home base after marking the approximate spot that the glider cut loose. The pilot of the tow ship figured at the time that the personnel of the remaining glider would know where the other glider landed. After landing the pilot reported the loss of the glider to Squadron Operations and Squadron Engineering. The time the glider was lost was 1200 hours.

Sylvan Lucier and his Co-pilot, Irving W. Krohn, were both experienced pilots. The report showed that Lucier had nearly 225 hours flying this type of glider (CG-4A, Hadrian) and Irving Krohn had 230. Sylvan had flown 13 ½ hours in that model in the last 90 days. That would have included flying without a co-pilot across the channel on September 18, to land under gun fire in Holland.

The mission that day was ferrying gliders from Greenham Common where they were assembled to Cottesmore where the Group had need of them, (Station 486 to 489) since losing so many in Holland. The accident and its cause is described in the report:
Crashed into field at a steep angle, evidentially out of control. After impact the glider went over on its back and the fuselage twisted so that the tail assembly was right side up. The glider struck slightly right wing low.
The glider piloted by F/O Lucier was on short rope, left side of a double tow and struck the wing of the other glider and tore about two square feet from the center of the right elevator. The glider cut loose from the tow craft.

All the above information is repeated in the description filed by the investigating board of Capt. Richard W. Etter, Major William E. Childers, and Major Bertie W. David. The only new information was that there was only one eye witness, a civilian, who stated that the glider fell to the ground at a steep angle out of control.
Responsibility for the accident and recommendations for action to prevent repetition were made:
The party or parties responsible for making up the long tow rope were grossly negligent as the long rope was found to be 44 feet short of the required length thus causing the gliders to overlap in flight. Both glider pilots used poor judgement when they failed to cut loose and land after realizing how dangerously close they were flying. Crew of crashed glider neglected to take parachutes that were available in tug aircraft thus nullifying any opportunity they may have had to bail out.
It is the belief of the investigating board that, if the causes listed in the above paragraph were corrected accidents of this nature would be eliminated.
Recommendations:
1. Glider pilots have been instructed to wear parachutes at all times except when carrying Airborne troops.
2. A thorough inspection is now being made of tow ropes to insure they are the specified length.

Twenty-nine Palms Air Academy, August 1942

Glider Pilot Song

Lapel Pins of Pilot

I have worked to identify the small pins in this photo. The small wings I know. The four stars surrounded by a red edge remind me of the "Four Star Mother" flag. I think I can now identify the two ribbon bars at the top as part of larger medals. On the left is the bar with the colors for the Europe Africa Middle East Campaign medal. I think the three stars are for three missions his 313 TC Group participated in. On the right is the blue and gold bar to accompany the Air Medal for Sylvan's role in D Day in Normandy. Mike Ingresano, historian for the 316 Troop Carrier Group, indexed in his book the Orders that awarded Sylvan Lucier, among others, the Oak Leaf Cluster for his participation in Market Garden (Holland) which meant he had already received the Air Medal for Normandy. (Sylvan was not given the Oak Leaf Cluster because he died in a glider accident a few weeks after returning from Holland. I don't know if it was sent to his parents.)
When I visited the Strategic Air Museum near Omaha NE on April 9, 2007, I saw a case of W.W. II Aviation Medals. In it were medals Sylvan Lucier must have earned but only the bars (top of photo) remain. The beautiful medals are missing from the box I received with my grandmother's scrapbook about Sylvan. Now I will try work to find replacements.
I would appreciate hearing from anyone who can correct or elaborate on the medals.

Mira Loma Flight Academy

This is to certify that S.R.Lucier
has this date completed the prescribed course of primary flight training at this school,
May 7, 1942 Oxnard California