20 March 2013
The Jet Age Museum at Gloucestershire has been awarded a grant of £9,000 by the Gloucestershire Environmental Trust (GET) to build a replica cockpit of an Airspeed Horsa assault glider.
During World War Two more than 3,600 assault gliders were built under contract by furniture makers throughout the UK to carry airborne troops and equipment during the liberation of Europe. Gloucestershire played an important role in the assault glider story.
H. H. Martyn, founders of the Gloster Aircraft Company, built cockpit sections for the Horsa gliders at their Sunningend Works in Cheltenham, the County’s RAF airfields at Down Ampney, Aston Down and Fairford were all involved in the launches of airborne assaults at Normandy, Arnhem and the Rhine crossings.
2014 marks the 70th anniversary of the airborne landings in Northern Europe and a dedicated Horsa project team from the Jet Age Museum’s volunteers will construct a replica of the glider cockpit to celebrate the event. The cockpit will eventually become a significant part of airborne forces exhibit at the museum, which will open at Staverton later this year.
Project co-ordinator, Trevor Davies said, “We are delighted that GET has stepped in as the major sponsor, and we have also received outstanding support from individuals and industry alike. Remarkably we have found 90-year old former glider pilot, Ken Plowman living locally. Glider assaults often resulted in heavy casualties and many pilots were honoured for their bravery, this will be a fitting memorial.”
<a href=’http://www.jetagemuseum.btck.co.uk ‘ target=’_blank’>www.jetagemuseum.btck.co.uk </a>
