SKYTRAIN TO NORMANDY - Framed Collector's Piece

Towing Horsa and CG-4 Waco gliders, C-47 Skytrains of the 88th TCS / 438th TCG arrive over the Normandy beachhead on the evening of D-Day, 6 June 1944 during Operation Elmira to re-supply and reinforce troops of 82nd Airborne Division already on the ground.

Having just crossed the Normandy coast and heading towards the glider landing zones with their fighter escort are C-47 Skytrains of the 88th Troop Carrier Squadron / 438th Troop Carrier Group, one of four air transport groups taking part in the Elmira mission. Towing 36 Horsa and 14 CG-4 Waco gliders the 438th’s C-47s had departed from RAF Greenham Common soon after 19.00 hrs and will shortly make their Normandy landing zone at 21.20 hrs.

As a tribute to the gallantry shown on that fateful day, our expert team have included the original autographs of two veterans who took part in such operations on D-Day: