Finlay MacRae – 2nd Pilot of Glider in Operation Varsity
Graham Hamilton compiled part of a story about Finlay MacRae’s experiences in the war and his role as a glider pilot carrying troops and equipment across the Rhine in 1945. This formed part of a article that appeared in the Forestry Commission Association – today staff magazine.
A Tale of Two Glider Pilots
Let it never be said that the FCA-today magazine is parochial as this intriguing tale can verify.
Graham Hamilton takes up the story:
My good friend and former colleague Finlay MacRae died on 5th June 2014. I prepared an obituary which appeared in the Summer 2014 edition of this magazine and it was also published in Scottish Forestry Vol 69 (1) in 2015.
I had often heard Finlay talk of his wartime experiences with the RAF which he joined in 1942. He recounted some amusing recollections of his spell in Florida training to be a pilot. Later Finlay transferred to the Glider Pilot Regiment. There had been huge casualties incurred by the Army Glider Pilot Regiment resulting from various glider airborne operations including D-Day and Arnhem. This required the secondment (‘volunteering’) of RAF pilots to the Glider Pilot Regiment. Subsequently Finlay took part in ‘Operation Varsity’ on 24th March 1945. This was a major operation involving moving British and American troops and supplies across the Rhine into Germany. In his memoir ‘A Tune in the Woods’ Finlay described the event as the largest airborne operation in history.
It remains the largest operation in history and included the following
541 aircraft carrying paratroopers
1050 troop carriers towing an additional 1,350 gliders with troops and vehicles on board
They were accompanied by 2153 allied fighter aircraft
In total over 4000 aircraft and their pilots
And over 16,000 paratroopers
The Horsa gliders were capable of carrying 28 fully armed men or a mixture of men and supplies. There were two pilots in each glider. Some 3655 were built in Britain by Airspeed.
The full story is in the attached PDF link below.