General Aircraft Hamilcar - Operational History

Operational History

When the parts for a Hamilcar were completed and the glider was erected, it was flown to RAF North Luffenham in Rutland to have its specific cargo placed on board, and it was then flown to RAF Tarrant Rushton, which had been selected as the Hamilcar training and operational base in November 1943. It was not possible to tow the glider empty, so any empty gliders usually carried Universal Carriers or concrete blocks as ballast. Training with the Hamilcar appears to have taken place primarily at RAF Tarrant Rushton, and began sometime between the end of 1943 and the first months of 1944. Hamilcar training began with dual instruction, where an instructor accompanied the pilots for several hours, and then moved onto flying solo flights. Most of this training consisted of 'circuits and bumps', where the pilots practiced controlling the glider as it took off from an airfield under tow, and then landing it after the tow rope was detached; cross-country navigation was also practiced. It was common practice for members of airlanded units to be inside the gliders as cargo when training took place, although there is evidence that tank crews only acted as cargo for one or two flights, probably due to the risk of accidents which might cost the lives of specialized troops and equipment. Those flights that tank crews did experience usually consisted of gliders landing on carefully marked airfields instead of the open countryside in order to minimize the risks involved, and also make recovery of the glider easier. Accidents do not seem to have been a common occurrence. During training by 'C' Squadron of the Glider Pilot Regiment, part of the Army Air Corps, which specialized in flying Hamilcars, over 2800 lifts were made with an average of 50 lifts per crew. Only three incidents resulted in fatalities or injuries, with seven pilots killed during the training.