BASIC TRAINING OF GLIDER BORNE TROOPS 78804

This “restricted” United States War Department Film Bulletin provides the viewer with footage of the U.S. Army’s “Basic Training of Glider-Borne Troops.” This footage is “Part 2: Loading Equipment in the CG-4A” - a 48-foot long cargo glider that can carry 13 soldiers, along with a pilot and co-pilot. The camera takes us inside the glider, as the narrator explains what a soldier will see inside the glider. An explanation of the glider’s tie-down rings (for heavy equipment follows), with the narrator stressing the importance of remembering the placement and number of all 12 rings, beginning at mark 02:40, as well as the location of the rear and front tie-downs.
At mark 04:00, the film provide detailed instructions on how to enter the aircraft, which involves unlocking the nose of the glider and lifting it into position, while at mark 05:49 directions on loading heavy equipment are given, beginning with securing the wheels so the glider does not roll, before raising the tail. “There’s plenty of surface here for the wind to act against so don’t leave the tail up any longer than you have to,” the narrator explains.
With the basics explained, the film covers a 5-minute tutorial regarding loading equipment such as a quarter-ton trailer (mark 07:34), followed by another 5-minute instructional on loading a quarter-ton truck (mark 12:30), the largest piece of equipment typically carried in the glider. Unloading exercises are covered starting at mark 18:25, followed by how to load a 75 mm Howitzer, starting at mark 19:20, as well as ammunition and the 37 mm anti-tank gun.
“By now you know that being a glider soldier means more than just stepping into a glider and going up,” the viewer is remined at mark 27:25. “Not only are you airborne but your equipment has got to be airborne, too. Your jeep, your trailer, your artillery, and whatever equipment and supplies you’ll need when you land, you take with you by air. You may take off in broad daylight or you may get orders to load in the dark at night … Whatever the situation, this part of the job is the same: to act with precision and speed, to be ready on time, to load your equipment correctly, and to lash it down safe and secure so it will ride like part of the glider.”
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