DFS230 in southeast France

[opdd38]

hello
Several aged people have affirm me to have seen some gliders (whose description corresponds in DFS 230 and Gothas 242).
These gliders, by hundreds, were parked on the airfield of "Orange-Plan de Dieu, southeast of France " in 1943. Can someone help me to confirm this information?
thank you

[Paddy Keating]

Luftwaffe transport and glider squadrons were posted to various airfields throughout the south of France during the war. The airfield outside Orange was used by several glider units. I./Luftlande-Geschwader 2, equipped with Heinkel IIIs and Go 242s, was posted from Nancy to Orange from May to July 1943, tasked with airlifting 1. and 2. FJD to Sicily. They then moved to Istres. 17./Luftlande-Geschwader 1 was posted to Orange from June to October 1943. 17./LLG1 was formed in 1942 from the Eprobungskommando/XI. Flieger-Korps and was supposed to form part of a V. Gruppe/LLG1. They had DFS 230s and Gotha 242s and there are quite a few photographs of these units in the ECPA-D archives at Fort d'Ivry, just outside Paris. Various new techniques were tested at Orange, including the dropping of vehicles by parachute, one sequence of photos in the ECPA-D showing the results of an unsuccessful test. In June 1943, 17./LLG1 was renamed DFS-Staffel 23. They handled the training of glider pilots as well. DFS-Staffel 23 was disbanded in October 1943. I believe that parachute jump training also took place at Orange in 1942 and 1943, run by a sub-unit of Fallschirmschule I, but you should ask your fellow Frenchman, Jean-Yves Nasse, about that. Donc, les vieux qui se souviennent des nombreux planeurs sur l'aerodrôme près d'Orange n'ont pas tort.

PK

[phylo_roadking]

Luftwaffe transport and glider squadrons were posted to various airfields throughout the south of France during the war. The airfield outside Orange was used by several glider units. I./Luftlande-Geschwader 2, equipped with Heinkel IIIs and Go 242s, was posted from Nancy to Orange from May to July 1943, tasked with airlifting 1. and 2. FJD to Sicily. They then moved to Istres.

1./LLG2? Does that mean it was Orange was the "french airfield" where LLG2's He111 Zwillings were used for training in 1942???

[Paddy Keating]

Indeed, Phylo. In fact, here are a couple of LW-PK shots taken on the airfield at Orange.

Paddy

[Paddy Keating]

Here's a shot taken from a HeIIIZ towing two Go242s.

Paddy

[Paddy Keating]

And for our French friend from the region - I presume - here is a place that he should know. It's not far from Arles. This was taken during the pre-Sicily exercises involving 1. and 2. FJD. They jumped on the plain in front of the ridge in the background, over which I have glided several times.

PK

[John W. Howard]

Hey Paddy:
Nice picture!!

[opdd38]

Thanks to everyone who contribute to inform me about..
Other contacts said me that one or two DFS crashed on the vicinity of airfield during exercices..
Thanks also for the FJG pic, maybe taken near the actually airfield of 'Le Mazet de Romanin'.

opdd38

[solo]

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Thanks to everyone who contribute to inform me about..
Other contacts said me that one or two DFS crashed on the vicinity of airfield during exercices..
Thanks also for the FJG pic, maybe taken near the actually airfield of 'Le Mazet de Romanin'.

opdd38

Luftwaffe transport and glider squadrons were posted to various airfields throughout the south of France during the war. The airfield outside Orange was used by several glider units. I./Luftlande-Geschwader 2, equipped with Heinkel IIIs and Go 242s, was posted from Nancy to Orange from May to July 1943, tasked with airlifting 1. and 2. FJD to Sicily. They then moved to Istres. 17./Luftlande-Geschwader 1 was posted to Orange from June to October 1943. 17./LLG1 was formed in 1942 from the Eprobungskommando/XI. Flieger-Korps and was supposed to form part of a V. Gruppe/LLG1. They had DFS 230s and Gotha 242s and there are quite a few photographs of these units in the ECPA-D archives at Fort d'Ivry, just outside Paris. Various new techniques were tested at Orange, including the dropping of vehicles by parachute, one sequence of photos in the ECPA-D showing the results of an unsuccessful test. In June 1943, 17./LLG1 was renamed DFS-Staffel 23. They handled the training of glider pilots as well. DFS-Staffel 23 was disbanded in October 1943. I believe that parachute jump training also took place at Orange in 1942 and 1943, run by a sub-unit of Fallschirmschule I, but you should ask your fellow Frenchman, Jean-Yves Nasse, about that. Donc, les vieux qui se souviennent des nombreux planeurs sur l'aerodrôme près d'Orange n'ont pas tort.

PK

Hi Paddy Keating!

I'm not sure if you are still on this forum but i am hoping as you seem so well informed.

My father was in The Luftwaffe and I am researching his background as he died when I was young. I have contacted all the archives (German, USA and UK) but still have queries on his early background and when he joined the Fallschirmjager.

My query relates to:
1. What was 5./L.L. Geschwader 1 ?
2. What did they do?
3. I think my dad might have been a glider pilot - is there any way of checking? (Ie forums).
4. Where did they train?

I have attached a spreadsheet from Bundesarchiv with the informstion I was given.

Any help anyone could give would be greatly appreciated.