WWII History - Grey Beret Association

HomeWWII History

WWII US Army Air Forces Weather Paratroopers - Where it all started for the Grey Berets

The Grey Beret Legacy of service in Special Operations and Airborne forces starts in WWII, with the weather observers and forecasters who volunteered for specialized duty as Paratroopers and Glidermen

Special Operations volunteers served in both the European and Pacific theaters of war with the Secret Intelligence (SI) section of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS), a multi-service intelligence organization. All of these men received specialized training from the OSS and attended British Parachute school.

In Europe, 19th Weather Squadron Parachute Detachment personnel operated behind the lines in Nazi-occupied Yugoslavia, at the forward Allied base on the Croatian island of Vis, and at OSS HQ in Bari, Italy. Three OSS weather teams jumped into Yugoslavia in 1944:
- In late February, Capt. Drew, S/Sgt Conaty, and radioman S/Sgt Ferguson parachuted in near Drvar to join Tito's HQ.
- In March, S/Sgt Newmeyer, S/Sgt Baker, radioman S/Sgt Chester parachuted in near Draja, Slovenia.
- May 1944, 1Lt. Schraeder parachuted in to join S/Sgt Newmeyer (described in detail in the book: "Beacons in the Night: With the OSS and Tito's Partisans in Wartime Yugoslavia" by Franklin Lindsay.)
- Also in May 1944, Capt. Armstrong and S/Sgt Anderson parachuted into Montenegro.
In the Pacific, 10th Weather Squadron personnel operated behind the lines in Japanese-occupied Burma, and at OSS HQ in Kandy, Ceylon (modern day Sri Lanka)

On the conventional Airborne side of the house in Europe, volunteers served as Paratroopers and Glidermen with both the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions

Four weather observers jumped or rode gliders into Normandy

Airborne Paratrooper S/Sgt Robert Dodson and Airborne Gliderman Cpl Eugene Levine served with the 82nd
Airborne Paratrooper S/Sgt Chuck Staub and Airborne Gliderman Cpl Warren Wolf served with the 101st

They didn't wear Grey Berets yet in WWII, and much of this early history has been lost to time, but fortunately we have been able to capture some of their stories.

And we're very happy to share those stories here for all to see!

RESPECT THE LEGACY

Enjoy!

RESPECT

GBA

"Serving Proudly Since WWII"

THE YUGOSLAVIA CAPER

- Charles T. Hight, Lt. Col. USAF Ret.

A transcription of "The Yugoslavia Caper" by Chuck Hight, Commander of the WWII Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Secret Intelligence (SI) Weather / 19th Weather Squadron Parachute Detachment personnel that operated in Yugoslavia and the OSS HQ in Bari, Italy

Click HERE to view

Enjoy!

RESPECT

GBA

Weatherman With Tito

- S/Sgt Joe Conaty, US Army Air Forces Weather Paratrooper

Joe Conaty was one of the WWII Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Secret Intelligence (SI) Weather / 19th Weather Squadron Parachute Detachment personnel that operated in Yugoslavia.

He, Captain Cecil Drew and Radio Operator T5 James Ferguson were all at Tito's HQ in Drvar and when the Germans dropped SS-Fallschirmjager Battalion 500 on them on 25 May 1944, they took to the hills on an Escape and Evasion that lasted 17 days.

Joe's story was described in detail by author and history professor William Leary in the May/June 1995 issue of Behind the Lines magazine.

Click HERE to see it!

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

COMBAT JUMP INTO BURMA

- S/Sgt Neil Gray, US Army Air Forces Weather Paratrooper

Jumping into Burma as an OSS operative selected from the 10th Weather Squadron, USAAF Staff Sergeant Neil Gray's mission was an incredible one!

Click HERE to see his story

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

OSS WEATHERMAN ON VIS ISLAND

- S/Sgt Jack Gaffney, US Army Air Forces Weather Paratrooper

Jack Gaffney was one of the WWII Office of Strategic Services (OSS) Secret Intelligence (SI) Weather / 19th Weather Squadron Parachute Detachment personnel that operated in Yugoslavia.

He and others operated their weather station on the Yugoslav island of Vis, which became Tito's HQ later in the war.

Jack wrote an excellent first person narrative of his time in the war which was shared with us by his family.

Click HERE to see it!

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

UNDER CONSTRUCTION

1ST JUMP - NORMANDY

- S/Sgt Bob Dodson, US Army Air Forces Weather Paratrooper

Bob reported for jump school with the 82nd Airborne before the invasion, but it was shut down because D-Day was pending.

Undeterred, he got some basic familiarization training, then did his first jump.

Into Combat.

In Normandy.

Click HERE to see his story

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

INTO FRANCE BY GLIDER

- Corporal Eugene Levine, US Army Air Forces Weather Gliderman

Riding a glider into combat with the 82nd Airborne Division, USAAF Corporal Eugene Levine's was to be the most successful of all the first four weathermen to reach France during the Normandy Invasion!

Click HERE to see his story

Click HERE for an article on honoring his service.

To hear him speak about his experience, click HERE.

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

101ST GLIDERMAN TAKEN PRISONER

- Corporal Warren F. Wolf, US Army Air Forces Weather Gliderman

He assaulted Normandy in a glider with the 101st Airborne Division, but was taken prisoner shortly after landing

Click HERE to see his story

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

FIRST IN FRANCE

- S/Sgt Charles J. Staub, US Army Air Forces Weather Paratrooper

Jumping in to combat with the 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, USAAF Staff Sergeant Charlie Staub's "Rendezvous With Destiny" was to be the first weatherman to reach France during the Normandy Invasion!

Click HERE to see his story

Airborne - All The Way!

RESPECT

GBA

Our AFSPECWAR Coalition Partners