The L-4 Piper Grasshopper was a marvel of American wartime ingenuity. Adapted from the civilian model Piper Cub, the Grasshopper could take off under any condition, from any terrain with very little runway. The L-4 has a wingspan of 35 feet (10.7 meters) and weighs in at a little over a ton (553 kg). It was so light that the fuselages of Pipers were used as trainers for glider pilots.¹ At maximum, the plane cruised at 85 mph (137 km/h), and broke 9,300 ft (2,835 m) while carrying a crew of two. The plane's simple manufacture and prevalence before the 1941 made it perfect for wartime needs. Piper owners enlisted in the Civil Air Patrol and the military brass relished the convenience; civilian planes would be field ready with a coat of olive drab paint. Army, Navy, and Marine pilots flew the Pipers in such diverse conditions as North Africa, the Pacific, and Western Europe. From 1937 to 1947, the Piper Aircraft Corp produced a model plane so omnipresent (5,500 were produced for the war effort) and versatile that it was known as the "Model-T of the sky."² First seeing action in North Africa in 1942, the L-4 Grasshopper later played the essential role of providing reconnaissance of German troop, artillery, and armor placements in Normandy, France. The L-4 was so ubiquitous that when veterans of D-Day visited the Musée Airborne (Airborne Museum) in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France they were surprised to find no Piper Grasshoppers.

Now as a pilot, growing up in a family of pilots in Arkansas, Piper Cubs were ever-present. I told them that we would be proud to find an L-4 and I promised we would return in August or September with the plane. Everyone nodded their heads in what I assumed was approval, but later found out was ironic disbelief. What Patrick and Jean Michelle had not told me was that an authentic Piper was the highest item on their list and the request was largely a pie in the sky dream. Pipers of the caliber necessary to be displayed at the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mere-Eglise did not exist, or least could not be found. So with the blissful ignorance I made a few calls and located the Piper in Germany, fully restored, with a serial number placing the plane in service around Normandy in June 1944.

Upon my return to France in the fall of 2008, I was more than impressed with the level of enthusiasm which greeted our news. It delighted me to hear the stories about how rare and distinctive the L-4 was that we acquired. As we approach May 24th, 2009, ceremonies in Normandy, including the dedication of the Piper and the festivities surrounding the 65th D-Day reunion on June 6, which will be attended by President Barrack Obama and many other European heads of state, I feel the weight being a part of preserving history. To return this small piece of the past to veterans, their families, their friends, and admirers the world over is the very least that we at the Wilson Center can do to show our appreciation to both the living and dead. Their service and sacrifice guaranteed that we and our children live in a world where we are free from want, free from fear, and free from tyranny. Please join us in Normandy where we remember and commemorate the greatest of all days.

History of the Piper L-4 Grasshopper at the Musée Airborne (Airborne Museum) in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France

The Piper currently on exhibit at the Airborne Museum in Sainte-Mere-Eglise has the serial number 43-30073. From this number we are able to determine the Piper, like hundreds of others, was manufactured during the winter of 1943/44 at the Piper Aircraft Corporation in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. An average of 6 pipers a day were produced there and painted a nondescript olive-green and finally packaged for service overseas. The L-4 at the Airborne Museum entered service on January 15, 1944. On February 4, 1944 it was transferred to the Newark International Depot in New Jersey. It departed from the United States on February 21, 1944, destined for use in the 8th Army Air Force in Europe. What this specific plane did during WWII is unfortunately untraceable. However, as a part of the 8th Army Air Force it is very likely that the Piper saw action leading up to or immediately after June 6th, 1944 in Normandy. The 8th Army Air Force included two photo-reconnaissance groups which saw action in conjunction with large scale infantry movements, including both the D-Day invasion and the Battle of the Bulge.³ Unfortunately the nature the specific role of the Piper in these to battles has been lost. No flight records exist from this period until the plane was sold by the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) in Europe on June 12th, 1946.

The history of the next 3 years is unknown. There is speculation that this Piper flew in the French Army Air Force ALAT. However, on September 1st, 1949 an American named John Cullen wrote to the Office of Military Government for Germany (U.S.) requesting to transfer his private Piper, now numbered L-4 (NL73102), from Berlin to Stuttgart. A permit was given requiring that the flight plan follow the most direct route between Berlin and Stuttgart. A letter from Cullen to the U.S. Army Headquarter Frankfurt Military Post indicates the aircraft was kept at the Frankfurt-Rebstock Airport, the old Frankfurt Airport, in Hangar 2. On September 15, 1950 John Cullen sold the aircraft for 200.000 French francs to Josef Schäfer, the executive of Aero-Club Saar. Cullen included an incomplete spare engine and a second-hand aircraft-tire with two tire-tubes. A Continental-Engine A65 served as a functioning substitute for the original Lycoming O-170. In November 1950 the Karlsberg Brewery assumed the ownership of the plane in hopes of using it in advertising. At the time the right to fly in the Saarland was a significant privilege for German citizens – most West Germans did not receive the right until 1955.

The first flight for the Karlsberg Brewery occurred on November 7th, 1950. The Piper was piloted by Theo Busch. Busch would fly the Piper consistently throughout its ownership by the brewery. The Piper was stationed at the St. Arnual Meadows, the first Airport in Saarbrücken (the regional capital of the Saarland). Flybys would open soccer games when the pilot dropped the ball onto the field. On occasion the pilot would dress as Santa Claus and drop brochures and confetti. A commercial for the brewery featured the plane along with Mr. Hans Jung, Head the Saarland Aviation Administration, his wife, and a friend named Gerd Gensheimer. The first official flight log on June 15th, 1953 indicates the brewery reverted to the wartime serial number of 43-30073, which is still in use today. However, the registration changed to Saarland: SL-AAK. In 1955 the people of the Saarland elected to join the Federal Republic of Germany (also known as West Germany) and in 1958 the plane was re-registered D-ECIV.

Between March 24th and June 14th, 1960 the Piper aircraft received a major overhaul at the famous Hirth facility in Nabern/Teck. During this time the engine was removed. The A65 (s/n 148718, 65 hp, built in 1943) was switched with a Continental C85-12 (s/n 25.4-5-12, 85 hp). Towing banners with 65 horse power was quite a feat and could only be preformed with a one-man flight crew – the C85 engine made flights much safer. During that time the Piper transferred to the new Airport Saarbrücken-Ensheim (EDDR) and was flown by a number of guest pilots. The flight log no. 5 record indicates the plane was piloted by two famous German pilots: Elly Beinhorn and Adolf Galland. At the age of 24, Elly Beinhorn flew alone to Africa, where she was lost in the Sahara for 4 days until she reached Timbuktu after a 90-km-march. In 1933 she flew to Australia and in 1935 she established a new record one day flight of 3,470 kilometers in 13 hours in the famous Messerschmitt Me108 "TAIFUN". Adolf Galland was the youngest Major General of the German Armed Forces. He was an excellent fighter-pilot and tactician. He survived WWII and worked as private pilot in air-shows throughout the Saarland.

On July 31st, 1976 Theo Busch piloted his last flight with in Piper, ending 26 years of service to the Karlsberg Brewery. More efficient advertising pushed the aircraft into the background and on October 6th, 1978 the new owners, Mr. Gerd Brumm and Mr. Hille stationed the Piper at the little Airport Saarlouis-Düren (EDRJ). In 1988 the Piper was again sold to Mr. Hartmut van Meegen. He flew and stored the Piper until 1993, when he sold it to Mr. Stefan Leuer, a pilot for of the German Lufthansa. In a very complex and time-consuming renovation, Leuer completely restored the structure and engine of the plane and did extensive research into the planes origin. The paint scheme was meticulously changed to reflect camouflage which adorned the plane during the D-Day invasion in 1944. Mr. Leuer flew the retrofitted Piper to vintage aircraft events until 2005.

Mr. Joachim Rausch and Mr. Bernhard Gross discovered Mr. Leuer's intention to sell the Piper in 2005. Both men knew the aircraft from their youth, when it served as the "Karlsberg-Piper." The three pilots agreed to ferry the plane on October 23, 2005 from Braunschweig to Saarlouis-Düren. Mr. Rausch and Mr. Gross hoped to use the Piper for their company, LUFTBILDCENTRUM, and provide professional overhead photographs and films. They noticed after a few flights that the Piper was too extraordinary for constant and high stress sorties. They instead used the plane for relaxed flights over the region and for vintage aircraft meetings.

In 2008 both men decided it was time to part with the plane, which now largely collected dust in a hangar. They decided with a heavy heart to sell their "baby." And that is where the Wilson History and Research Center entered into the Piper's history. In June 2008, members of WHRC and myself attended the auction at "Poc du Royan Musée" in Royan, Bordeaux, France. The battle at Royan was the last serious battle fought west of the Rhine. A pocket of soldiers developed over an eight month period centered between Royan and La Rochelle. Although the main force consisted of Kriegsmarine and Coastal Artillery, records indicate that members of virtually every service branch, along with SS men of various specialties, fought in the battle. After the German surrender in April 1945 the grounds of Royan were littered with ephemerae, the likes of which appeared on no other battlefield throughout the war. The collection at the museum in Royan consisted of authentic pieces collected over a 50 km radius by the curator and a few special friends. Each piece was traced from the first days after the war through the auction. With such a unique and nearly unquestioned provenance the Royan/Hermann-Historica auction drew people from every part of the globe. The auction lasted two days and items of uncontestable authenticity went for record prices.

While we at the Wilson Center were pleased with our acquisitions, we were not prepared for the aggressive bidding. Time after time big money bidders took us out of the running for piece after piece. Insuring that we stayed within our budget, we colluded with the Curator of the Musée Airborne (Airborne Museum) in Sainte-Mere-Eglise, France Patrick Brunel. He along with his advisor and close friend, Jean Michelle Selles, helped us back away from the emotions of the auction and keep our bidding reasonable. Auctions make interesting friends and during the course of the two days our group became very close. A few days later we visited Patrick and Jean Michelle at the Musée Airborne. After having a personally guided tour of the facility and a complete briefing on the plans for development of a new wing of the Museum, we were eager to learn what the WHRC could do to help. We were befuddled to learn that the most glaring absence at the museum was an L-4 Piper Grasshopper.