[4V50 Gary]

I need your guys' help in interpretating an 82nd trooper's misadventures in Market Garden.

"I carried a land mine in my left leg jump suit pocket and a Gammon grenade in my left leg pocket; two fragmentation grenades in my jump jacket pockets; K rations, sniper rifle, an ammo bag with 200 plus rounds of ammo, gas mask, pack and other items.

....(T)the plane started filling with smoke. As I looked across the plane I noticed that Lt. Rynkiewicz had been hit in the left knee and Hatfield, the BAR man, was hit on the back of his hand. To my right, a trooper was on the floor of the plane, again, I think it was Rideout. I remember saying, 'let's get the hell out of here,' and we started standing up. The Air Force sergeant dove out the door of the plane. Within seconds, the plane was so full of smoke you could not see anything. Some men near the cockpit of the plane started coughing and pushing for the door.At that time, others and I fell through the floor of the plane. We were hooked up and when my chute opened, I could smell flesh and see the skin hanging from my face and hands. I had released my rifle when the flames burned my hand."

He couldn't have been thinking of jumping with his rifle in his hands, could he? That scope was not durable and could break or get jarred. Additionally you need your hands on the riser and yank up right before you land to soften the landing (in college I jumped 5X). Could he have had the 03A4 in a modified Griswold bag but with burnt hands how does he release it?