Once fully qualified, they would fly unpowered aircraft capable of carrying everything from troops to light tanks. They would achieve extraordinary feats of flying, landing on unprepared landing zones behind enemy lines, and taking up arms to fight beside the troops they carried into battle. After landing they operated as infantry and even sometimes medics and became known as 'Total Soldiers'. The Glider Pilot Regiment participated in some of the most influential turning points in the War including the invasion of Sicily, D-Day (memorably the action at Pegasus Bridge) and Operation Market Garden.
In post-war years The Regiment saw action in Palestine, and participated in the Berlin Airlift as well as serving on Operation Firedog in Malaya.
There is a specialist site dedicated to this elite band of warriors
The Glider Pilot Regiment Society
As part of the excellent Pegasus Archive, there are many first-person action reports from members of the Glider Pilot Regiment
here.
See also
Paradata: living history of Airborne Forces
The
Assault Glider Trust has a splendid site covering a number of topics including the restoration of a Horsa glider.
Missing Soldiers in the Netherlands information on the Glider Pilot Regiment is
here
Excellent information on US glider operations is at
ww2gp.org/eight-missions.php. This is a huge and comprehensive site.
Operations Covered in Database:Ladbroke, Fustian, Market Garden, Varsity, Elaborate, Overlord, Tonga, Mallard, Beggar, Turkey Buzzard, Freshman, Firedog, Dragoon, Planefare.
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