Glider Pilots in Sicily by PETERS MIKE


ISBN
9781848846838
Published
Binding
Hardcover
Pages
224
Dimensions
156 x 234mm

The British Airborne landings on Sicily are the least known and, without doubt, the most fraught with political and technical strife. Newly formed Airlanding troops were delivered into battle in gliders they knew little about. The men of the Glider Pilot Regiment (GPR) had self-assembled the gliders while living in the empty packing cases. They accomplished this complex and technically challenged task while living on fly-ridden, dusty North African airfields. After only a few hours of conversion training they took off for a night flight across the Mediterranean Sea that was to end in near-catastrophe. With over three hundred soldiers drowned off Sicily that night in July 1943, the first major operation attempted by the British using gliders almost ended in total disaster. In fact a few Airborne troops reached dry land and attacked their objectives. Shining examples of collective and individual acts of courage rocked the Italian and German defenders. This book tells the controversial story of that first mass glider operation and the men who proved the GPR motto - Nothing is Impossible. This is the first account of the Sicily air landing operation. AUTHOR: Mike Peters served in Army Air Corps for over 30 years rising from Private to Major, via Regimental Sergeant Major. He is Assistant Secretary of the Guild of Battlefield Guides and has led tours to Sicily and many other theatres. He is the author of Glider Pilots at Aenhem. SELLING POINTS: ? Lifts the veil on the first ever near catastrophic used of towed gliders in combat action ? Describes the birth of air borne and air landing forces ? The lack of training and expertise led to the deaths of hundreds of troops by drowning during the invasion of Sicily ? Inspiring accounts of gallantry by the survivors. The Glider Regiment has the highest casualty rate of any British unit in WW2 ILLUSTRATIONS: 16 pages of b/w plates
March Book Frenzy (Online Only)
60.00
RRP: $75.00
20% off RRP


This product is unable to be ordered online. Please check in-store availability.
Instore Price: $75
Enter your Postcode or Suburb to view availability and delivery times.

You might also like

Wings On My Sleeve
26.99
9.99
63% Off
SR71
45.00
36.00
20% Off

RRP refers to the Recommended Retail Price as set out by the original publisher at time of release.
The RRP set by overseas publishers may vary to those set by local publishers due to exchange rates and shipping costs.
Due to our competitive pricing, we may have not sold all products at their original RRP.