Some Gliding History - D Day 1944

[flyjoe180]

Interesting story from a glider pilot who flew into Normandy as part of Operation Pegasus in 1944, and also Operation Market Garden.

“It was pretty rough,” Derry said. “There was a Panzer division waiting for us there and they slaughtered everybody.

“I lost all my friends that week.”

Around 10,000 troops were landed by gliders during the operation. Only 2,000 troops were still alive after 10 days of fighting.

By the end of the war, of the 2,000 glider pilots that had been trained, only 178 were still alive, Derry said.

www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=557871&catname=Local%20News&classif=News%20Live

[beagle]

yes, you would have never got me into one of those contraptions.

[corsair67]

Recently I read in the book "G-for-George" that during WWII gliders were used to ferry equipment and personnel between airfields when squadrons were moved around the countryside.

Was this a common occurrence?

[Dave Homewood]

Interesting, I hadn't heard this Criag, but I guess in the case of the Germans this would possibly have happened if they used their massive Gigant gliders. I'm not sure about allies.

[fletcherfu24]

Short video of a glider snatch launch on You tube

And one of many Gigant vid's .