Description
In a tale that’s part airborne adventure and part history lesson, this book sets out to tip its hat to the audacious RAF pilots who tossed caution to the wind and signed up for the perilous Glider Pilot Regiment during the tumultuous final years of World War II.
Initially, ithis book was all about honoring the brave souls who volunteered to fill the flying boots of the many glider pilots lost in the catastrophic Operation Market-Garden at Arnhem, but it soon morphed into a thrilling ride through the entire history of military gliders – and let me tell you, it’s a bumpy one.
Strap in as Alan Cooper dives headlong into the nail-biting exploits of military gliders, from the audacious German assault on Crete in 1940 to the chaotic D-Day landings, and the tragic mishaps at Sicily and Arnhem. And just when you think it couldn’t get any more intense, we reach Operation Varsity—the grand finale of airborne operations that makes your average Grand Prix seem like a stroll in the park.
You’ll meet the RAF pilots who, after training under the Empire Flying Training Scheme, found themselves surplus to requirements and, in a moment of either heroism or utter madness, volunteered to fly unpowered wooden boxes into the jaws of danger. Their stories—too often overlooked by the history books—are packed with close calls, miraculous escapes, and the sort of ridiculous coincidences that would make a Hollywood scriptwriter weep with envy.
Featuring personal accounts from veterans who lived to tell the tale, this book will have you on the edge of your seat. It’s a whirlwind of bravery, tragedy, and the unyielding spirit of men who faced the enemy armed with nothing but a flimsy wooden unpowered aircraft and sheer guts.
Prepare for a riveting journey through the skies of history that will leave you breathless and a bit more appreciative of those who dared to give up their dreams of flying Spitfires and Hurricanes to pilot a winged cabbage crate and land it behind enemy lines -- or the equal number of pilots required to fly the 'tug' aircraft which towed the gliders across the North Sea to the battle zone.
"Wot! No Engines?" records a slice of aviation history that deserves to be remembered.
"Details
Publisher - Woodfield Publishing
Language - English
Paperback
Contributors
Author
Alan Cooper
Published Date - July 15 2024
ISBN - 9781903953181
Dimensions - 29.7 x 21.0 x 1.4 cm
Page Count - 246
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