Wot? No Engines? – Military Gliders and Operation Varsity 1945

Military Gliders
ISBN 1-903953-18-9
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by Alan Cooper | A collection of first-hand accounts contributed by personnel from the RAF and the Glider Pilot Regiment who participated in Operation Varsity, March 1945

Illustrated by many historic photographs, this book contains a wealth of material that will be of value to students, historians and researchers interested in the development and use of military gliders by both sides during the Second World War culminating in their deployment in huge numbers during Operation Varsity – the largest airborne assault in history – in March 1945.

This book salutes the achievements of RAF pilots seconded to the Glider Pilot Regiment in 1944/45 to replace the large number lost by the regiment during the ill-fated Operation Market-Garden at Arnhem in Holland in September 1944.

These RAF pilots, many of whom had trained abroad under the Empire Flying Training Scheme, had returned to the UK in the hope of flying fighter aircraft such as the Spitfire or Hurricane, fighter-bombers such as the Mosquito or Beaufighter, or heavy bombers such as the Lancaster or Liberator. Most of them were disappointed when they were ‘volunteered’ to fly gliders, a type of aircraft they had never intended to fly. Bearing Arnhem in mind, they were understandably apprehensive about the future...

Despite their misgivings, they went on to play a crucial role in the largest airborne operation of World War II, Operation Varsity, the crossing of the Rhine on 24th March 1945. The significant part played by this large RAF contingent has been largely overlooked by historians to date and it is hoped that this book will go some way towards making up for this oversight.

Produced in a large format with many photographs, this impressive piece of work sets the scene for Operation Varsity in its early chapters by taking in the entire history of military gliders and their development and use by both sides during World War II, leading up to their mass deployment by the Allies in the latter stages of the war in Europe.

The following chapters feature first-hand accounts from dozens of veterans of Varsity, including many glider and tug pilots plus some of the personnel they carried. Between them they paint a fascinating and accurate picture of what it was like to train for and fly with the largest ever airborne armada in history and then to land in the midst of a battle zone under intense enemy fire. Many men were killed or wounded.

The RAF pilots of Operation Varsity have every right to be proud of their contribution to the final chapter of World War II and this book does an excellent and thorough job in recording their names and deeds for posterity, including a full ‘roll of honour’ and many facts, figures and statistics about the aircraft and the men who flew in them.

An excellent source of material for students, historians and researchers , this book will also be of interest to  relatives of those involved in the glider-borne assaults of World War II.

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 Softback | large format 205 x 290 mm | 246 pages
subject

Operation Varsity, the Rhine crossing of March 1945

The Glider Pilot Regiment

the RAF pilots whose aircraft towed the gliders to their destinations