During Operation Market Garden over thirty thousand British and American airborne troops were flown behind enemy lines with the intention of capturing the bridges on the border between Holland and Germany.
The video below, entitled Silent Wings - The American Glider Pilots of WWII is narrated by Hal Holbrook.
The Invasion of Holland, Operation Market Garden. In an effort to reclaim Holland, the largest glider mission as part of the First Allied Airborne Army is launched to take back the towns and bridges. The farthest bridge at Arnhem would prove to be a "bridge too far".
From the early race to build gliders to the D-Day invasion at Normandy and Nazi Germany's final surrender, Silent Wings - The American Glider Pilots of WWII narrated by Hal Holbrook, reveals the critical role gliders played in World War II offensives. Through rare archival footage and photographs, the film places the audience right at the center of the action in the dangerous world of the American glider pilot.
During WWII, 6000 young Americans volunteered to fly large unarmed cargo gliders into battle. For these glider pilots every mission was do-or-die. It was their task to repeatedly risk their lives landing the men and tools of war deep within enemy-held territory, often in complete darkness.
Thousands of lives were saved and battles won because of their efforts. In fact, one pilot interviewed said - the 'G' in their emblem didn't stand for glider; it stood for 'guts'. Additional information including contemporary documents, photographs, battle plans, reports and war diaries from the Museum of Army Fling in Middle Wallop is available on downloadable CD-ROM in the World War II Aviation History section.
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