AIRBORNE FORCES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR

AIRBORNE FORCES OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR
by Lieutenant Colonel Otway DSO


This originally 'confidential' Official History of the Airborne Forces was written just after the war whilst the author, a former Parachute Battalion Commander on D-Day, was employed at the War Office.
Made public in 1990 it is reprinted here in full by Naval Military Press.

This OH takes a broad approach and looks at the Glider Regiment & The SAS, as well as the Parachute Regiments. 
It takes a fascinating look at pre-war attempts by countries, notably Russia, who had made some progress in building a joint Airborne & Glider Force.

The creation & planning of a British Airborne Force from scratch, how the officers & men were selected, along with finding a site for a suitable HQ are all covered extensively. 
Training facilities & methods follow as does a look at the issues & shortages of suitable aircraft & gliders.

All the wartime operations & theatres that involved Airborne forces,
Sicily, D-Day & Arnhem for example, get a general overview of events, casualty figures & an assessment of their success & if any lessons were learnt.
*The OH author states that he didn't have the space to give a full account of every operation. 

At the rear there is an immense Appendix, packed with even more details on the aircraft & gliders, as well as a host of maps of the many different Airborne operations, including some carried out by the SAS.

Approaching 500 pages & just shy of A4 in size, this is a huge book. Official Histories can often be rather dry reads, but I found an enormous amount in this that was of great interest. 
I'm sure for both historians & readers alike, it will be a book that will be referred back to often.
Produced on high quality paper & with many coloured maps, NMP have done a great job.

The book is available now from the Naval Military Press website,
www.naval-military-press.com




Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

ROYAL NAVY FORCE H: 1940-42

Image
ROYAL NAVY FORCE H 1940-42 This is book 14 in Osprey's 'Fleet' series and is written by naval historian, Angus Konstam. If you have read any second world war books on the Mediterranean war and/or Malta, then it is highly likely that Force H and its well respected commander, V.Adm. Sir James Somerville, is mentioned. Based at Gibraltar, Force H patrolled both the Atlantic and the Western Mediterranean often escorting vital convoys to Malta. It was Somerville who led the fleet in the attack on the French fleet at Mers-el-Kébir and they would also be later involved in the hunt for the Bismarck.  As well as describing the fleet's ships, its commander and their wartime endeavors, the role and defences of Gibraltar is also covered. This is an added bonus as most books generally only give Gibraltar a passing mention. With a fascinating narrative, aided with many useful maps, charts and original artwork, it is a book I have certainly enjoyed and would definitely rec...
Read more

THE DUMMY DRONE

Image
THE DUMMY DRONE BY Rob More. Away from the Battle of Britain in the skies over the English Channel and Southern counties, or the devastating blitz bombing of London and other major cities, surely  the far North of Scotland would hardly be effected by the second world war?  Well the opposite was true. In this fabulous new book, local author and resident, Rob More reveals how the county of Caithness was a scene of great change from the coastline and beaches to the farmland, hills and villages. Not forgetting all those who lived and worked there.  With the area hosting a range of wartime installations and airfields it received many visits from the Luftwaffe. As we learn in the book, civilians and their properties would also be caught up in these raids. From the radar stations searching for enemy aircraft, to those recruited for the local Home Guard and the lesser known Auxiliary Units. Communities the length of Britain prepared for an expected German invasion. Ro...
Read more

MITCHELL

Image
MITCHELL: Father of the Spitfire  By Paul Beaver. The majority of readers will have heard the name R.J. Mitchell and certainly his most famous aircraft design, the beloved Spitfire. Yet many, myself included, might not have known that his career began in railway engineering. This and so much more is revealed by author , Paul Beaver, who shares the full story of this remarkable man who became Supermarine's chief designer at the age of just 24. Alongside Reginald's career, we also learn how the Supermarine company was founded and then grew during the decades between the two world wars.  Mitchell's answering of Supermarine's job advertisement  would prove to be the beginning of a remarkable legacy. Importantly, o ne the author also states came about with the brains and skills of a talented group of people who have been too often overlooked. This legacy is of course far more than just the Spitfire. Many other types of aircraft especially flying boats were also d...
Read more