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Since helicopters were not used in World War II, the U.S. Army used gliders to carry troops and weapons into enemy territory.
In theory, gliders could land quickly and silently and that the troops could begin fighting within minutes of landing.
The U.S. Army used two kinds of gliders. The American made Waco and the British-made Horsa.
Another interesting aspect of the World War II gliders was the men who flew them. I mean. what kind of men wanted to fly in unarmed,engine-less,canvas-covered gliders into the most heavily defended part of Europe against the most highly mechanized army in the history of the world?
"Flying Coffins" were often referred to the World War II gliders because of it's destructability. Gliders were made of either plywood or of metal and canvas. A far cry to the sleek,aerodynamic models flown for sport today.
Although glider missions were instrumental in the success of D-Day operation,many glidermen did not survive. The flimsy aircraft had no navigational or landing equipment, relying mostly on luck to land.
The World War II gliders were used with great success in the D-Day mission. The plan of invasion Of Normandy relied upon glider operations landing in Central France to distract German Forces as the Allied Seaborne troops came to shore.
Gliders have not been used in war since then. Gliders were not given the same sort of attention that all other aspects of the war were given.
So to experience a new kind of appreciation to these simple but historically significant aircraft and the heroic men who flew them...begin collecting original war photos,stamps,army medals and bits and pieces of the gliders itself like the control panel for instance. Or anything that reminds you of the important contribution of the World War II gliders and the brave men who flew them.
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