Andrew Wheale discusses the development of British glider assault capability culminating in Operations DEADSTICK, TONGA and MALLARD during the Normandy Landings.
Inter-service rivalry, the scarcity of resources and the development of doctrine will all be discussed.
How did the development of Airborne Forces and the glider build programme fit into the wider war strategy set by Churchill in 1941?
What impact did the airborne landings have on the German defenders on D-Day?
Find out more by joining Andrew Wheale* in the Museum for this fascinating daytime talk at 10:30am on Saturday 26th April.
The content of talks are based on the research and views of the guest speakers.
The Museum is an independent charity and all proceeds from this event go towards supporting the work we do in preserving the history of British Army aviation.
*Andrew Wheale has enjoyed a life-long interest in military history and lives in Oxfordshire. His research interests include the World Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, Special Forces, combat effectiveness, leadership and military technology. He is a member of the British Commission for Military History and the Society of Army Historical Research. He has presented papers at conferences regarding British Airborne Forces during the Second World War. In 2019 he was awarded his DPhil by the University of Buckingham.
The thesis was published in 2022 by Helion and Company as Ham & Jam: 6th Airborne Division in Normandy - Generating Combat Effectiveness: November 1942 – September 1944, which in 2023 won the Templer First Book Prize.