Making friends and injuring them

The Border Regiment were a pioneerting air-landing battalion. Not paratroops but flown by glider. This has the advantgae of landing a cohesive unit in one place at the same time. 1BORDER's gliders landed a complete platoon. This was unlike paratroop units that could become scattered.

But during WWII Britain’s airborne forces faced the daunting problem of securing the resources that the new kind of warfare required at a time when the resources for traditional warfare were often lacking. Transport aircraft for paratroops and tugs to tow the gliders.

Bombers not transports

Though Churchill had called for the creation of airborne forces many in the RAF were not convinced.

Air Chief Marshal Arthur Harris was particularly scathing in his response for aircraft to drop paratroops or tow gliders.

“I must record my conviction that had we sufficient air resources to transport an airborne force that could have any decisive influence on the outcome of the war, they would be sufficient to bring Germany to her knees by the simple process of carrying sufficient explosives for that purpose.”

Winning friends?

Every opportunity was therefore taken to impress senior officers and politicians with the new troops.

In January 1943 Members of Parliament were give a flight in one of the new Horsa gliders in January 1943. It did did not go according to plan.

Ellen Wilkinson (right in photograph), a Labour MP and a junior minister at the time was injured when the glider landed on Salisbury Plain. A PR nightmare. You injure someone who you want to support you.

At least the MPs were not singled out for rough treatment. Major-General Browning commanding officer of Britain’s Airborne Forces, was also injured.

The Editor