The Red Devils: From Bruneval to the Falklands

Famous Regiments

by G.G. Norton, Brian Horrocks (Editor)

From Bruneval to North Africa, from Normandy to Suez, by parachute and glider the men of the Airborne Forces have gone by air to battle. But their activities have by no means been confined to purely airborne operations- the Special Air Service performed prodigies of valor behind the German Lines in the Western Desert and Italy; the Glider Pilot Regiment fought beside their infantry comrades in Normandy, at Arnhem and across the Rhine. Their post-war successors, maintaining these traditions, have stood between Jew and Arab in Palistine; fought and sweltered in the jungles of Malaya and Borneo; sweated in the Persian Gulf and the Radfan; chocked on the summer dust of Cypriot roads; tasted the grit and sand of Egypt and Jordan in their mess mess tins; spent more then a decade facing terrorist ambush, bombs and bullets in Northern Ireland; experienced subzero temperatures and biting arctic winds in the South Atlantic and 'tabbed' across the Falklands to spearhead victory in 1982. Now should the aircrews who flew them be forgotten, or the air supply dispatches who maintained them, or the units who supported them. With well over 100 photographs and illustrations this book is a comprehensive single-volume history of the Airborne Forces. Accounts are given of the airborne actions fought by the British Army, whilst the development of the parachute assault and the use of the glider-borne troops can be followed from their infancy to the massive coup de main technique employed in the Rhine crossing.

272 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 1971

Reviews

[zed · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting at times but I think the subject deserves a far better writer and one with less emotional involvement. The Japanese were "Brave..." "..but exceedingly stupid". The author thought that British imperialism was less ‘blatant’ than that of other nations. Used the old analogy of “One man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter” when trying to defend one enemy's actions against the paras but calling others terrorists and even hooligans at other times. Only recommended for those with a definite interest in the subject matter.

[Mark Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting potted history.