Sky Warriors- British Airborne Forces in the Second World War’
A talk by Saul David
18th October 2024
Come and join us at the Grosvenor House for ‘Sky Warriors‘, a talk about the history of the British airborne experience across the Second World War by best-selling historian Saul David.
The legendary ‘Red Devils’ were among the first combat troops of the Second World War. Created at Churchill’s instigation in June 1940, they began as a single parachute battalion of 500 men and grew into three 10,000 strong airborne divisions: the 1st, 6th and 44th Indian, each composed of parachutists and glider-borne troops.
Wearing their distinctive maroon berets, steel helmets and Dennison smocks, they served with distinction in every major theatre of the conflict – including North Africa, Sicily, mainland Europe and the Far East. They played a starring role in some of the most iconic airborne operations in history: the Bruneval Raid of February 1942; the capture of the Primasole, Pegasus and Arnhem Bridges in July 1943, June 1944 and September 1944 respectively; and Operation Varsity, the biggest parachute drop in history, near Wesel in Germany in March 1945.
‘Sky Warriors’ is an accomplished act of of storytelling; authoritative, far-reaching and deeply moving. The end result is a dramatic narrative of the airborne forces’ recruitment, training and wartime exploits. This is the first time the complete wartime story of the British airborne forces has been told. ‘Sky Warriors’ was a Sunday Times bestseller in April 2024.
- Date: 18th October 2024
- Venue: Grosvenor Arms Shaftesbury
- Ticket Price: £20 Includes a glass of wine on arrival
- Timings: Doors open 6pm, talk starts 6.30pm