This new history of the British Paratrooper, from 1940 to 1945, details
the unique training, weapons and equipment used by these elite troops.
Inspired by the exploits of the German Fallschirmjäger in the blitzkrieg
campaigns, Winston Churchill called for the formation of a 5,000-strong
Airborne Force in June 1940. From these beginnings the Parachute
Regiment became one of the foremost units of the British Army both in
World War II and up to the present day.
A wealth of first-hand and until now unpublished materials brings the
history of the ordinary Para to life, drawing on the author's position
as a curator of the Regimental Museum. Illustrations and photographs
illuminate the equipment and combat performance of the elite 'paras' in
the context of some of the most significant campaigns of World War II,
including D-Day and Operation market-garden.