Customer Reviews

Silent Wings - The American Glider Pilots of WWII

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4 star:		(2)
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This documentary covers a subject that has not been told in it`s own light.
Well worth watching. I learned many things I was unaware of and I pride myself on being knowledgeable in WWII History. Yet I still find more every time I get a new DVD or Book.

They all volunteered - to serve in a branch of the service that no longer exists. They knew they were to be pilots on a one-way mission. Fly them in and then grab a rifle and join the infantry. That was the lot of a Glider Pilot. The G on their wings surely stood for "Guts"
Watch this exciting tape and you will certainly want to tip your hat to the few living veterans of this extrodinary branch of the Army Air Corp.

A month ago a man in my late father's platoon set me the DVD "Silent Wings" the story of American glider pilots during World War II. Since this man, Bill Shorter and my Dad Charles Wilber were glider riders I found this nearly 2-hour documentary very informative and a pleasure to watch. Many Americans don't realize that the gliders were an important and dangerous part of the American airborne forces during that war. Using interviews with both German and American glider pilots along with great insite by reporters Walter Cronkite and Andy Rooney the DVD was excellant. It not only showed American glider action but also German glider assualts. I recommend this documentary for not only WWII buffs but anyone interested in history.

I did not know the full history of the glider pilots. Now I do, and I am impressed and awed by their unselfishness and heroics. Everyone interested in WWII should see this documentary.

When my graduating grandson (heading for college) asked me about "gliders" in wartime for an essay on WWII, my interest in anything that flies answered some of his questions, and to reinforce it, I got him the copy of Silent Wings and that gave him a better documented story; bravery, heroism, victory and tragedy.

FABULOUS ACTUAL ACCOUNT WITH REAL FOOTAGE. TRUE STORIES OF REAL HEROS NEVER BEFORE AWARDED THEIR DUE. ESPECIALLY FLYING ALL THOSE TROOPERS IN UNDER ENEMY LINES IN THE DARK . A VERY GOOD MOVIE AND STORY.

I'd had no idea of how much the glider pilots had contributed to the war - this DVD was very educational. It included some history about the glider program, early problems, and training.
I liked the interviews with various surviving glider pilots, Walter Cronkite, and Andy Rooney.
About the DVD itself:
Presented in the 16 X 9 format (with subtitles!). Almost two hours long.
Quality of the source material was sometimes limited to old 16mm film, but that was expected.
Bottom line: Highly Recommended!

Since I had an uncle who was a glider pilot (and died in Operation Varsity), I've been researching gliders for a number of years. This book is the best I've found from the perspective of first person accounts.

In the annals of World War II history one finds a plethora of information about the soldiers, sailors and airmen who fought the war. It's usually about the infantry and the paratroopers, about the tank battles, the air battles, the sea battles and the war on the home front and how they all combined their efforts to win the war. But how much do we hear about another aspect of air warfare, the gliders and the men who flew them to deliver the heavy goods to the troops who parachuted behind the lines?

This film explains the history of the glider corps, the concept of aerial delivery in use before the present day airdrop of heavy equipment in a combat zone was perfected in the post-WWII era. It covers the selection of glider pilots, men who wanted to be Air Corps pilots but, for various reasons, were unable to qualify for powered aircraft ratings, the design of WWII gliders, both Allied and Axis, and a brief history of every major glider operation during the war beginning with the German assaults in Belgium in 1940 and Crete in 1941, the US/British actions in Burma, Normandy, Southern France and Holland, and the Rhine Crossings in 1945.

Interviews with former glider pilots throughout the film add a personal touch to this great story of a group of men who entered a combat zone as professional airmen but who quickly became infantrymen once they delivered their goods. Trained to cut loose from their tow aircraft and land in the middle of a combat zone 30 seconds later with their cargoes of humans and heavy equipment, they were not only responsible for delivering their cargo safely but were expected to fight along side their fellow troopers until they were no longer needed in the combat zone and could be evacuated back to their bases in time for their next drop. As the glider pilots themselves are wont to say, "The "G" on our wings didn't stand for "Gliders", it stood for "Guts!"

This documentary is as entertaining as it is informative, and it is a must for any serious WWII historian, aviation or otherwise.

WWII was the only war in which gliders were used in combat on a large scale. For a variety of reasons (mostly the practicality of helicopters) these aircraft are no longer needed but for a time they represented one of the best ways for delivering troops behind enemy lines and the ONLY way to deliver light artillery and other "heavy" equipment needed by airborne troops.

This documentary inlcudes archival footage not just of US operations but also German operations which shaped American interest in the glider as a weapon. There are also interviews with glider pilots who served during many of the campaigns in Europe and elsewhere. A great film and well-worth watching.