Quite simply Sam was a real hero - and he would clip me round the back of the head for saying that - and his regiment, The Glider Pilot Regiment, have never had the praise they deserve.
They 'flew' canvas framed bits of wood into the hell holes that were Sicily & Arnhem and contributed very heavily to D Day & the final crossing of the Rhine, performing miracles in not only finding their landing zones, but also fighting when landed & returning home safe & secure.
Highly trained, dedicated & fiercely loyal, the survivors of the regiment remain self-deprecating & humble in the extreme. Both in conversation & through correspondence these very fine men are matter of fact and humourous about their war time experiences. I feel the need to tell people of their massive contribution to the war effort before they pass on.
I am 46, a bit of a peace loving hippy and find war abhorrent, but the dedication of the GPR has opened my eyes to what happens when fighting along side friends. I never thought I would come to this kind of understanding and thank these great old fellas for helping me to gain that understanding.
My dad was a very funny man, who only spoke of the daft situations he got himself into, but having spoken to so many of his ex-comrades, I now know he truly was the hero I thought he was. Sam died in 1986 and each year we all miss him more. Thanks dad!
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