The short history of paratroops leaves many areas inadequately covered by historians. This book reviews one specialist unit within the British Parachute Forces. This account is illuminating because it not only provides a very welcome history of the unit, but sheds light on some of their specialist missions – Highly Recommended.

Read the full review here.

Firetrench

This first hand experience come across well in the narrative and links the accounts across many of the other pathfinder veterans. Certainly worth a read.

MLP - Squadron Library - The Eagle - Volume 14

This hard-cover book is a new edition of a title first published way back in 1979. Written by a veteran, a member of the company, the author Ron Kent passed away in October 2005. If you have not seen the book before, then this is well worth reading. Once again this is the story of the men who were members of a particular unit and their story of training and combat. It is not a tale of high level commanders and strategy, but the men and their experiences in a very specialist unit.

It was tough to complete the training as a Paratrooper and clearly even more so to be selected for the specialist role of a Pathfinder. They would need to go in before the main drop and mark the landing zones for the following aircraft. Using a mix of visual signs and a Eureka beacon. It also meant some of them had to carry the heavy equipment bags when they jumped. The story tells the detail of personalities along with their training and then travel to North Africa, where they were set to take part in the invasion of Sicily. This was not a great success, as the aircrews carrying them were not trained to work on such a pinpoint role and their commander was among those shot down and killed. Once withdrawn they next moved and with more success took part in the fighting in Italy itself before being returned to the UK, leaving just one platoon to remain in Italy until later in the war.

The unit was not involved in the Normandy invasion, but went through preparations for a number of other planned drops which were all cancelled, some even when they were on board the planes, before actually going into action at Arnhem. The Pathfinders carried out their role successfully but had to remain with the rest of the 1st Airborne Division and this tells their story of the battle and subsequent withdrawal across the river. Additional work for them is recorded in Greece, where they found themselves caught between two rival groups fighting for control over the now liberated country. This police role is one they had to repeat in Palestine prior to their final disbanding. In between these two there was a mission into Norway to deal with the surrender of German forces there following the main German surrender. There could have been more fighting, but they got there to find well disciplined German units all ready to surrender so the troops were able to enjoy the warm reception they got from the liberated Norwegian population.

A really interesting story and told by one of the men who experienced it all himself. It is good I think that this has been republished and brought to a wide new generation of readers to learn the history of a specialist unit such as the Pathfinders.

Military Modelling - Robin Buckland

A fine history of the 21st Independent Parachute Company.

Evergreen Magazine - Spring 2016

Airborne action is always interesting and the Independent Company was at the forefront of the British 1st Airborne Division, and the reprint of this book is a welcome addition to the literature of the airborne forces of the Second World War.

Britain at War