With the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy (Signed first edition)

1948, signed by Lieut.-Gen. Richard N "Wiindy" Gale

Author

Publisher

Printing Details

First edition, first printing. Hardback, blue cloth with printed title label to spine. 22 × 14cm, 160pp.

This copy has been signed by Richard N Gale in blue ink to the frontispiece portrait.

The inside story from the commander of the British 6th Airborne Division during the D-Day landings in June 1944. The book starts with details of the immense logistical and tactical challenge of preparing a new division for an operation that had never been attempted on such a scale, including coordination with the RAF for enough gliders and planes for his parachute unit. Gale then outlines the strategic missions assigned to the 6th Airborne on the night of June 5–6, 1944. Dropping on the extreme eastern flank of the invasion zone, their job was to protect the sea-borne troops landing on Sword Beach from German counter-attacks, and with the primary tasks of capturing the bridges over the River Orne and Caen Canal intact by tactical glider assault (the famous Benouville bridge, later renamed Pegasus Bridge), silencing the Merville Battery, a heavily fortified German gun emplacement that threatened the landing beaches, and destroying key bridges on the River Dives to delay German reinforcements.

Richard Nelson "Windy" Gale (1896–1982) served in the Great Warm being awarded the Military Cross in 1918 and served with 1st Parachute Brigade as well as the 6th Airborne Division in the Second World War. Post-war he remained in the army and succeeded Field Marshal The Viscount Montgomery as Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

Condition

A good plus copy. There is sunning to the spine and the rear board, and a previous owner's neat inscription and signature to the ffep and front pastedown. The main body of text is in very good condition with clean pages and secure binding. Gale's signature is crisp and clear. The book is illustrated with photographs and five folding maps, all of which are present and in good order.