Learning about Gliders

In preparation for learning about Operation Varsity, we spent Tuesday, April 14th, learning about gliders and what they did in World War II. The students came in without hardly knowing what a glider was, let alone how they were designed to go into combat and deliver troops, supplies and heavy equipment behind enemy lines.

We spent some time on a slide show that I had created to teach them the basics about gliders and how they were used in battle. Most of the session was spent watching clips from a great movie about gliders called "Silent Wings". They left the club on Tuesday with a lot of background knowledge about Operation Varsity so that when my grandpa comes in, they will have a context to help understand his stories.

If you want to know anything about the creation and use of gliders in World War II, "Silent Wings" is a great resource. It outlines the creation of military glider planes and follows their development through the war, highlighting every conflict where gliders were used. Interviews with surviving glider pilots helps bring this part of World War II history alive.