| Original caption: “Airborne troops of Sixth Airlanding Brigade admire the graffiti chalked on the side of their Horsa glider at a [Royal Air Force] RAF airfield as they prepare to fly out to Normandy as part of Sixth Airborne Division’s second lift.” Airborne troops admire the graffiti chalked on the side of their Airspeed AS.51 Horsa glider as they prepare to fly out as part of the 2nd drop on Normandy on the night of June 6, 1944. The glider has “The Channel Stopped you, but not us” and “Now it’s our turn – you had your time you German winhunds.” Windhund means “greyhound.” It’s possible the paratroopers misspelled Schweinhund (literally “Boar Hound” but figuratively “Bastard”). It looks like “Bastard” was wiped away. 2 paratroopers carry crash axes, used to cut their way out of crashed Hrsa or Waco gliders. The handle was rubber insulated against shocks. A 2nd Horsa glider is in the background. 21 hours after the initial landing by D Company of the 2nd Ox and Bucks Light Infantry at the Orne River bridges, the 6th Airlanding Brigade began Operation Mallard. 223 Horsa gliders landed on Drop Zone “W” south of Ouistreham and Drop Zone “N” east of Ranville from 1700 Hours to bring reinforcements in men and equipment. 242 gliders out of 246 total originally planned landed in Normandy. More than 5,300 British and Canadian soldiers were transported by 84 Groups of the Royal Air Force (RAF). The Brigade launched from Broadwell, Harwell, Down Ampney, Keevil, Brize Norton, Fairford, and Tarrant Rushton. | |
| Image Filename | wwii0481.jpg |
| Image Size | 391.08 KB |
| Image Dimensions | 2361 x 1701 |
| Photographer | Edward G. Malindine |
| Photographer Title | War Office official photographer |
| Caption Author | Written or Adapted by Jason McDonald |
| Date Photographed | June 6, 1944 |
| Location | |
| City | |
| State or Province | |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Archive | Imperial War Museum |
| Record Number | H 39178 |
| Status | Caption ©2026 MFA Productions LLC Please Do Not Duplicate or Distribute Without Permission; Image in the Public Domain |
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