Capt. James Peninger: Glider Pilot on D-Day

Captain James Peninger served in World War Two  as a glider pilot. He fought in the Invasion of Normandy, and was the first glider to cross the Rhine River.

During WWII, glider planes were used to carry ground troops, and sometimes a jeep, into enemy territory. Regular planes dragged these gliders via a rope, which was cut over enemy territory at the release point. The glider kept flying, to hopefully find a clear landing zone behind enemy lines. Since the gliders were flimsy, designed for a single flight, and always sent into enemy territory, flying them was a notoriously dangerous job.

To learn more about glider pilots during World War Two, visit ww2gp.org.

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