- Type of Memorial
- Stone of remembrance
- WMR Reference Number
- 71382
- Description
- Large, irregular shaped natural stone with two smooth-cast inscription sections on the top of the stone. Regimental insignia flank the title commemoration. The memorial - also called the Renkum Stone - is positioned on a base of natural stone paving. A square plaque is fixed into ground alongside the stone engraved with the regimental history.
- Inscription
- Title section: THE/ GLIDER PILOT/ REGIMENT/ 1942-1957/ NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE
Converse section: BATTLE HONOURS/
[following in two columns]:
LANDING IN SICILY SOUTHERN FRANCE/
SICILY 1943 ARNHEM 1944/
NORMANDY LANDING RHINE/
PEGASUS BRIDGE NORTH-WEST EUROPE/
MERVILLE BATTERY/
THEY SHALL NOT GROW OLD AS WE THAT ARE LEFT GROW OLD/ AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN AND IN THE MORNING/ WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.
Plaque: GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT/ ARMY AIR CORPS/ 1942-1957/ THE GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT, ARMY AIR CORPS, WAS FORMED IN 1942./ GLIDER PILOTS WERE REQUIRED TO OPERATE AS COMBAY SOLDIERS/ HAVING LANDED THEIR GLIDERS IN ACTION./ TO QUALIFY AS ARMY PILOTS THEY TRAINED ON POWERED AIRCRAFT/ BEFORE GRADUATING TO THE HOTSPUR, HORSA, HADRIAN AND HAMILCAR GLIDERS./ THE MAJORITY OF THE GLIDER PILOTS WERE SENIOR NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS/ WITH OFFICER PILOTS IN COMMAND APPOINTMENTS./ THE GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT PERFORMED WITH DISTINCTION THROUGHOUT THE SECOND WORLD WAR/ IN ALL OF THE MAJOR AIRBORNE BATTLES AND ASSISTED IN CLANDESTINE OPERATIONS./ THEY SERVED NOT ONLY IN THE EUROPEAN THEATRE BUT IN NORTH AFRICA AND INDIA AS WELL./ THE REGIMENT HAD 556 MEN KILLED IN ACTION AND RECEIVED 113 AWARDS FOR GALLANTRY./ DURING THE PERIOD LATE 1944 UNTIL THE WAR'S END IN THE FAR EAST APPROXIMATELY/ 1,000 RAF GLIDER PILOTS WERE SECONDED TO THE REGIMENT, A NUMBER TAKING PART IN THE RHINE CROSSING OPERATION./ IN THE POST WAR YEARS THE GLIDER PILOT REGIMENT CONTINUED TO SUPPORT THE ARMY WITH LIGHT LIAISON/ AND RECONNAISSANCE FLIGHTS, IN EUROPE, KOREA AND THE FAR AND MIDDLE EAST./ MEMBERS OF THE REGIMENT ALSO TOOK PART IN THE BERLIN AIRLIFT./ THE PILOT REGIMENT WAS DISBANDED IN 1957 TO PROVIDE THE FOUNDATION FOR THE MODERN ARMY AIR CORPS./ THIS MEMORIAL STONE WAS PRESENTED BY THE PEOPLE OF RENKUM MUNICIPALITY IN THE NETHERLANDS./ IT WAS IN AND AROUND THIS AREA THAT THE REGIMENT SUFFERED THE VAST MAJORITY OF ITS MEMBERS KILLED IN ACTION./ THE RENKUM STONE MARKS THE UNIQUE BOND ITS PEOPLE HAVE WITH THE REGIMENT/ AND HAS GREAT RELEVANCE IN ITS LOCATION HERE AT ALREWAS ON MARKET GARDEN WAY.