510464 - AND SUDDENLY THEY WERE GONE: An Oral and Pictorial History of the 82d Airborne Division in England, February - September 1944

By Adam G R Berry

The arrival of the 82d Airborne Division in England in February 1944, was shrouded in secrecy. Their movements were known only to the highest ranking Officers, their patches removed, and any items of clothing that could distinguish them as Airborne were removed and placed deep within the confines of their duffle bags. It was all part of the overall Allied plan for Operation Fortitude, to deceive the Germans and mask Allied efforts to amass their Armies ready for the invasion of Normandy.

It did not take long however, for their presence to become known amongst locals, and thus began an eight month long stay that would firmly cement the Division into the annals of Leicestershire and Nottinghamshire history. And suddenly they were gone tells the story of the 82d Airborne Division in England, with stories of romance and friendship, as well as tales of theft and murder. With over 400 photographs and testimonies from both veterans of the Division and the locals who remember them, this book stands as the most comprehensive history of this little known period in the life of this fine Division.