For those interested in wartime stories and looking for distraction and inspiration in lockdown, Al Murray, best known as a comedian and satirist, has started a daily podcast in which he reads excerpts from ‘The Wings of the Pegasus’, a book written by Old Pangbournian George Chatterton (https://play.acast.com/s/wehaveways/239.thewingsofpegasus-bygeorgechatterton-episode1).

Brigadier George Chatterton (1925-29) DSO OBE was the commanding officer and inspiration of the Glider Pilot Regiment (GPR) in World War 2. He had a distinguished wartime career taking part in the invasion of Sicily, D-Day, Arnhem, and the crossing of the Rhine – all the major Allied WW2 operations involving parachutists. 

A no-nonsense officer who led from the front and personally devised many of the tactics used by the GPR, he retired from the Army after the war, went into the City of London, and raised more than £1 million (£4 million today) for a thalidomide Trust. His doughty second-in-command was Alistair Cooper who had been at Pangbourne with him but was killed in 1943 in the invasion of Italy.

Chatterton visited the College several times during the War to talk to the pupils and features strongly in Old Pangbournian Robin Knight’s new book, ‘Leaders’. Scheduled to be published by Unicorn in September, the book recounts stories of courage and bravery by OPs in war and peace from 1917 to the present.