Baggy Pants and Warm Beer

ISBN: 1846830419

Author: Peter Outridge

Condition: New

This book tells the story of the eventful five-month period in 1944 when the men of 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment ~ nicknamed ‘The Devils in Baggy Pants’ and part of the US 82nd Airborne Division ~ found themselves temporary neighbours, and in many cases good friends, to the villagers of Evington, Stoughton and Oadby in Leicestershire, England. Here they enjoyed a few brief months of respite after their participation in the campaigns in North Africa, Sicily and Italy, before heading into action once again on D-Day, 6th June 1944 and subsequent battles across mainland Europe. During their stay in Leicestershire there was plenty of time for the high-spirited young US paratroopers to make an impact on the local population, and this they did, bringing with them a welcome taste of American culture to austere wartime Britain. Even 70 years later they are still fondly remembered by many locals, some whom were just children at the time, but have never forgotten the warmth, generosity and fun-loving attitude of ‘the Yanks’. For their part, the US veterans of the 504 PIR have never forgotten the warm welcome they received in Leicestershire and many of them have contributed their recollections of their brief stay in England to this book. Although just a footnote to the history of World War Two, this book records a significant chapter in the lives of all those involved and as such is a valuable piece of social and military history.