Crab in Cab - that "number of battered and smashed AAC gliders in a field in the 40's" very probably held a number of battered and smashed and very dead GPR pilots in them.
So if you must sneer at anyone, sneer at me, not them. And as for the GPR being soldiers first, if you'd taken the time to look more closely at the painting you'd notice that gliders don't have any engines, so being a soldier first was probably a very clever thing to be.
As opposed to a very brave RAF chap like you so clearly are, sweeping aside the sacrifices of history from the safety of the Aldergrove Mess.