Share This Page:

  

Those were the days,

Discussions about those units who make up The Parachute Regiment.
Post Reply
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Those were the days,

Post by Tab »

The Freedom of Aldershot 1957, and I can't even find my self

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7RoiGvS_Bws
User avatar
got1
Member
Member
Posts: 1318
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 8:30 pm
Location: scotland

Re: Those were the days,

Post by got1 »

I think 1 Para donkey major was "donkey thorne", also I think I spotted "Sadie Scripps in the 1 Para drums.
The shot looks nothing like that now.:-(
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Re: Those were the days,

Post by Tab »

The last time I was in Aldershot was just after the Freedom was given, mind you there were very few faces you could pick out except for the corps drums. I remember back in 1957 when they had the Army athletics in the stadium there and the Parachutes Regiment Corps of Drums literally filled the field. That was a time when the Regimental Band were all paratroopers along with the Drummers, there was not a Penguin to be seen any where.
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Re: Those were the days,

Post by Tab »

In 1956 we had spent a year in Cyprus fighhting EOKA and had been on the Suez Invasion and here we are a year later and there is not of medal to be seen on any of the men. These days they seem to get them as soon as the get back home.
User avatar
owdun
Member
Member
Posts: 1367
Joined: Wed 02 Jan, 2002 12:00 am
Location: Solihull

Re: Those were the days,

Post by owdun »

As an old Bootneck,Tab,I have to say that was a very impressive turn out.The men looked really smart and up for it,as opposed to the present day parades in bloody desert fatigues.
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Re: Those were the days,

Post by Tab »

owdun.....when you think that a large chunk of those chaps were national servicemen like my self, it makes you think that they got there money worth out of us as we were on half pay and often on here we are told that we were not proper soldiers.
User avatar
owdun
Member
Member
Posts: 1367
Joined: Wed 02 Jan, 2002 12:00 am
Location: Solihull

Re: Those were the days,

Post by owdun »

Tab,I know little about training in the Parachute Regiment during the late 40s-50s,but I totally refute any suggestion that the N.S.men were not real soldiers,too many died on Active service for that to be true.My knowledge of the Training of Royal Marines was that our N.S. Marines were trained to the same standard as C.S.men,and a lot of them signed on for more punishment when their time was up. :D :D
User avatar
Tab
Member
Member
Posts: 7275
Joined: Wed 16 Apr, 2003 7:09 pm
Location: Southern England
Contact:

Re: Those were the days,

Post by Tab »

owdun........In the 40's and a part of the 50's you had to be a trained soldier before you could put in for the Parachute Regiment as for a long time they did not have a direct intake. In those days there was a two week P Course and if you did not measure up on any part of or dropped out if you could not keep up then you were immediately RTU. They seemed to run a P Course every two weeks in those day and my number was 113 to give you an idea of the size and they selected enough men to fit in one Hastings aircraft for Abingdon, which will give you an idea just how many failed the tests.
Post Reply