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Apart from individual sneaky beaky HALO drops by those awfully nice chaps in Hereford, when was the last time there was a combat drop of British troops?

Was it Suez?

Yes, the last operational combat drop was by 3 PARA during Op Musketeer.

Thought so, cheers, just wanted to confirm.

London Boy, were you fishing or really didn't know?

Nah, I wasn't fishing, I was almost certain, just not 100% sure.

Ok mate, it's just that it has been on before and a certain regiment said that they had done an operational jump in Sierra Leone.

got1 wrote:Ok mate, it's just that it has been on before and a certain regiment said that they had done an operational jump in Sierra Leone.

Of course, remiss of me to forget Sierra Leone, but did those west
country chaps actually drop in? I really don't know.Hence of course my initial question.

But, I make a very clear distinction between operational combat drops of sticks into live combat theatres i.e suez....And HALO drops "friendly territory" that happens to be miles from the combat theatre to which the troopers are going to negotiate a safe cross-country route to.

I think he is on about 2 Regt RAF

Is he? You mean my old mob II Field Sqn - Airborne RAF Regt - to give it it's correct title.

Well put me in a frock and call me Letitia... I had no idea

Like Got1 has said some people say it was an operational jump but it was just a training exercise

I was an technically an operational jump, in that it was done during an operation. However it was a show of force as opposed to combat jump, ie there was no enemy in the area. Something similar was planned in both Iraq and Afghanistan, but the assets (ie C130s) couldn't be spared.

In 1982 there was a plan to capture Great Island in the Falklands with a small force from 3 PARA, but it was cancelled due to poor weather.

In 1996 a parachute drop into Zaire by the lead spearhead battalion to locate and save thousands of refugees from armed tribesmen was given the go-ahead, but was scapped when they were finally located by satellite. The plan included over tweny C-130s, twelve of which were to carry the leading force.

but the assets (ie C130s) couldn't be spared

What's new mate.

SO19 wrote:In 1996 a parachute drop into Zaire by the lead spearhead battalion to locate and save thousands of refugees from armed tribesmen was given the go-ahead, but was scapped when they were finally located by satellite. The plan included over tweny C-130s, twelve of which were to carry the leading force.

And that was during my first year in the PF, I was chinned when they binned it!