The First Story of Britain's New Paratroops

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume LXIX, Issue 13325, 30 April 1941, Page 8

The First Story of Britain's New Paratroops

Details of Britain's newest, toughest army—our paratroops —have now been released for the first time, says an article in a recent issue of the Daily Mail. These men, trained to drop from low-flying R.A.F. troop carriers, have gone through a hardening process at work and play which makes them one of our most mobile striking forces. Long route marches across country with rarely a halt for meals, ■swimming fully clad with weapons and equipment, and instruction in Vieldcraft, stalking, and all the arts of guerrilla warfare, have been included in their training.

Many of the lessons learned by British troops on the North West Frontier of India and in colonial and desert campaigns are taught by seasoned soldiers, while hand-to-hand combat is a study in itself. Perfectly Fit

The highest.standard of physical fitness is insisted upon.

The men- —they include dirt-track riders and footballers —are encouraged to get and keep perfectly fit, and their games are all the violent sports such as Rugby, boxing, wrestling and jiu-jitsu. The operational unit is much smaller than in the ground Army. Men are taught to work singly and in very small numbers, and special attention is paid to the study of sabotage behind enemy lines. Key points of industries and Communications must be known.

An exceedingly high standard of weapon handling is required, too, and the men—already trained soldiers — undergo'very intensive courses. Hundreds of people in rural areas of Britain and certain Empire countries are now released from a selfimposed pledge of secrecy concerning the training.of these troops. Their silence has enabled our High •Command to spring another surprise on the enemy. Special Gear

For months now these men and women of the hamlets have been accustomed to see the paratroops dropping from giant twin-engine planes —but they have kept as silent as ,'the troops themselves. Now the first details may be revealed of the troops' equipment and graining. I Long before the first paratroops floated down in Southern Italy I stood in a British field at the dawn of a gloomy winter day, writes a Daily Mail reporter. One after the other huge aeroplanes, barely visible in the halflight, passed overhead. Man after man baled out, the spectators holding their breath, for it seemed that they would crash before each wide fluttering balloon of silk could bear up the -weight. But each man landed deftly and without incident —-proof of the thoroughness of the training. Immediately following the paratroops came their equipment, floating down in kitbags attached to parachutes.

. Every man is a volunteer —selected from an overflowing list of young unmarried men who had passed a rigorous medical examination.' Almost every branch of the Army is represented in their ranks—the Pioneer Corps not excepted. There is special pay for qualified men, and a new badge has been approved—wings similar to those worn by R.A.F. pilots, with a miniature parachute in the centre in place of the monogram "R.A.F." Training is designed to produce a bold, offensive, quick-thinking and quick-moving soldier, able to hit hard and swiftly.

r Speed, unrelenting and everincreasing speed, coupled with superefficiency and the power to hit dej.vastatingly hard through small but 1 perfectly trained units —that is how the Allied Command plans to shatter ! not only the enemies' armies, but his Took Prince's Car Our air infantry showed their ability in a recent exercise watched by the Chief of the Imperial General !. Staff and Prince Olaf of Norway. ! The paratroops even commandeerjed the Prince's waiting car. • The i chauffeur explained afterwards that I though he protested there had been .' something about the paratroops that i had caused him to obey without ] much demur.

Squadron-Leader Strange, who is ,4 8, learned to fly in 1913 and served in the last war as well as this. He flew home from France in his first Hurricane. It had no guns, 'and only a few of its instruments, but he eluded eight Messerschmitts which attacked him over the Channel.