480 Platoon The Paras

Of all the forces who restored to Britain its property and its

interest in the Falkland Islands,

none fought with greater bravery

than the officers and men of the Parachute Regiment.

CHEERING

Their most celebrated victory came at Goose Green where the 600 men

of the 2nd Battalion defeated and

took prisoner an opposition which outnumbered them by almost 3 to 1.

The exploit recalled World War II

when the Germans named them the Red Devils.

After an astonishing 50-mile battle march, the 3rd Battalion found the

strength to scale and capture Mount Longdon with bullet and bayonet.

As the Argentinians laid down their arms,

the Paras were first into Stanley.

Only then did they calculate

the scale of the victory and what it had cost.

Lieutenant Colonel Jones, Captain Woods, Captain Dent,

Lieutenant Barry.

The price, 40 dead out of 1200, 95 wounded,

inmilitary terms a triumph.

The reward, the only two VCs of the campaign, 20 other gallantry medals,

and 40 Mentioned In Despatches, including the padre.

Ashes to ashes,

dust to dust.

Yet none of them had been to war before.

So who are these men and boys in red berets and what are they made of?

This series of films charts the training of The Paras

who once more have returned home to Aldershot as heroes to be saluted

by their Colonel in Chief.

I wasn't at all surprised that they did achieve what

they achieved out there because they're that sort of person.

They were so utterly determined

to give a good account of themselves and to show that they were

the best, because I know that's what they think they are.

They are an extraordinary bunch of people the Parachute Regiment, they

have a peculiar kind of determination and dedication and they

really believe in their regiment and in themselves

and in the fact that they are a peculiar kind of elite.

MARCHING MUSIC

At 07:15 hours on January 11, long before the Falklands

became a factor, Aldershot's newest recruits arrive to face the toughest

Army training outside the SAS.

Two-thirds would fail, indeed of the first three through the barrier

only one would last the course.

OK, what's your name?

- Melvin. - Melvin?

Alistair Melvin, 19, two O-levels, apprentice woodcutter.

Have you brought a photograph?

- No. - OK, put your kit on the minibus,

go into the photograph booth outside

and get your photograph taken, and then get back in the minibus.

Clark.

- Clark. - Lee Clark, 18, five CSEs, one

O-level in music, unemployed.

Chard.

Mark Chard, 18, four CSEs, ex-dispatch rider.

Young men seeking a new image.

After interviews and tests at local recruiting offices and

selection centres, 41 young men aged between 17 and 24 had been accepted

by the Army as potential soldiers of

the Parachute Regiment, training as 480 Platoon.

There's no shortage of volunteers. In Britain's bleak midwinter

more than half these lads had come in from the dole.

The welcome too was cool and concrete,

and although the name of their barrack block hinted at

heroic endeavour, those who imagined they were entering

a brave new world of glamour were plumb wrong.

OK, who have we got?

Woodcock.

Woodcock Sean, all right.

- Melvin. - Melvin. Just quickly get

out the documentation you were given,

or told to appear with, and then

put your suitcases in the locker itself and then we'll start getting

you away and getting you through the necessary interviews.

- Any questions? - What made me join the army?

I wanted to join the army when I left school

but my parents were against that, me joining the Army,

but after a while doing several jobs,

I used to work down Desford Pit, it just got on my nerves.

I went on the dole for a bit then I thought I'd go for the Army,

but I got a job after I applied for the army, but I still chose the Army.

- Why? - It's a good career,

it's a chance to travel, a chance

to do something different, it's not just an ordinary job is it?

KNOCK ON DOOR Come in.

Just close the door, Fleming, and sit on that chair just for a moment.

What made you leave Scotland

and come down here to join the Parachute Regiment?

I always considered the Parachute Regiment the best

as I used to be in the cadets when I was a young lad,

so I thought I'd come down and give it a good hard try.

Now the discipline,

what do you reckon your attitude's going to be to the discipline here?

Pretty good, sir, I've worked with the Regulars and I

kept to their discipline so I think I should be pretty good on it.

Good. In the barrack room you're going to be living with

40 other guys, split up into rooms of four generally,

and so you're all going to be mucking in together.

And the other thing of course you need to do

is to look after yourself, keep yourself clean

and tidy, get your beds made, keep your locker clean and tidy

and the floors done, all that sort of stuff.

Although they have now made their own beds,

they don't have to lie on them.

For one week only, recruits may leave if and when they wish.

Only the Paras and the Guards, because of their peculiar

and demanding requirements, offer this facility.

You weren't given a number?

By gum, lad, name again?

- Chard. - Chard...

Right I'll give you your Army number.

Write it down and imprint it on your mind for evermore.

- 24611752. - Yes.

What are you laughing about?

- The haircut. - Do you think it looks good?

It's all right, it's for a reason,

isn't it, if I'm running about 10 miles or

something and it gets all sweaty and goes in my eyes, it's best as it is.

- Just feels a bit cold. - It does in this weather.

- Yes. - Why did you join?

Why have I joined? It's an ambition, I've wanted to do it for a long time

and I like something if it's difficult for me to do.

My name is Capt Baird,

and I'll be your platoon commander for the next six months.

I'd also like to introduce to you the rest of the platoon staff

for those of you who don't actually know them - Sergeant Riley.

From your left, Cpl Priestly, Cpl Baker, Cpl Slater,

Cpl Pollard, and Cpl Lydon.

From now on, whenever you address me, you will call me "Sir".

Whenever you address Sgt Riley you will call him "Sergeant".

You will call each of the section commanders "Corporal", not "Corp"

or any other thing that you might have heard on the films, "Corporal"

is that clear?

OK. When you speak to any of us you will always stand to attention

not just wander up casually, hands on hips.

You will stand to attention,

and you will be taught how to stand to attention later this week.

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

Let's try a 57.

First contact with that famous or notorious piece of headgear

is brief and tantalising.

56.

They sign for it but don't dare wear it.

When they have completed four weeks' basic training,

they'll wear it, but still on sufferance.

Only after the Regimental Depot has spent six months

and £9,000 training them and they've been posted

to their battalions, 1, 2, or 3 Para,

will the red beret sit securely on their heads, IF it still fits.

Meanwhile, they concentrate on more mundane issues -

socks wool, pairs three.

Puttees short, pairs two. Rags sweat, two.

Webbing strap, it's part of your belt.

For many, the heaviest responsibility of their lives so far

is signing for equipment worth £870.88.

The equipment and the basic routine would be hauntingly familiar

to their grandfathers.

Strip off here, get trousers down.

Can you strip off to your underpants, lads,

before you go in to the Doc?

Deep breath in...

and out, deep breath in and out.

Can you just pull your pants down.

Gave a cough...

and again.

You had a few problems with the jabs?

LAUGHTER IN BACKGROUND

- Four problems. - What were they?

They went to take blood out

and they started sucking with the syringe and none came out

so he took it out and tried somewhere else and the same happened again.

So he tried somewhere else, same happened again, so in the end

the captain doctor came over, she stuck it and managed to get some out.

How do you account for this lack of blood in your arms?

I've no idea.

My name's Lucy, remember that.

I'm your company sergeant major and I'm responsible directly

to the commanding officer for discipline and drill.

I liken this regiment to a Dr Barnardo's Home for men,

and you're all orphans, OK.

You're young lads, you've just left home and we understand the problems,

but buggery, thuggery, theft, incest, rape, we've heard it all

and it doesn't embarrass or surprise us.

I want to talk about this town now.

Don't try and impress the civil population,

they want nothing to do with you.

You stick out like a bulldog's bollocks as it is,

so leave the civilian population alone and they will leave you alone.

Your dress, we realise you come from every walk of life but your staff,

make no mistakes about it, will censure your dress.

Right, fasten your top left-hand pocket, Chard.

Whenever you come out, just a quick look in the mirror

before you come out on parade just to check your dress.

So those of you who in civil life

walk about with earrings and safety pins through your snotters,

and vomit-stained desert wellies and bloodstained shirts, forget about it.

The thing not to forget is exactly who is in charge.

Gentlemen, my name is Major Roberts, I am your Company Commander.

Everybody's been telling you they're your boss,

well let me just put it in very simple terms,

with me, the buck stops.

My name is...

Lieutenant-Colonel Brewis, he outranks the Major, therefore...

I'm the boss.

Now you've met your platoon staff

and no doubt every single one of them has probably told you

his name is God, well it's not.

You have just met him.

Provo Sgt Kelly's name is law.

I do not like people to steal,

I do not like people to get drunk,

and I do not like people to go absent.

The fourth rule is getting caught doing any of those things,

that's when you and I will come face to face

and believe you me I will win.

OK, and this is worn in conjunction

with the Army Adidas Mark 1 PT shorts, OK,

just like your granddad used to wear,

nice floppy shorts for your big muscley thighs.

All right, a '58 Pattern belt,

you can see it's got holes in either side there,

I want you to adjust the belt

so it fits loosely around your waist like mine.

OK, with a little bit of play.

That's too tight, it's no good pulling your stomach in.

The KF shirt, you probably heard a bit about it

before you joined the Army off your cadet mates,

lovely smooth material, just feel that.

Nice and smooth just like sandpaper, put it on.

OK, best iron to use - steam iron.

There is one corporal to each section of eight men,

living cheek by jowl.

Their first impressions are paramount and quickly formed.

The easiest way to do the front

is where the arm is, put it on the corner of the table, like that.

Ultimately the corporals' assessment will make or break the recruit.

They'll break the wrong 'uns, knobs,

and they'll help the good 'uns find their feet.

DMS, they're a really good boot.

Now there's an ideal method of breaking these boots in,

fill a sink with hot water and just put the boot in it.

When you're tying your boots up, get them as tight as you can.

It'll be uncomfortable till the leather stretches.

Fetch the boot back into the room,

get a good tinful of polish and get loads and loads of polish on there,

and in the morning when you come to put them on, they'll be supple.

Make sure that none of the straps are twisted.

The first week is a very gradual introduction

and it's difficult for them to accept it

so you've got to hammer it home fairly hard and fast.

One of the biggest problems we've got is

when they've all come away for the first time

and they miss their mammies and daddies

and they come here where they've got to realise

that they've even got a clean their own toilets out, you know,

and getting your hand down a bowl doesn't appeal to a lot of them!

MILITARY MARCH PLAYS

When you do that, keep your eye on the toilet bowl

and get the polish underneath the seat really clean.

That needs to be cleaned as well.

When you get in here... all right?

Remember what I said.

TRUMPET REVEILLE

Come on get up, everyone! Get up off their backsides, it's 6:45.

Get the bed blocks made, washed and shaved, across to breakfast.

You can see the guys that are up and working,

the others slovenly moving about, coming back from scoff at 7:00am

when the rest are back at 6:20am and working on the billet straightaway,

getting a grip of the rest of them.

It's always the guys that are slow in the morning

who will be slow for the rest of the day.

You get the sparks that spark first thing in the morning that carry it on

throughout the day, throughout the week.

They were free to leave but submitted

with a mixture of hope and disbelief

to the accelerating treadmill -

spit and polish, carrot and stick, relentless obsession with detail.

You've got red on top or white on top, Peter?

It's red on top, isn't it?

- Red? - Yep.

This stuff gets on my nerves,

all the bullying of boots and getting your lockers done every day.

You're working till about 8:30pm, 9 o'clock most nights now,

getting stuff ready for next morning.

But they've got to do that Isuppose, haven't they?

Would it get on your nerves enough to make you not want to do it?

I don't want to do it now but you've got to

cos if you crack up doing this and kick it in the head and walk out,

you won't be much good on the battlefield, eh?

Keep still, Barrett.

Look! This will be everyone's problem.

- What's Kangaroo Point? -It's a place in America, sir.

- Sergeant. - Sergeant.

The staff watched closely for truculence, protest, outrage,

sussing out the acceptors and the non-acceptors.

Right, dirt on top of the curtain rail,

I've told you enough times about that.

I'm not happy with this corner, is it your responsibility, Kentish?

Sir.

- There's cobwebs up in that corner. -Sir.

Inspections also include the windows,

these should be cleaned inside and out.

And this was only an inspection prior to an inspection.

Stand down.

The only real escape from the claustrophobia of billet,

bull, and bollocking is into yet another discipline.

Push, push, push.

The BFT, Basic Fitness Test, one and a half miles,

this at least feels more like a man's army

but the pressure is mounting, the NCO's tone more threatening.

Last 300 metres now, come on.

And Cpl Al Slater in particular doesn't suffer failures gladly.

You've got to go, you're coming up to 10 minutes.

Come on, overtake him, get past, last 300 metres.

Come on, you're not trying, open your legs.

You haven't got time to talk!

The main thing is to get them to do as they're told straightaway

and normally a bit of shouting involved gets them to do that.

They've come from civilian street,

they've probably never been shouted at.

Go for a good time, go on, speed it up!

Fast as you can, go on. Well, done.

- Come on. - All the way to the end now.

So from the first day they get the idea

that they must do as they're told straightaway without question.

It's like housetraining a dog, isn't it?

To housetrain a dog you slap it on the nose.

We're not allowed to slap recruits on the nose so you swear at them.

Right, just a quick word.

Every time you come to a PT lesson with me,

I want 100% in everything you do, not 90 or 50%, 100.

If you give me all your percent, all your effort,

then I can give you all my effort to get you fit.

If not, I don't want to know you.

You will be inspected for every PT period and if you are not correctly

dressed or your dress is not to the standard required,

you will pay the required punishment.

Do I make myself clear?

- Yes, Sergeant. - I can't hear you, I'm deaf.

- Yes, sergeant! - Good.

By the front, quick march.

Up, up, down, down, up, up, down, down.

Come on, push, get your chin above the beam. Up.

Stand still. Up, up, down, down, 1 2 3 4.

22 you're aiming for, we should see you get at least 30.

Come on on the end. Remember, don't stop.

Up, up, down, down, up, up, down, down.

Go!

1, 2, 3, 4. 1, 2, 3, 4...

Fanny's knees, a bucket of tea, up, up, down, down.

Push, well done.

Chin right above, push.

Pull yourself up.

Push, push, don't slip off,

- get the arms straight. - Aargh!

Push, push, push, come on lift it.

It's all about determination and willpower

and that's all that really matters in the end.

There will be continuous assessment while you are participating

in the whole of the 22 weeks' training

and there will be selection at various stages.

Not all of you will pass,

about 30% of those who actually start get through.

Does that really make you want to go and do it?

Yes, more determined, you want to help each other out

cos we're starting to pull together now.

We know each other pretty well

and we've been saying if we, at any time,

feel that we're going to drop out,

the rest will push you, call you all the names under the sun

and try and push you through it.

There will be times I think all the way through

- when we'll feel like dropping out. - Saying to hell with it.

There'll probably be many times

that we all do, some of us might even do it but hopefully not.

I think it's very challenging mentally,

not so much physically at the moment but mentally I think it

is with this, you know, lockers and folding everything up the right way and doing boots, things like that.

The physical part of it's all right,

I can't wait to get into the proper training.

What about what your friend calls the mental stuff?

Yeah, this is the only bad thing, really.

Got a lot of learning to do, the ranks and that,

that's a bitdifficult, and remembering all

the officers' names and all that,

but you have to take the good with the bad really, don't you?

No, there's no way I'm going to give up, I like it.

The only way they're going to get rid of me is to kick me out.

Stand to attention.

Bring yourself up, OK, turn to your right.

Turn to your right, that's it, the Army right.

That's it, good lad.

BY THE LEFT, QUICK MARCH!

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

Cpl Slater, would you take it as a right front, left-hand man?

It was still only the first week. It had been exhausting and confusing.

Already perfectly fit young men

carefully selected by the Army themselves

were finding it hard to keep up, or even in step.

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

Left, right, left, right, left, right, left.

Many of you probably misguidedly thought yes,

I'm joining the Parachute Regiment, and all you'll do is get down here

and start throwing yourself out of aircraft, well you ain't.

It's a long time before you see that aircraft,

it's a long time before you throw yourselves out of that aircraft.

You're here to do an awful lot of physically hard

and mentally hard training.

Just try and do it in that position now,

you must get it there.

That's it, now practise getting it as far as that

and then practise the last part of the movement, OK?

When you practise this movement, call out the time.

For the first four weeks, the drill is as hard on the vocal cords

as on the feet and the mind,

recruits must shout a perpetual commentary on their own movements.

In!

- ATTENTION! - ALL: In!

Turn to the left in threes.

LEFT TURN!

By the left, left wheel, quick march!

On the last day of the first week

while most were beginning to grasp first principles,

one had second thoughts,

and having made up his mind in the nick of time

had the sense and the courage to jack it in.

Under the terms of service, if he hadn't left within the first week,

he'd have had to buy himself out for £75.

As it was, he quit as of right with no explanation,

braving the Army's displeasure.

It's one of these that make me very, very annoyed.

To walk in here and say I don't like it does annoy me,

it annoys everybody in the

regiment because there is a place that we have lost

because once somebody has signed on the dotted line

in the careers office,

he is counted as having enlisted.

Whether he turns up or whether he throws his hand in in the first week,

he is counted as being in the regiment

and we cannot get a replacement for him, and it's very, very annoying.

480 Platoon lost two recruits that day, one who could have stayed

but wouldn't, and another who would have stayed but couldn't.

Well, I arrived here on Monday

and I had a medical, and they found my blood pressure was high

and they sent me to see an Army specialist.

He gave me a couple of checks and

he just turned round and said I wasn't fit to do the training

that they Paras go through, it's intense training.

So does that mean you're out of the Paras

or does it mean you're out of the Army?

I'm discharged now. I'm out of the Army.

- Have you got a job to go to? - No, I finished my job to come here.

I've waited 16 months to get here...

..and they just finished me just like that.

It's all I've ever thought about, you know, the Paras, and...

it's just gone.

Watching the lads getting changed

for the different things they're going to do,

it's heartbreaking, really.

A year later Kevin Byrne is still unemployed but he's joined the TA,

subsequent Army tests showed no trace of high blood pressure,

but just as recruits can reject

the Paras in their first week, so the Paras can reject them.

Kevin Byrne was discharged at no cost except to his pride.

In the weeks to come, others were not to be so lucky.