Wings The Paras

Come on! One! Two!

Three! Four!

Five! Six!

After three testing months at Aldershot,

480 Platoon were fit to drop, ready at last for parachute training.

Their reward - a few weeks in what the sergeant-major described

as a holiday camp.

In Britain, all parachute training is handled

by specialist instructors at RAF Brize Norton.

Only the Air Force may decide when a soldier has earnt his wings.

The sergeant major was right about one thing.

RAF instructors do things differently.

Right turn!

By the front, quick march, right wheel in single file.

Smocks and berets away, helmets off.

Go on, swing those arms, lovely boys!

'Out of 41 originals, 17 lovely boys had reached the hangar

'of Number 1 Parachute Training School to learn drills

'of a different sort.'

One, two, three, go, up, walk in!

That's good. Now then, what's the difference in the shape?

'On the course with them, SAS men, Marine Commandos

'and four potential Parachute Regiment officers.'

Right, this is the basic parachute harness, but it's been modified

slightly so that it's more comfortable for you in the hangar.

It's obvious where your arms go in the harness.

It's like putting on a waistcoat.

'From Sergeant Les Hammond, the parachutists' ABC

'and the sacred litany which from now on must be repeated in practice,

'on the ground, in the air and in between.'

It's red on...

Go, 1,000, 2,000, 3,000, check.

Look up, have a good look at your canopy.

You must have a good look at it. Go!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000, check canopy.

All-round observation, off you go!

'With men jumping into space, one every second,

'observation is vital if close encounters are to be avoided.'

And into the parachute position, everything tight,

feet underneath you. Elbows in, chin on chest.

'A correct parachute position will soften any impact, but speeds

'and angles of descent vary,

'and there is a ritual ballet for each one.'

All together...

Now concentrate! All together...

Push.

Just watch this way, there...and then push.

'Instructors like Gary Corkish employ any device as a learning aid.

Back right...

'The RAF don't invest their berets

'with quite the same reverence as the Paras.'

Don't be worried about Ward, sir. He's not the same rank as you.

Pass your beret to the lieutenant because his chin isn't on his chest.

Good. Last one, then. Fold it up, sir. Go!

Right, back up again.

Five pence if you get a good one. Side left, ready... Go! Push!

You shouldn't have gone, should you? Get back up here.

Are you keen? Do you go everywhere with him, do you?

Parachute position, come on.

- Do you feel a prat? - Yeah.

You should do. Ready, go!

Action...stations!

ALL: Rear-front, rear-front, rear-front, rear-front, rear-front...

All right, stop there.

Sir, you're looking a bit like a mouldy cripple there.

I want your hips forward, OK?

Action...stations!

ALL: Rear-front, rear-front, rear-front, rear-front...

'Compared with Aldershot, the method vastly different,

'the objective the same - a production line of human automata.'

That's better. Stop there, that's good.

So everyone in, right down the bottom end.

This time, I want this shuffle step, all moving together.

That's diabolical. Go back again, that's rubbish.

The rear foot moves first, then the front foot, all right?

And you all move together as a group of men, right?

At the moment, you're individuals.

'Everything works automatically, including the parachute.

'Paras don't pull ripcords, except on the emergency reserve chute

'always strapped to their fronts.

'As they move to the door, they let go the static line attached

'to an overhead rail which yanks the chute open as they jump.'

Three, four, five, six...

1,000, 2,000!

1,000, 2,000!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000, check canopy!

Come here, quickly, in here.

Magic. Well done.

All together, go!

On your back, reserve off.

On your stomach!

Pull hold of your rigging lines, pull in that canopy.

Pull it in!

All the way in. Lie on top of it.

Roll over onto your back.

And get yourself out of the harness, keep your back on the canopy.

'HRD - harness, release and drag.

'Fighting a stiff breeze in a welter of webbing and extra clothing,

'there's a lot to remember.'

Jump up, run to the apex! Quickly!

Run the apex end to end.

'And when it comes to the real thing,

'they could be carrying an extra 120lb in weapons and equipment.'

And wind it up.

Come on, get up!

Get the harness off the canopy. You're going to drag it otherwise.

That's it, underneath.

'An RAF Victor, transporting fuel

'to the South Atlantic, is a visible reminder of the need for attention.

'The latest from Aldershot is that 480 Platoon must complete

'their parachute training in three weeks, instead of the usual four.

'Still unqualified, they're now on standby as first reinforcements

'for the Falklands War. But are they ready?'

Go!

Feet back!

'This contraption, controlled by an airbrake, was adapted

'by the Air Force from a pre-war French fairground entertainment.'

Right. Feet together.

'Shaun Day, who at Aldershot had hesitated over the six-foot jump,

'took this one in this stride.'

I want you to be more positive. Much more positive.

Legs together, all right? You've got to get the legs together.

You've been stiff all week, stay stiff now.

The instructors punish minor misdemeanors

with impromptu activities not printed on the syllabus.

They regard the punctuation of tedious repetition as essential.

What is the difference, Gary, between your method and the Army's?

A man in a relaxed state of mind

will not worry about making mistakes, I find.

If I give them a lot of formal training all the time,

I find that in the hangar

if I rip a bloke to bits for the next hour or so, he goes worse and worse.

It spirals. He keeps on being more conscious of making mistakes.

That's what we don't want. If he does that in the aircraft

he'll make mistakes and he'll endanger other people's lives.

So what we try and do, in a relaxed state of mind,

so that he's relaxed so the thing sinks in.

He's quite happy. But, not too much, we don't want to relax him too much.

That would go too far.

With Fleming we were doing the drills coming out of the harness

for a water descent.

They throw their arms up and out forwards but he threw his back

and he got stuck in the harness.

It's only a minor thing, in the broad aspect of things,

but it's something he did wrong.

It's quite comical having a bloke hanging in the hangar in the harness,

just hanging there, bobbing up and down.

In order for him to remember that, instead of ripping him to bits,

because he's a fairly sensitive guy

and would worry about being ripped to bits,

we got him up on the bench and made him practise swimming

because he would have gone under water, you know.

MEN LAUGH

Legs up a bit.

Now you can put down, "I am a diver."

Say, "I am a diver."

- I am a diver. - Right, back in line.

He'll remember that now.

He'll never forget it.

'And there's another experience Fleming will never forget.'

Go!

LAUGHTER

'The outdoor exit trainer which simulates the buffeting effects

'of hitting an aircraft's slipstream,

'when body and brain can become uncoordinated.'

1,000, 2,000, 3,000, check canopy.

'The first arresting jolt is, in fact, far greater

'than when a parachute opens.

'It's a useful reminder to adjust your harness before leaving.

'Not for nothing has this device been renamed the Knacker Cracker.'

Go!

Just remember, all of you, you're coming out of a Herc at 125 knots

and if you ponce it up, you're in trouble.

All right? Good, OK. Number two, feet. You heard of Wayne Sleep?

Great little tap dancer. Like magic.

But you're not Wayne Sleep, so keep your feet nice and tight together.

Number four, Fleming, wrong foot. All right?

Correct foot in the lead, otherwise you find you get out the door

and you'll be going arse over tit. All right?

And counting all the rivets down the aircraft. OK?

Keep those legs back...

'Onward and increasingly upward, the tower is 80 feet high.

'Speed of descent is controlled hydraulically

'and can be varied according to wind conditions.'

'It had been under repair for a year and 480 Platoon were guinea pigs.'

Check your equipment.

- OK? - On number six.

Fine. Goodbye. Good lad. Exit position!

Red on! Go!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000, check canopy!

Canopy's good, carry on.

Adopt a good parachute position. Yellow break off! Yellow break.

Elbows in, Ward! Pull 'em in.

I was surprised how fast you come down. It looks fast from here

but when you're coming down, it's not that fast.

It is high, though. But you feel safe so you don't feel frightened at all.

You've got plenty of time to think what you're doing.

That's it, good.

'On May 26th the balloon went up.

'From RAF Hullavington and 800 feet, the recruits,

'after ten days on the ground, trusted themselves

'to the parachute itself.

'The balloon jump is the first and the worst.'

Have you got any worries?

What about particularly?

I dunno. Jumping out, I think.

Would it be a case of bottle?

Once I'm out there, I suppose, I'll be all right.

I couldn't just go up there and jump out casual. Psyche up and jump out.

Do you think that's necessary or is it better to relax?

It is with me, yeah. What do you think I am, stupid?

I wouldn't jump out of that thing normally. No way.

How about you, Dean?

I'm frightened, me. I'm absolutely crapping myself.

Taylor, in you come.

Turn around backwards. Duck.

'What no-one admitted was after two months in a red beret

'fear of refusing in front of mates

'was probably greater than fear of jumping.'

Just relax.

'Final thoughts. It's only 800 feet.

'With no slipstream you drop nearly 200 feet in the first three seconds.

'If the main chute didn't open,

'could you pull the red handle on the reserve in time?'

'The steel Hauser is another hazard.

'A failure of observation or steering could, warned one instructor,

'bring it smashing between your eyes.

'And when the wind blows, the cradle will rock.

'So, you must be joking, it's compulsory.'

Englishman, Irishman and a Scotsman,

they want to get out of the Army and they try and get a medical discharge.

- Is it a quick one? - No, sir.

You better make it quick.

The Scotsman goes in and thinks up a good excuse and he gets a discharge.

The Englishman goes in and he thinks of a decent excuse.

He gets a discharge. And the Scotsman goes, no the Irishman goes in.

That's three Scotsmen you've had!

And he comes back out...

Your bottom lip's going, look. Carry on.

And the Irishman comes back out, the Irishman comes back out

and he says, "I didn't have to think of an excuse, I've got cancer."

Oh! You did it wrong. That's terrible. Right, where's yours?

I haven't got one.

- You ain't got one? Is that it? - I was too nervous to think of one.

Do you see the church in the background.

As we get a little higher, you'll see the graveyard in front.

A bit irrelevant for what we're doing today but never mind.

Don't look down.

When you go out, lots of aggression.

Get rid of all the nervousness by big shouting. All right?

OK, young un, let's have a good one from you. All right. Good.

Put those arms across there. Just get yourself sorted out.

Hands across reserve.

Go!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000...

That's the fastest count I've ever heard!

LOUD HAILER: And steer away, number one, steer away now.

OK, stop steering now, number one, let up.

OK, that's a good position now.

Elbows in, round the shoulders a little bit more.

Lift up with your right arm now. Elbow in.

- All right. - How was it?

Scared stiff till me chute opened. Then it's brilliant.

What about standing on the edge of the...?

Oh... I don't want to think of that ever again.

Still scared of heights?

Yeah.

You seemed to count, someone said on the ground,

that's the fastest count of 1,000, 2,000, 3,000 they've ever heard.

Did you feel that?

Yeah, when I looked at me canopy it wasn't fully deployed.

I looked up a bit early. So I must have counted too fast.

Did you feel that at the time or did you feel something else?

I don't know. Everything's... Training is bloody good.

Everything you do is just automatic after that.

OK, Gary. Arms crossed.

Louder.

Good lad. Go!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000...

Accord your punishing position and she should lift.

Steer away. OK, young Ward.

The worst part about it is when you're jumping out

before your canopy's opened, you're just dropping.

I'm going, "1,000, 2,000..." Mmm! God. It was wicked.

I felt my guts going further up.

Did you look up and check canopy?

Yeah, when I slowed down. I looked up and it were great.

Start whistling.

Put one foot on here, Gary. Put it right here.

Arms across your reserve. Keep whistling.

Go!

1,000, 2,000, 3,000...

'Once the parachute had opened

'what took most by surprise was ground rush.

'The shocking speed with which the ground, after seeming a long way off,

'suddenly zooms upwards in the final seconds.

'Phil Tatum was no exception.'

I was all right until I got ten feet from the ground,

so I opened me legs and just sort of piled in.

What was Tatum's roll like?

What roll?

- What happened to your teeth? - These teeth.

You're bleeding in the mouth, what happened?

I knocked myself on the reserve.

Right, just stand easy.

For every jump, a debrief. How the instructor saw it.

OK, exit.

Your legs are apart. OK, you must get them tight together.

When you go for a descent from the aircraft, your legs are apart,

you'll end up spinning in the slipstream.

So get your legs tight together.

Your steering was good. That was nice.

You pulled down three or four times,

that's some of the best steering we've seen today.

What do you do as soon as you land? What position do you go into?

Roll onto your back.

Roll onto your back. Why were you on your knees taking your reserve off?

Just because your canopy landed on top of you. Just get onto your back.

Remember, later on, you're gonna be in a situation,

you're gonna be jumping with a container and simulate into action.

If you're kneeling up or you're standing up, then,

you could be a target. Away you go.

Brace yourself, Cunningham.

'No-one was surprised that by the time Andy Cunningham came to jump,

'Sod's Law decreed that the wind had got up considerably.

'And his first exit was more horizontal than vertical.'

Look up.

Both arms across your reserve.

Go!

LOUD HAILER: OK, number one, elbows in, feet back underneath you.

'But, as he had from so many previous setbacks during training,

'he recovered in determined style.'

OK, number two, let up now.

Let up and assess your drift, number two.

Good parachute position.

Legs back underneath you, nice and tight.

Looking at the ground, elbows in. Hold that position.

I wasn't scared, I was just a wee bit,

you know, I was a bit apprehensive about it.

Once that canopy opened... it was good fun.

I enjoyed it.

OK, clear away now then. Good, strong pull down.

'For the rest of the platoon, too,

'the first jump was comparatively plain sailing.'

Hold it tight, number two. Elbows in.

OK, now, I want you to steer away from that cable...

Just closed my eyes, I think, and just prayed.

And were you aware when you landed that you hadn't landed right?

Yes, I struck my backside. It bloody hurt.

Elbows in, that's nice, hold it in hold. Push the leg in.

First thing, I wanted to shout out,

"1,000, 2,000..." but I lost my voice.

It come out as a sort of croak. I'm surprised they heard it.

Off the edge I went, I said, "Shit!" My stomach went to my mouth.

I tell you... I didn't think I was going to be that scared.

My stomach went, and I looked up, and there was the chute.

I didn't count, didn't bother.

It's such a shock when you jump out.

Then you start trying to react.

By then, you haven't got enough time.

He's telling you what to do on the bottom and you're thinking different.

So it all mixes in. Oh, shit...

Tomorrow, at least we won't have anybody telling us what to do.

We'll jump out of the plane and that's it, you're on your own.

The platoon had been given one ride in the Hercules Troop Carrier

for air experience.

For some, their first flight in any type of aircraft.

Several had been sick.

Some experienced Paras always are.

Still, when the time came to jump, morale was high.

But Private Stephen Thomas had missed the balloon jumps

through a neck injury, so this was his first ever jump.

And he was first out on the port side.

It was all right while the starboard side was going out,

but once it came to our side, everyone was a bit apprehensive.

Come on!

Go!

Two! Three!

Look down and assess your drift.

Keep your elbows in, pull down!

Come on now, lovely boys, collapse these canopies.

Get your canopy in before you get out of your harness!

Otherwise the thing will blow away. Pull it in.

- How was it? - Fantastic.

- Enjoy it? - Yes, I was terrified going out.

But it was nothing really.

Because you didn't do the balloon jumps,

- so this was your first ever. - Yep.

- No problems? - No, fantastic.

After two more successful aircraft jumps,

Stephen Thomas went back to do his balloon jump.

On the cradle's edge, he refused.

I just didn't have the same drive, not having the same team

that I'd worked all the way through with and different instructors.

Just really didn't have the same drive.

Were you...had anyone else jumped?

Yes, three other boys left the cage. I was the last one left in.

And that was quite an experience, watching those drop

and the cage swinging about.

And I...I don't know, I just...

I didn't feel like going when it came to my turn.

It seemed a lot higher up in the actual aircraft.

And it was really eerie in that it was so quiet. And it's...

..you know, I don't know.

Was there any reason why you didn't mind giving up

the Parachute Regiment?

Were there any other reasons, other than the sheer inability to jump?

No, no. I love the regiment.

- And when you came down? - I felt pretty sick.

What happened? What did they do?

I was kept separate, away from the other lads

because not all of them had done their jump.

Just thought I might put them off a bit, you know,

seeing one refusal so I just kept away

so as I didn't give any of my feelings away.

Instantly rejected by the Paras,

but not the Army, Stephen Thomas thought twice,

then transferred successfully to the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers.

The rest of 480 Platoon continued jumping

with increasing amounts of equipment and in ever larger groups.

Conditions were perfect.

The full tally was eight jumps, including one at night.

The instructors were impressed.

They progressed a lot faster than normal courses have come through.

The information which has been going in the hangar has been sinking in.

As you noticed,

after three days, they looked like trained troops.

Very quick responses. Picked things up very quickly.

So, in three quarters normal permitted time,

480 Platoon won its wings,

returning firmly to the regiment and to reality.

From now on, refusal to jump would be a court martial offence.

If you are not prepared to accept this obligation,

then you should say so now.

Well done. Welcome to the Airborne Brotherhood and I salute all of you.

Well done, congratulations to you. Relieved smile, I see.

Private Fleming. Well done, sir. Congratulations to you.

Private Hooper. Well done, Hooper. Congratulations.

Well done, congratulations.

No problems getting through the door?

No, sir.

Well done, congratulations to you.

'With wings came news.

'In the Falklands, Goose Green had been won, but lives had been lost.

'480 must now be ready, if required, to abandon training

'and leave at only 24 hours notice.'

You're going into an operational unit...

We're going to the best operational unit.

All right. I stand corrected. Sorry.

When's your pass-out date now, then? July 16.

You'll notice when we come back from the Falkland Islands.

LAUGHTER

Bring us a penguin back, will you?

LAUGHTER

And take your silver paper off first, right? Not for export.

'While others preen, standing dejected on the sidelines,

'having been prevented by an ear infection from completing

'the required eight jumps,

'was the man who from the start had been the most obviously

'raring to go. Phil Tatum.'

I've come all the way with this platoon.

They're a good bunch of lads.

And, you know, they're on 24-hour standby for the Falklands.

If they go over there and I get left behind...

Sod that for a game.

You're still keen to go there,

even as now the casualties begin to increase?

Too right, yeah. That's what you're here for, isn't it?

You're trained to accept that.

We've been told that from the start that when we do fight,

we'll be outnumbered,

and you ain't got much chance of survival once you go in.

Life expectancy is about six hours.

But, you know, that's the price you've to pay

for being in the best regiment.