Sunday, January 25, 2009

The Proudest History-Parachute Regiment

By Nick Redding

In a way Winston Churchill is responsible for the existence of the fantastic fighting unit we know as the parachute regiment. At the beginning of the Second World War the then British Prime Minister called for the formation of an elite British fighting unit. The parachute regiment was created to answer this call.

Churchill wanted 5000 of the country's best men to be formed into a corp of the best parachute troops the world had ever seen. He got what he asked for. A training school was set up to create this elite military unit and work began immediately. On august the first in 1942 the parachute regiment was officially named and began to work its way toward the awesome reputation it would one day enjoy.

It quickly became a vital part of the military. Its first successful raid was in 1942. C company dropped on a Nazi radar station in Bruneval, France. The mission was a triumph with the entire group living up to the Para motto, ready for anything. Their contribution was vital and after this effort their reputation as an elite force continued to grow. They quickly gained a reputation for being the best of the best, just as Churchill had wanted.

The regiment developed their image with the iconic red beret the envy of the military regiment and a much sort after item. The other item that is special to the parachute regiment is the coveted wings, gaining those is something to be very proud of. It marks you out as a real force to be reckoned with. The parachute gained their nickname, the red devils, after the enemy started to refer to them by that name. This reflected their fierce fighting qualities and the esteem they were held in by those who fought against them.

The parachute regiment went on to serve its country proudly in many areas of war. Never once failing to impress with their fighting skill and bravery. They have fought everywhere from Palestine to Northern Ireland to the Falklands and the awards for courage they have collected along the way are too numerous to mention. Recently the parachute regiment has seen action Kosovo and performed rescue missions in Sierra Leone. The modern day para's are the British army's airborne infantry able to deploy quickly to anywhere in the world. Their role has changed slightly over the years but their reputation never has. These men are something that Churchill could be proud of.

It takes training and guts to succeed in the parachute regiment. Soft is not an option and that will be made very clear to you the day you turn up for your test. Parachute regiment training is not for the faint of heart because this is not a job for those who are not mentally and physically tough. If you want to join this elite group of men you are going to need a good parachute regiment guide penned by those that have been there and done it.

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