Throughout this early period of its history, and following the departure of the RAF’s original period of assistance in establishing the Parachute Training School, No.1 PTS was staffed by 6 men, these at the time I joined PTS in early 1966 were;
Sqd/Ldr. “Boet” Swart. Officer Commanding PTS.
Air Lt. Derek De Kock. Training Officer. (Founder member)
WO.1. Bill Maitland. School Warrant Officer. (Founder member)
Flt. Sgt. Frank Hales. Instructor.
Flt. Sgt. Trevor Smith. Instructor. (Founder member)
and,
Sgt. Tony Hughes (new) Instructor.
This photograph shows the Rhodesian Air Force Parachute Training School Staff in 1966. From Left to Right the brand new PJI Sgt A.B.Hughes, Flt/Sgt W.T.Hales (Frank) Flt Sgt T.P.Smith (Trevor), Warrant Officer 1 W.P. Maitland (Bill), Sqn.Ldr. M.J. Swart (Boet) brand new training officer Flg/Off D.J.G. de Kock (Knuckles)
# Boet, known to us all as “Boss”, had come to PTS from the Rhodesian Army as a career officer. I remember him as being not entirely enthralled with parachuting, but always a fair man and a good officer with the necessary, well developed ties with the SAS. He was a bloke who enjoyed a good laugh and who could keep you spellbound with anecdotal stories. He was also the Air Forces’ “survival” specialist and often, with the assistance of Frank Hales, ran very successful aircrew survival courses in the lowveld in the early days before our operational commitments increased. Boet left the Air Force in 1969 to rejoin the RLI then later the Selous Scouts.
# Derek was a qualified Air Force Instrument fitter when he applied to transfer to become a PJI. As the PTS Training Officer he was promoted to OC. PTS on Boet’s leaving.Derek was a bloody good parachutist who continued jumping long after his leg and neck injuries should have stopped him.
Whilst on the subject of injuries, these affected a good number of PJI’s over the years, principally due to the good old “X” Type having a “flat” rather than more modern “shaped” canopy which was more prone to oscillate when in ground effect. This coupled with jumping at about 5,000’ above sea level, added an extra few feet per second to the average rate of descent and contributed to some landings being perhaps better described as arrivals!
Derek was the sort of bloke who, if some new type of gear needed trying, or some new technique needed proving, would be amongst the first leading the way. It was this sort of attitude which led to me assisting him to kit-up for a last light freefall, on a Dominator canopy into a TTL (Tribal Trust Land) into the Gokwe area I think, with full kit packed into a Bergen rucksack.
PTS were, at this time, preparing to conduct free fall training for the SAS. It was necessary for us to prove equipment suitability, as well as how far one could go loading up a paratrooper without compromising his ability to control and maneuver himself in free fall.
We were as high as the Dak would go, (probably close to 20,000’ above sea level), and all in the cabin were on oxygen. Derek had stuffed everything he could find into the Bergen, which was bloody heavy, and this, together with the radio and other webbing kit he carried, made fitting the CSPEP equipped Bergen difficult. So I disconnected my oxygen briefly because the mask was obscuring my vision. This resulted in the fairly rapid onset of some pretty athletic panting by me and the beginnings of anoxia. This in turn led to the jettison device being wrongly routed to its attachment point, so when it was time for Derek to lower his Bergen, after deploying the canopy, it dropped no further than his feet! Despite all of this working against him he landed safely (no thanks to me) switched his A60 radio on and gave me a memorable spray!
Derek’s appointment to OC.PTS occurred at a crucial time in PTS history, as the war was rapidly picking up pace. He consequently inherited the responsibility for the design and guidance of the strategic role PTS would subsequently play throughout the war’s busiest period. He conducted himself with great distinction in this time by rapidly increasing the Parachute Training School’s ability to train, and deploy its PJI’s, so they continued to support not only all SAS training and operational needs, but also those of the Selous Scouts, the RLI, and the RAR.
In this work he was brilliantly supported by Frank Hales as the new Training Officer.
Derek had a particular flair for using expletives, and when fired up would flood the subject of his anger with every imaginable swear word that individual had ever heard, as well as many he would prefer not to hear again. (editor’s note: nothing much has $*%*$# changed!)
Like many good leaders have in the past, he worked tenaciously to obtain make or “acquire” bits and pieces which were needed to achieve some aim.
# Bill had been an Air Force carpenter. He commanded respect as the School WO and was a natural disciplinarian who stood no nonsense on matters to do with the rules under which PTS operated.
Bill was responsible for discipline throughout the PTS sphere of influence. His obvious capability in this respect removed any concerns his superiors may have had about needing to involve themselves in these areas of PTS management. Bill was a pretty fearsome bloke if one chose to “cross the line” as a few of us can bear testimony to.
He was also the PTS handyman and could turn his hand to effectively address virtually any practical problem we might, and quite frequently did, experience.
Bill frequently performed the “drifter” role when early morning parachuting began each day. He did this as he was not actively involved in instruction, but nevertheless wanted to keep his jumping current.
He would usually be heard by those in the DZ party, whistling away to himself on the way down. This, when coupled with some occasional marginally high ground winds, often saw him inflict serious damage to his tongue, as he insisted on continuing to whistle throughout the landing whilst chopping significant chunks of tongue off.
Being the sort of bloke he was, if you were his junior in rank, you offered no advice to him as to how to avoid this self-inflicted injury in future.
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Part 3 of Tony Hughes story will be posted next
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