DEREK'S STORY Episode 4 Parachute Training School Statistics

I am very fortunate to have been a part of the Rhodesian Parachute Training School from its inception in 1961 until February 1979.  As Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980, I was with the School for most of its existence as the “Rhodesian Parachute Training School.” After I left Frank Hales became the CO and upon his departure in 1980, Kevin Milligan took over after the country changed its name to Zimbabwe and the school became the Zimbabwe Parachute Training School. These men continued the proud tradition and high standards set from the start.

PTS Staff 1965 after the break up of the Central African Federation and before U.D.I. Very little training taking place and PJI's only doing one jump a week just enough to keep their skills alive. L.to R. Sgt Tony Hughes, Sgt Frank Hales, Sgt Trevor Smith, W.O.1 Bill Maitland,  Sqn/Ldr Boet Swart, Flg/Off Derek de Kock  (We started as six) 

PTS Staff Sept 1974  Sgt K. Milligan, Sgt I.Bowen, Sqn/Ldr D.de Kock, Sgt M. Wiltshire, Sgt R. Moore, Sgt J. Boynton, Sgt D Buchan, Flt/Lt F. Hales.  The senior PTS Staff who were the back bone of parachute training during the intensive training period 1976 on wards.

!976 PTS staff starts to expand. Lto R Sgt P. Marshall Sgt D. Buchan, Sgt K. Miligan, Sgt J.Boynton, Wing Cmdr Peter Mclurg O/C Flying New Sarum, Sqn/Ldr D.de Kock Flt/lt F.Hales Sgt M. Wiltshire Sgt P.Hogan. Absent on leave Sgt R. Moore, and Sgt I. Bowen ( Then we were Ten)  

I believe we, the Rhodesians, were the last armed force to use parachuting on a large scale, as an integral part of operations. Although parachuting is still used occasionally the technology of modern warfare has largely superceded the need for paratroopers. Certainly, other countries drop troops as part of specialist missions, but not in the manner, and certainly not with the frequency that we did. 

In our Bush War, paratroopers were used extensively. They were routinely used as part of a Fire Force in which troops would be strategically dropped to surround and attack the fleeing enemy. Between 1976 and 1979 hardly a day went by when Fire Force drops did not happen, usually 16 men would be dropped, but sometimes 24 would be crammed in especially by the RAR. As mentioned in the first chapter, there were often several such operations in a single day, with PTS staff involved grabbing a quick bite between drops. This alone would account for many thousand individual parachute drops.  

!980 the last photograph of the Rhodesian Air Force Parachute Training School. A few members had already left for greener pastures or had returned to their original Army units. Back row L to R  Sgt Gledhill R.,Sgt Duffy M., Sgt Turner K., Sgt Bolton-Smith J., Sgt Douglas I., S/Sgt Labushagne P., Sgt Farmer P., S/Sgt Kemmish M., Sgt Mellet J., Sgt  Prendergast F.  Front Row L. to R. S/Sgt Hynds D., Sgt Griffin R., F/Sgt Hogan P., Air/Lt K. Milligan, Sqn/Ldr W.T.Hales DMM, W.O.1 Boynton J.G., F/Sgt Simpson W., Sgt Gomes C.     Missing Air/Lt D. Buchan, Air/Lt M. Wiltshire, F/Sgt Moore R.(The Rat) F/Sgt  Marshall P. 

Less frequently, but just as effectively, paratroops were used as an offensive deployment to attack enemy base camps outside our borders. I described a few of these ops, such as Operation Dingo and Operation Gatling in earlier chapters. These operations resulted in massive devastation to the terrorists, and their equipment, and an extremely low injury and death rate on our side. In these operations we generally dropped between 100 and 300 men, and also performed practise jumps prior.

Smaller sorties into enemy territory were carried out frequently. Because records were destroyed and also information was shared on a strict ‘needs to know’ basis, I have no idea how many parachute drops took place across our boarders into Mozambique or Zambia. However I personally carried out over 50 HALO sorties into Mozambique, a few less into Zambia and one very far up the side of Malawi. I also dispatched some Selous Scouts into Botswana one night. At one stage I was dropping HALO troops from the SAS to the North and East up to three times a week, and on alternate days I would be dropping Selous Scouts to the South and East. Also at this time I was trying to keep an eye on the HALO training every morning at PTS. I was a very busy boy.

During my time with the PTS, the injury rate was extremely low - less than 1 injury for every 100 parachute jumps in training and even less than that for operational jumps in the bush. This very low injury rate was due to the extremely high calibre of instruction by the Parachute Jumping Instructors and the SAVIAC static line parachutes we used. In addition parachute drops into the Rhodesian bushes long grass and savanna type trees helped to cushion the landings.

Added to this, we did preparatory training, including a jump, whenever possible before operations. This was to practise the required formation and to reinforce technique. As we became busier some of our RLI troops were trained in South Africa. However there is always a problem when other countries train your fighting soldiers and in this case it was in the Dakota Aircraft Drill and the carrying of the personal weapon. The South Africans still used the side cable and strop in the Dakota, whilst we used the overhead cable. The South Africans had the personal weapon in a suspended load, we had it on the body.  To overcome this we required all the South African trained RLI to do a 4 jump conversion course into one of our bush DZs before deployment to a Fire Force. Training of this kind is never wasted and the more parachuting these troops could do the better, as they were less likely to suffer parachuting injuries on operations. 

We were very safety conscious – sloppy technique was not tolerated, and neither was unnecessary risk taking. Discipline, and absolute adherence to correct drill was expected from all our students, and it is a credit to the young men who went through the School that this was almost always maintained – even in the most stressful or extreme conditions. 

We only suffered one death during training whilst I was with the PTS. An RAR soldier was killed on a basic training parachute jump when he made an incorrect exit and the static line of his parachute wrapped around the butt of his MAG (M60 machine gun).  The friction caused by this severed the static line. Unfortunately, this soldier failed to pull his reserve soon enough and plunged to his death.

As mentioned earlier in the blog, we also had three deaths during operational jumps.  The first fatal operational parachute jump was on our very first HALO operation when Sgt Frank Wilmot failed to pull his ripcord and was killed inside Mozambique. The second and third were caused when a stick of RAR paratroops was dropped too low on a Fire Force deployment and the parachutes did not open properly. On the board of enquiry it was calculated that the drop took place at 168ft AGL.

The Fire Force PJI was responsible for sending in the manifests of all the troops who jumped into action or who carried out a training jump. This information was then entered into the Master Log of all jumps both operational and training and was held in PTS. Unfortunately this Master Log, along with much of the other PTS records, was destroyed when Rhodesia became Zimbabwe and the Mugabe regime took control. We did not want any repercussions and this was a detailed record of all parachute drops, when they had taken place, and who had done them.  

However, the majority of the regular Army were trained to parachute, and  judging from photographs taken of each course it is safe to say we trained approximately 2,500 men in static line parachuting.  Each static line course consisted of 8 jumps, so again this accounts for many thousands of individual parachute drops.

As well as this, Selous Scouts and SAS were often dropped from high altitude to perform clandestine operations.  In order to do this, they were trained as Free Fall parachutists – the course for this originally consisted of 20 jumps, but this was soon increased to 60, with 20 at night. For most jumps, the student was followed down by an instructor who would provide a critique of technique after landing. Again, these courses alone accounted for several thousand jumps.

The parachute school expanded to such an extent that we were running static line courses of over 100 and freefall courses of eight, and also doing the 4 jump refresher training for the South African-trained troops all at the same time. This meant we would have up to five Dakotas in the circuit for morning parachuting, each doing two or three lifts just to keep the training going. An incredible achievement by #3 Transport Squadron. This added up to over 300 parachute descents per day in training alone. The parachute training school had taken over the entire hangar and we were running courses of over 100 basic static line parachutists every 3 weeks. During my time with the PTS we conducted 100+ static line courses and 30+ Free Fall courses.

Meanwhile, the other three Dakotas were out in the bush, fulfilling the Fire Force role.  I am still amazed at how the Safety Equipment Workers managed to keep up. In 1978 alone, over 15,000 operational jumps took place. This meant the parachute packers were working 24hrs per day in 8hr shifts. During my service there was not a single packing failure an absolutely phenomenal record.

By 1978, the staff of the school had expanded to four officers and approximately 20+ PJIs. We had to utilize junior NCOs from the RLI, National Service Recruits and Number 3 Air Supply Platoon as dispatchers to assist on Fire Force. These dispatchers were trained in PTS and although some were not posted specifically to the school, they became a huge asset to the staff. Somehow I managed to have a few young men doing their initial call up allocated to PTS to be trained as Dispatchers.  All these young men were required to carry out a full parachute course and would then be utilized at the PJIs discretion on the Fire Force. Most if not all these dispatchers were trained by Paul Hogan our Australian PJI and Tony Hughes. By this time Tony had been promoted to Warrant Officer and was regarded by all the PTS staff as one of the very best instructors in the school.

  In retrospect the Parachute Training School of the Rhodesian Air Force can be proud of their incredible achievements in the field of military parachuting. We were few but we did the job. During my years in the Parachute Training School, I was fortunate to associate with some of the most dedicated, safety-conscious people in the world. I was truly privileged to command this small band of highly-motivated, intelligent, and professional men. They came from all walks of life and from all over the world. They showed me absolute loyalty and I can honestly say I was never, ever, let down by any of them. Thanks guys you were the greatest.