About Me

My name is Derek de Kock. I was born in Southern Rhodesia, now Zimbabwe, in 1939 and joined the Royal Rhodesian Air Force at the age of 16. I was sent to RAF Halton where I trained as an Aircraft Instrument Fitter. After I completed my training at RAF Halton I returned to Southern Rhodesia where I was posted to R.R.A.F. New Sarum. In 1959 I was attatched to No. 5 Squadron for a trip to Cyprus where I learned to snorkle. On my return to New Sarum I was posted to 3Sqn where I serviced the RRAF fleet of Transport Aircraft which included DC3 Dakota, DC4M Argonaut, and Pembroke Transport Aircraft. In1960 I was starting to get a little board with just repairing and maintaining these aircraft and considered applying for pilot training, when I was intrigued by a paragraph in Station Routine Orders requesting volunteers to become Parachute Jumping Instructors. I applied and was accepted.  In 1961 I was one of  the original 6 men sent to the UK to train as Parachute Jumping Instructors, (PJIs). Five of us passed the course and on our return we established the No.1 Rhodesian Air Force Parachute Training School. In 1963 I was sent to the RAF for Officer Training this time to RAF Jerby on the Isle of Man. After being commissioned I returned to the RRAF Parachute Training School as the Training Officer. At the end of 1963 the Federation of Rhodesia and Nyasaland broke up but we were still required for the training of paratroops. I remained as the Training Officer and an Army Officer (Boet Swart) was transfered to PTS as the CO. In 1969. Boet returned to the Rhodesian Army and I became the School's Commanding Officer and remained in this capacity for the next decade. Rhodesia became Zimbabwe in 1980. Therefore the Rhodesian Air Force, and its associated regiments, changed their names, this means I was a part of the Rhodesian Parachute Training School from its beginning until its end. This blog documents the history of the Parachute Training School, our involvement in the Bush War, and the many men who worked, played and jumped alongside me. Thank you to those who have generously contributed their stories and photographs for this blog.