CHAPTER 1: A DAY ON FIRE FORCE

HIGH ABOVE AND FAR BEYOND

THE STORY OF THE RHODESIAN AIR FORCE PARACHUTE TRAINING SCHOOL
By Squadron Leader D.J.G. de Kock DMM



CHAPTER 1 A DAY ON FIRE FORCE

In 1978, my last full year as the PTS boss, over fifteen thousand operational parachute jumps took place. Sometimes the same soldiers were called upon to jump into action three times in a single day. No airborne force anywhere in the world has ever called upon its men to do such deeds. Not just once or twice but many times over. It is hard to imagine the stress on these young men when the siren sounded before first light, as they grabbed their parachute and weapons, clambered aboard a Dakota with engines already roaring, and took off into the first light of dawn.

At times the first contact would be only minutes after take-off. No sooner was the under-carriage pulled up than the PJI would tell the first stick of four or eight men, or even the entire 20 man stick on board, to stand up, hook up, check equipment and tell-off for equipment check. Then the orders would be bellowed.

“Action stations." " Stand in the door.”As the red light glowed like a second sunrise,  the green light flared and  the dispatcher yelled, “Go, and two, and three....” to the end of the stick.

It was just like training jumps at our base, New Sarum, but this time, for real. Real danger, real bullets, real enemy and no open field. The soldiers automatically repeated the drill:

" Look up. Check canopy. Always, all-round observation. Where is the rest of the stick?  Pull the rifle barrel forward, don't want it digging into the dirt. Look down. Assess drift . Where have they dropped me? Select the correct lift webs and pull down. Pull legs back under the body and clamp them tight together. Remember what the PJI said about landing on a tree branch with legs apart! Jam the elbows onto the reserve if landing in a tree – don’t want to start the day with a bloody nose.  Landing okay. Missed the tree. First light, very little wind. Unclip the reserve parachute, grab the rifle and pull back the cocking lever. Now, ready.  Face the noise of the K car (Alouette III Helicopter Gunship) firing its cannon. Pull the safety clip from the quick release box and get out of the parachute harness. Look for the stick leader. Advance toward the contact. Sweep through the contact area and check the bodies of the dead enemy. Then the call to return. Pick up the parachutes and get ready for uplift by G car (Alouette III Helicopter Troop carrier) for the flight back to the forward airfield. With luck, there will be breakfast. God  I'm thirsty.  Must be the adrenalin rush."

 As soon as the G car drops the paratrooper and the used parachutes off, the PJI is waiting to get another parachute ready for the next call out. Get some breakfast. Sit for a second cup of tea. The siren goes again.

Another scramble: parachute fitted, make sure the muzzle of the rifle has new tape over it and the magazine is full again. Climb aboard the Dakota and get airborne. This time the flight is over an hour before the order to stand up, hook up, check equipment is given. It is only 10am and this is the second contact of the day.

“Action stations. Stand in the door. Go and two and three…..” Once again the drills take over. Again, the crash through the branches of a tree onto the ground. Again, the advance to contact is controlled by the stick leader who in turn is controlled by the Fire Force commander in the K car. Once more, the battle commences and again, the rifles and MAG are brought to the action and the enemy die.

Return to the parachute and pack it into the bag for uplift to the Forward Airfield and with luck, lunch will be ready. As usual, the PJI is waiting to make sure parachutes are drawn and checked, because you never ever know when the siren will sound. Now, for that lunch. It is only 1300hrs but the hunger is there, and tea is just the thirst quencher needed.

1500hrs and the siren is going nuts again. The mad rush to the parachutes with full webbing and new ammo in the magazines and new belts for the MAG. The stick commander has recharged batteries for theA63 radio. This is crazy. Three drops into action in a day. It must be a record.

Yet again the Dakota roars down the runway and the same old orders are yelled out. “Stand up, hook up, check equipment, tell off for equipment check, action stations, stand in the door, go and two and three and four”. Then the adrenalin rush.......

This was our job – to train young men, many still teenagers, to parachute into battle, to remain calm despite the adrenalin, and to always, always perform the drills. There were thousands of jumps, many under dangerous conditions, yet our injury rate remained extraordinarily low.