Military History: Parachute battalions birth at Benning in 1941

[Pete]

Military History: Parachute battalions birth at Benning in 1941

http://fayobserver.com/articles/2011...124249?sac=Mil

Roy Parker Jr.

"It was by the autumn of 1941 a veritable pediatric ward of airborne babies.

The airborne center at Fort Benning, Ga., was where the airborne idea got flesh on its bones in the rapid formation of larger units........................."

One of the nice things about the FayOb is his weekly column.

[greenberetTFS]

Pete,do you happen to know if any of them may still be alive?.....

Big Teddy

[Pete]

Originally Posted by greenberetTFS

Pete,do you happen to know if any off them may still be alive?.....

Big Teddy

Time marches on. Anybody 20 years old in 1941 would be 90 today. The ranks of the WW II vets are getting thinner and thinner.

While others had made parachute jumps in the 20s and 30s the first real "paratrooper" to jump from an aircraft while in flight, from the test platoon, was an officer. The second was an enlisted man. Can you find their names.

Trivia - the second man, enlisted, was second in a lottery for the slot. The winner declined to jump. Can anyone find his name?

Teaching Point - when given the chance to grab the brass ring take it - it might be the only chance you get.

[Richard]

Good article - but...

From the article:

These were whole battalions, spawned from the 1st Parachute Infantry Battalion organized in October of 1940.

From History:

On 6 September 1940 the "1st Parachute Battalion" was entered on the rolls of the Army. Ten days later, the number was amended to 501st Parachute Battalion. On 1 October, the 501st was activated with Maj. William M. Miley in command.

There is some confusion as to whether the 1st Parachute Battalion was constituted on 6 Sep 40* or 16 Sep 40**; regardless, the designation was changed to the 501st Parachute Battalion ten days after its being constituted and was the 501st PB - not the 1st PIB - upon its activation on 1 Oct 40. The designation of units as a Parachute Infantry Battalion or Parachute Infantry Regiment was not used prior to March 1941.

*Andrews, John C. Airborne Album Volume One: Parachute Test Platoon To Normandy
**Devlin, Gerard M. Paratrooper!

A couple of interesting factoids:

To man the new unit, a call for volunteers went to the Army at large. Volunteers were to be unmarried, between 5'6" and 6'2" in height, aged 21 to 32 years, weigh no more than 185 pounds, and able to pass a rigid physical. In addition, a minimum of one year's service in the Infantry and the recommendations of one's commanding officer were mandatory. Response was so great it took the entire month of Octobeer to screen the applicants.

13 of the 15 original officers manning the 501st became GOs. No single battalion on record, before or since, has produced more GOs.

The USMC began training its first paratroopers 26 October 1940 and they graduated to begin forming the 1st and 2nd Marine Parachute Battalions on 26 February 1941. There would eventually be 4 of them, with the 1st, 2nd and 3rd forming the 1st Marine Parachute Regiment on 1 April 1943. The Marines made no combat jumps although 3 were considered, but earned a reputation as being formidable combat troops while serving as Infantry in the PTO.

Airborne!

And so it goes...

Richard

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by Richard

Response was so great it took the entire month of Octobeer to screen the applicants.

Thinking about Oktoberfest or just beer in general?

[Utah Bob]

Speaking of jump training, how about this cool lid?
An original Riddell RT-1 Parachute training helmet. from the estate of a Canadian FSSF vet.
No it's not mine unfortunately.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by lksteve

Thinking about Oktoberfest or just beer in general?

Isn't 'Octobeer' international suck some fermented suds month? Perfect time to bring a bunch of paratroopers together. OTOH, it's been my experience that any month is a perfect time for paratroopers of whatever generation to gather, suck suds, and revel in a good jump story or two or three or...

And so it goes...

Richard

[lksteve]

Originally Posted by Richard

Isn't 'Octobeer' international suck some fermented suds month?

If you say so...I'm more of a distilled spirits type myself...

Originally Posted by Utah Bob

Speaking of jump training, how about this cool lid?
An original Riddell RT-1 Parachute training helmet. from the estate of a Canadian FSSF vet.
No it's not mine unfortunately.

Bob, those old helmets remind me of the newer Protec helmets some teams wore not that long ago, lighter and smaller then kevlar. Not much for protection, except for small bumps, etc., movement in the aircraft, swimming with strobe lights taped on top.

[Utah Bob]

Originally Posted by wet dog

Bob, those old helmets remind me of the newer Protec helmets some teams wore not that long ago, lighter and smaller then kevlar. Not much for protection, except for small bumps, etc., movement in the aircraft, swimming with strobe lights taped on top.

The transparent plastic allows medic to assess open skull fractures without removing the helmet.

[Richard]

Originally Posted by lksteve

If you say so...I'm more of a distilled spirits type myself...

If the choice is Singha vs Mekong or Running Deer - you'd quickly learn to forego those distilled spirits and go with the Singha...especially if either of the whiskey's were more than a week old.

Richard

[33army]

Originally Posted by Pete

While others had made parachute jumps in the 20s and 30s the first real "paratrooper" to jump from an aircraft while in flight, from the test platoon, was an officer. The second was an enlisted man. Can you find their names.

Trivia - the second man, enlisted, was second in a lottery for the slot. The winner declined to jump. Can anyone find his name?

#1 First Lieutenant William T. Ryder
#2 Private William N. “Red” King

Original #2 Private John Ward