SAS -- ALWAYS EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED

'Always Expect The Unexpected' is a title of a new book which describes the start and early days of the Parachute Regiment and becoming world famous.

The humans know that they can't fly and therefore naturally scared of fallen, especially from great heights. Even sudden drops in altitude in modern aeroplane make stomach churning.

The author of the books remembers the experience of jumping into battle creates a spirit that transcends all ranks. When he was serving in the Parachute Regiment, he met parachutists from all nations. They came from Europe, America, Middle East and Africa. He states further that wherever he served the intangible airborne brotherhood was a uniting bond.

When Churchill was barely 12 days in office he issued a memo to General Ismay at the War Office on Jun 22, 1940. He wrote that they should have corps of at least 5,000 parachute troops and asked for a note on the subject. The staffs were shocked because there were not even any spare aircraft. Furthermore, nobody ever jumped out of an aeroplane except pilots who had to bale out. The general view of the RAF was that no sane man would jump from a perfect aircraft.                                         

The reason for Churchill's concern was that a large number of parachutists were captured in Holland. Major John Rock was barely back from Dunkirk when he was ordered to start a parachute troops at Ringway airfield in Manchester. He was given parachutist's boots and smock suit.

Six Whitley bombers and crews were allocated by Churchill and 1,000 parachutes were ordered. A senior RAF officer wrote, "There are very real difficulties in this parachute business. We are trying to introduce a completely new arm into the service at about five minutes notice and with totally inadequate resources and personnel. Little - if any - practical experience is possessed in England of any of these problems and it will be necessary to cover in six months the ground the Germans have covered in six years."

On July 11, 1940 pilots and instructors were hurling 200lbs dummies through a three-foot-wide hole in the floor of a Whitley bomber. Pupils on the ground were not very encouraged by what they saw.

One observer wrote, "We had all eyes on the approaching aircraft and open door when the dummy exited at 1,500 feet. The dummy dropped with all the speed and grace of a ton of bricks and slammed into the ground less the 60 yards from the soldiers. Confidence deflated but they were assured by an officer that if it were a human being the reserve parachute would have saved the life.

Sergeant T Dawes was second in line to jump during one live demonstration.

He remembered that with great effort he dared to look down on this first bird's-eye view of the English countryside. He saw at five hundred feet below a tiny stretcher with a dark motionless figure being lifted on the blood wagon (ambulance). It was not exactly encouraging. The number one had knocked himself out. After a three hour search they found Dawes six miles away, helplessly hanging in a tree by his parachute. To learn to perfect the jump was a painful experience.

Second Lieutenant Ian Smith also remembers that some clever ones developed devices to soften the landing. Some went into some extremes. "One inventor thought it best if we all wore under our boots a series of clip-on springs, about the size of bed springs."

Guardsman Frankie Garlic became entangled by his static line when his pack snagged on the line of the previous jumper. He hangs helpless underneath the hole and couldn't be pulled back in either. The pilot Edward Cutler had no other choice but to land in spite of him hanging there which meant certain death. Cutler manages to slow down the approach over grass and at the same time keeping the tail of the aircraft as high as possible. Garlic realized what is happening and went on his back while the parachute acted as a sledge. It disintegrated as friction stripped off layers of silk. Corporal Reg Curtis watched the landing and stated afterwards, "Frankie just slid out from under the Whitley, unlocked his harness and calmly walked away."

It is amazing how some tough and courageous soldiers found parachuting nerve racking and some just done it calmly.

"Parachuting is really a conflict between one's rational and emotional self," states Parachute Regiment Captain Peter Lunn. "Rationally one believes that there is now a very great risk; emotionally one is convinced that to jump out of a flying aeroplane means certain death."

"Parachuting should be 'debunked', it must become an everyday affair," according to Wing Commander Maurice Newnham at Ringway. "To do this we've got to build up confidence, stop the blood-curling tales that are spread about."  Parachuting has to be an automatic re-action when performed under stress.

The most important point, to succumb the fear factor, is the type of aircraft itself. The German JU-52 or the American Douglas Dakota were much easier to jump through because of the door exits. The British Whitley had to be jump through the bomb bay and had been condemned by instructors and students.

Aircraft fitter G Abbot remembered "dry-lipped, white-knuckled young men" boarding the Whitleys. Flying in the open tail gave a unique view of exiting paratroopers. "Only feet below the tail the exiting man would suddenly appear travelling rapidly backwards, arms and legs flailing, every facial expression visible - usually one of fear."

The resources were very limited to the British Paratroopers which makes them feel like even more as guinea-pig. Jumping through a hole was a stupid idea, was the opinion of the parachute instructor Harry Ward. Sergeant PTI Gerrad Turnbull, serving at Ringway, was convinced that it would only take 50 per cent training jumping through a door.

By September 1940, 21 officer and 321 soldiers had passed the selection. They went to parachute training with No 2 Commando Squadron Leader Maurice Newnham who eventually took over the parachute school. From this selection 30 found themselves unable to screw up the necessary determination to jump, two were killed because their parachutes didn't opened and 20 were either unsuitable or sustained injuries which made them medically unfit.

These great failure rates proved a problem to get the 5,000 parachutists, Churchill demanded.

"What manner of men are these who wear the red beret?" asked Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery rhetorically in 1947. "They are in fact men apart - every man an emperor," he declared.

A number of characteristics set Sky Men apart from other soldiers.

American paratroopers regard non-parachute infantry as simply "legs", because they do not go by air to battle. Russian paratroopers agreed they were "more equal than others". This exclusivity lies at the core of the "airborne spirit". Paratroopers often fight alone and unsupported. Acceptance of high casualties is implicit in all of this.

Volunteering for a tough selection process and the act of parachuting - a tangible display of courage and daring - Paratroopers are selected for their psychological staying power and determination to withstand the rigours of a low-level jump, probably in darkness.