"Parachute colors" Topic

Every movie or miniature I have seen has parachutes in silk color. My dad brought home a camouflaged one from D-Day.Was this limited to his unit (507/82) or was something else going on?

Most U.S. chutes were O.D. Green, the specialists like 82 ans 101 got camo from what I've read.

Yup, camouflage 'chutes became more and more common for US paras during 1944.

Supply 'chutes were colour-coded according to what was in the canister – ammunition, food, medical, etc. The colour codes changed from operation to operation, but for Market-Garden they were:
Ammunition – Red (actually more of a pink)
Rations – Green
Medical – White
Fuel – Blue
Mail – Black
Communications Equipment – Yellow

"The parachutes, cargo, dropping, are known as types G-2, G-3, G-4, and G-5. Their canopies measure 24', 28', 36', and 48', respectively, and are capable of carrying loads up to 3,000 pounds. Parachute assemblies consist of the canopy and pack. Early models of the canopies were of cotton fabric, later changed to rayon. Some of the larger canopies are now being made of nylon because of its lightness and strength. For identification purposes, canopies are made in various colors-red, green, blue, yellow, or natural. By establishing a color code, the type of supplies being delivered is easily determined by the color of the canopy. For instance, blue canopies might designate water, red canopies, ammunition, green canopies, rations, etc."

link

Somewhere I remember seeing comments about the D-day parachutes being 'white' which gave the Germans something to aim at as it was a night jump, while later operations had camo parachutes, and the jumps were done during daylight.

The Germans had camo chutes too, but didnt like jumping with them as a myth went round that the dyes used effected performance…

If not camouflaged, paras' main chutes were khaki. However, US reserve chutes were white (the British didn't use reserve chutes).

Isn't a reserve chute a little bit useless when jumping as low as they did? Once you knew you needed it you were on the ground before you could deploy it.

Yup, that's why the British didn't bother.

'On the ground' – a quaint way of saying 'jam', (or brown bread)

Quick Refain from the old "He landed without a Parachute from 40 000ft" to the tune of John Browns Body ;-).