| Weasel | 20 Jul 2014 6:27 p.m. PST |
Were UK airborne divisions raised from new recruits or were any existing infantry men able to transfer/volunteer into them (if passing relevant tests etc) ? |
| (Stolen Name) | 20 Jul 2014 7:42 p.m. PST |
IIRC ONLY existing servicemen were allowed to apply
link |
| FreddBloggs | 21 Jul 2014 1:54 a.m. PST |
Paratroopers were raised from volenteers, gliders were light Inf regiments converted, but you could transfer out. |
| Jemima Fawr | 21 Jul 2014 2:33 a.m. PST |
The initial batch of Para Bns were all volunteers and recommended men (who did not necessarily volunteer). However, the latterly-raised Para Bns were re-roled infantry battalions and not volunteers. Similarly, the Airlanding Bns and supporting arms were re-roled units. However, unfit and unsuitable men were frequently weeded out and better men acquired by various means, so they essentially became 'volunteers' by default. Similarly, my mate Ted was posted to 48 RM Commando in 1944 – he didn't volunteer. However, during Commando training his intake of 150 was whittled down to 40, so they essentially became 'volunteers', as they could have binned it at any point. |
| Tgunner | 21 Jul 2014 5:46 a.m. PST |
You need to check out Martin Middlebrook's "Arnhem 1944". One of its' opening chapters is a history of all the infantry battalions and how they were raised. The 4th Parachute Brigadee had a particularly colorful history. |
 Legion 4   | 21 Jul 2014 7:06 a.m. PST |
Pretty sure all/most armies paras were volunteers … On the other hand, for example, IIRC, the USMC had actually drafted troops into the Corps in the later years of the war. Too replace their very high losses … But as noted, by R mark,[with any military unit],those that could not hack it, were culled. Regardless of volunteering or not. US ARMY Ranger School has only about a 40-60% success rate. US SF, way under 50% or less … |
| Martin Rapier | 21 Jul 2014 8:34 a.m. PST |
"Pretty sure all/most armies paras were volunteers" In modern armies perhaps, but WW2 was a bit more brutal than that. As above, lots of conscripts in the British airborne, same for the majority of the dozen FJ divisions and iirc all sixteen divisions of soviet paras were conscripts. |
| Legion 4 | 21 Jul 2014 8:48 a.m. PST |
Yes, that is probably true for some WWII armies … However, many of the FJ Divisions were in name only in the latter days of the war. Many of those troops were not "airborne" qualified … Of course the Russians at times tried to drop troops into thick snow banks … so I guess that is certainly another way to be "Airborne" … And IIRC, the Gurkha Para units in the WWII CBI, were "volunteered" … The history of my Rgt, in WWII, the 187, of the 11th ABN Div. in the PTO … The 187 was a Glider unit, but because of the shotage of gliders, they were re-designated, a PIR after jump training … |
| Weasel | 21 Jul 2014 9:43 a.m. PST |
Fantastic, thanks. Appreciate the book recommendation too. |
| Last Hussar | 21 Jul 2014 9:50 a.m. PST |
I recall seeing a quote by a guy who volunteered because of jump pay, looking down on the first training jump wondering f it was worth it for 2 shillings a week* *I can't remember the actual amount, 2 shillings for illustration only |
| Gary Kennedy | 21 Jul 2014 12:38 p.m. PST |
31st Indep Bde Gp was converted almost wholesale to the Air Landing role at the end of 1941, becoming 1st Air Landing Bde Gp (I suspect they also provide the core of 1st Abn Div's Workshops/Ordnance units as well). I recall in what I think was a history of 1 Border that when the unit went to A/L, all men had to pass a medical; an officer stood at the back of the room and gave the nod to the doctor if they wanted the man to be excused the new role (the weeding mentioned above). Gary |
| Jemima Fawr | 21 Jul 2014 1:47 p.m. PST |
Sorry, I meant 41 RM Cdo, not 48 (Ted would be mortified). As it happens, 48 RM Cdo were a dragooned RM Infantry Bn (again, no volunteers), who only did a condensed 15-day Commando course, because it was decided at last minute that an additional Commando was needed for D-Day. |
| Jemima Fawr | 21 Jul 2014 1:53 p.m. PST |
In the Far East, 151 Para Bn was formed from British volunteers serving in India. The unit was then transferred to the UK, being renumbered 156 Para as a deception measure. 152 Para was an all-volunteer unit formed from non-Sikh Indian volunteers. 153 Para was an all-volunteer unit formed from Gurkha volunteers. 154 Para was formed from the re-roled 3/7th Gurkhas rather than volunteers. |
| Legion 4 | 22 Jul 2014 9:41 a.m. PST |
Thanks R Mark, good intel as always … I should of said, one of the Gurkha para units was "volunteered" …  |
| Jemima Fawr | 22 Jul 2014 1:17 p.m. PST |
There's a great story in 'The Battle at Sangshak' from one of the Gurkha Para officers; The SNCOs came to him, concerned that they would have to jump from 800 feet. They suggested that 400 feet would be better… "But at that height the parachutes won't have time to open." "We will have parachutes, Captain-Sahib?" :) |
| Lion in the Stars | 22 Jul 2014 3:47 p.m. PST |
Ah, Gurkhas. Best men in the world to have at your back, even if they are crazier than a bunch of SEALs… |
| Legion 4 | 22 Jul 2014 4:26 p.m. PST |
R Mark – I was told a similar story about the Gurkha Paras when I went to US ARMY Jump school a long time ago in my youth … |
| Jemima Fawr | 22 Jul 2014 5:07 p.m. PST |
Indeed. The Sangshak book seems to be the original source of the story, as it quotes the Gurkha Para CO. |
discovers that painters aren't mind-readers.
