Sky Laughing – Parachute Regiment Stories

The Parachute Regiment
ISBN 1-84683-108-3
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by Roger Payne
A collection of true stories from former members of The Parachute  Regiment in the 1950s and 60s

You don't have to be a former member of the Parachute Regiment enjoy this collection of stories describing their activities during the 1950s and 60s. Renowned for the toughness of their training, the paras are known as the hard men of the British Armed Forces and these tales do nothing to dispel that image although they do reveal that these tough guys also have a good sense of humour which can be enjoyed by anyone.

This unashamedly politically incorrect collection of 190 true stories, gathered from former members of the Paras and other Airborne forces, is guaranteed to have any former soldier in stitches.

Although it celebrates the particular madness of the British airborne soldier of the 1950s and 60s, it epitomises the no-nonsense sense of humour of all soldiers, no matter what units they were in or when they served.

The humour is sometimes sick, occasionally perverse, often rude, definitely weird and usually warped – a consequence of the vocation these men have chosen and the mental and physical toughness required of them.

Many of the stories feature memories of the infamous Parachute Regiment selection course known as ‘P’ Company (Pegasus Company); two weeks of mental and physical hell designed to test the endurance of even the strongest of men. Those who passed could wear their red berets with pride, knowing they had come through hell and survived, although this was just the beginning of their career as an airborne soldier.

Further incidents are recalled, involving the perils of leaping out of aircraft, hard landings, lucky escapes, practical jokes and other crazy antics of airborne personnel both on and off duty.

The end result is a book that will keep you chuckling for hours.

For any ex-Para it’s a “must-read” and for everyone else it will be a real eye-opener.

details softback | 140 x 205 mm | 278 pages | text only
subject humorous true stories and anecdotes contributed by veterans of the Parachute Regiment and other Airborne forces
genre military humour
readership ex military personnel | anyone with a robust sense of humour
warning contains adult language and situations | over 18s only