LINKS

No story of Ringway would be complete without reference to the skill and dedication the RAF Parachute Instructors. The onus for the establishment of a parachute training school lay with the Air Ministry and at first the RAF was not keen on the idea. Britain in the mid-1940's did not possess enough aircraft to defend the UK and few could be spared to train paratroopers let alone lift them in action. When the decision was taken to set up a combined services training centre at Ringway the Air Ministry was not prepared to provide more than 8 RAF instructors so it was decided that 20 volunteers from the Army would be responsible for air training at Ringway, whilst the physical training would be carried out at Hardwick.

However, the actual ground training was basic and no study had been made of the technique adopted for landing. As a result many injuries were being sustained and the inconsistencies between the tuition of the Army and RAF convinced senior officers that all parachute training should be concentrated at Ringway. The RAF decided to recruit a physical fitness officer, who also specialised in anatomy and physiology , to make a study of parachute landings. After consulting medical experts and experienced parachutists a simple technique evolved that was to prove effective. The RAF training instructors were a special breed of men sometimes jumping a dozen times a day and constantly engaged in parachuting experiments. These men set exemplary standards that saw many doubting pupils through their courses.

For the trainee parachutist Ringway was like a holiday camp compared with the strict regime at Hardwick - where everything was done at the double. Trainees were divided into sticks of ten men who worked as a team throughout their time at Ringway The food was more appetising, discipline was more relaxed and Kilkenny's Circus was similar to a day at a fairgound with slides, swings and trapeezes and everyone was rushing to return to the platform for another go. Some found the Fan, with a 30 foot drop, a little intimidating which did raise doubts in their minds as to how they would react when faced with their first parchute descent - jumping into space from a balloon tethered 800 feet above the ground. This was where the skill and patience of RAF instructors became so important, with their off-putting line of patter and humorous anecdotes. No attempt was made to avoid mention of the risks of parachuting and there were plenty of stories of accidents, Roman Candles and near misses in the belief that if anyone was put-off by the patter they wouldn't jump anyway.
All the pictures on this page came from the photo-album of the late Sgt Arthur James McDonald, "Mac" who received a special letter of recommendation from Wing Cdr J C Kilkenny OBE