Paras in Action: Ready for Anything - The Parachute Regiment Through the Eyes of Those who Served

The date is the 6 June 1944. The paratroopers on board the aircraft are crammed together, joking and singing over the drone of the engines, none of them dwelling on the gnawing fear in their guts.They reach the French coastline, and everyone goes quiet when loud explosions and flashes erupt around the aircraft.Pilots desperately dodge and swerve through the cool night air while the men hold firm, preparing to jump.They reach the open door; the green light flicks on and they leap without hesitation into a sky lit up by flak, ready to meet their fate. One after another, thousands of white parachutes billow out and the men fall through the air not knowing where they might land or if they will even survive the drop; but their minds are set.They are clear about their mission and its critical importance as part of the bigger picture.Some ’chutes do not open, weapons and kit are torn off in the slipstream, and anti-aircraft guns pick men off and many never make it to the ground alive. The Nor