Junior Parachute Company

Boy Paratroopers (1961)

Facebook group ... Tom Twoguns (Creator) / Steve Coles (Admin)

A personal journey which started August 1988 by Tom Blakey

For all ex members of Junior Para to get in touch with each other and share stories of beastings etc from when we used to be skinny!

This group is for all Officer's, NCO's and JINF's who have served in JPC.
JPC was part of the Parachute Regiment, dedicated to training young lads from 15-17 years old. Renowned for it's hard physical training, tough discipline, and above all Parachute Regiment tradition, JPC over the years produced an extremely high standard of young soldier. The envy of many other regiments. Many of it's pupils went on to have long established careers in the Parachute Regiment.

Sadly no longer in today's modern Army. This will hopefully give all ex JPC a chance to remember the good times, the not so good times ! (were there any!), share memories, and maybe meet an old mucker, or make new. Importantly learn the history of JPC.
Perhaps we could even arrange a JPC RV in the future in celebration of this once great establishment.

Farnborough, Hampshire ... BOY PARATROOPERS video newsreel film

This was the headquarters of the Junior Parachute Company and the boys were all aged between 15 and 17 and a half, they want to become paratroopers when they reach their 18th birthdays. The boys moves along and is given more kit including they jackets. As a paratrooper puts a helmet on the head of a young boy, two more boys are waiting in line. The boys are seen walking across the camp carrying their kit, they walk past a sign saying 'Junior Parachute Company Depot The Parachute Regiment'. one of the boys in khaki uniform is seen wearing a red beret, he starts smearing his face with mud for camouflage. Another boy with a knife, he places it in his jacket. Two officers talking, one of them shouts "advance!" and the boys walk forward with their rifles, they all throw themselves on the floor and roll over a couple of times, one boy crawling through the grass with rifle poised, two other boys doing the same. 

One of the boys are on the assault course, he swings across on a rope and onto some netting which he climbs and goes over the top. Various shots of other activities on the assault course as the boys climb up a big scaffolding tower and across the top, some of the boys in uniform wearing red berets, an officer is fitting parachute packs to them while two boys talking and watching, the instructor showing them the parachute as it is unfurled, you can see a boy running with it. Various shots of the troops boarding the aeroplane, the aeroplane flying through the sky and the paratroopers jumping out. One of the boys looking up as the paratroopers come down, paratroopers dropping to earth.

This From Phil King
I joined JPC Jan 1968 went to depot 344pl passed P coy 12 July 1969 17 Yrs and 2 months old did Abingdon, After Wales I went straight into 1 Para, served Northern Ireland Oct 1969. 17 Yrs and 5 months remained 1 Para until 1976 ... NI/UN CYPRUS and Berlin left Regiment joined 16th Ind Coy Lincoln (Para Regt 44 Bde) went to a rifle Coy 15 Para (jocks) CSM 1981 new colours, Charlie Boy May 1982 4 Para 1984, commissioned 1986 left as a Captain 1990 attended all five 1 Para re-unions at Blackpool ... Contact Phil

Phil King

The lads in track suits (picture below) are all JPC late 1968 names:- 
Pompey Norman, Squid Thomas, Norman Fairs, Skelly Skelton, Joe Mercer, Mick Butler, Anglo Eden, Ted Ferguson, Dave Jones, GG Gallop, Dave Longstaff. 

Staff. front left Not known, Ian Harding, Pete Wadsworth, Harry Randal, Lugs Leslie, Goggs Morrison, Les Ratcliff. Ben Bennett. the one of the lads in uniform 

I know some but have forgot most names, some that I do remember Steve Gerrard. Snake Bowen, Dave Longstaff, Joe Merce, Eddie Hunt, Jock Sowter, Rinksy Richens.

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