1 Parachute Battalion (''Ex Alto Vincimus'') is the only full-time

paratroop A paratrooper is a military parachutist—someone trained to parachute into a military operation, and usually functioning as part of an airborne force. Military parachutists (troops) and parachutes were first used on a large scale during Wor ...

unit of the

South African Army The South African Army is the principal land warfare force of South Africa, a part of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF), along with the South African Air Force, South African Navy and South African Military Health Servic ...

. It was established on 1 April 1961 with the formation of the Parachute Battalion. After 1998 this unit was renamed to Parachute Training Centre. It was the first battalion within 44 Parachute Brigade until 1999 when the brigade was downsized to

44 Parachute Regiment 44 Parachute Regiment is the South African Army's chief airborne infantry unit. It was created in 2000 by redesignating 44 Parachute Brigade, and is based at the Tempe military base near Bloemfontein. History Origin The first South Africa ...

The battalion has performed many active operations in battle – producing many highly decorated soldiers in the

South African Border War The South African Border War, also known as the Namibian War of Independence, and sometimes denoted in South Africa as the Angolan Bush War, was a largely asymmetric conflict that occurred in Namibia (then South West Africa), Zambia, and Ango ...

from 1966 to 1989. Their best known action was the controversial

Battle of Cassinga The Battle of Cassinga also known as the Cassinga Raid or Kassinga Massacre was a controversial South African airborne attack on a South West Africa People's Organization (SWAPO) military camp at the town of Cassinga, Angola on 4 May 1978. Cond ...

in 1978. The unit's nickname "Parabat" is a

portmanteau A portmanteau word, or portmanteau (, ) is a blend of words

History

Origin

In 1960 fifteen volunteers from the SADF were sent to England at RAF Abingdon, the majority to train as parachute instructors, some as parachute-packers and one SAAF pilot in the dropping of paratroopers. These men together with an older unit called 2 Mobile Watch formed the nucleus of 1 Parachute Battalion at Tempe in

Bloemfontein Bloemfontein, ( ; , "fountain of flowers") also known as Bloem, is one of South Africa's three capital cities and the capital of the Free State province. It serves as the country's judicial capital, along with legislative capital Cape To ...

in April 1961. UDF era 2 Mobile Watch Shoulder title

The first paratroopers were Permanent Force men, but soon the training of Citizen Force (similar to the

National Guard of the United States The National Guard is a state-based military force that becomes part of the reserve components of the United States Army and the United States Air Force when activated for federal missions.South West Africa South West Africa ( af, Suidwes-Afrika; german: Südwestafrika; nl, Zuidwest-Afrika) was a territory under South African administration from 1915 to 1990, after which it became modern-day Namibia. It bordered Angola (Portuguese colony before 1 ...

.44 Parachute Brigade 1997 – Col Skillie van der Walt In 1966, members of 1 Parachute Battalion participated in the first action in the war in South West Africa during a heliborne assault on an insurgent base. Thereafter, they were involved in operations in SWA/Namibia, Angola, Zambia, Mozambique and Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) and elsewhere on an almost constant basis for over 20 years.

Organisation under the SADF

1 Parachute Bn. was organised as follows: *Permanent Force: ** Bn H.Q., ** H.Q. Coy and **A and B Coy's; *Citizen Force: ** C Coy

Cape Town Cape Town ( af, Kaapstad; , xh, iKapa) is one of South Africa's three capital cities, serving as the seat of the Parliament of South Africa. It is the legislative capital of the country, the oldest city in the country, and the second largest ...

, ** D Coy

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

, ** E Coy

Pretoria Pretoria () is South Africa's administrative capital, serving as the seat of the executive branch of government, and as the host to all foreign embassies to South Africa. Pretoria straddles the Apies River and extends eastward into the foothi ...

and ** F Coy

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu language, Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a Megacity#List of megacities, megacity, and is List of urban areas by p ...

Development of Sister Units

Further battalions were added: 2 Para Bn in 1971 and 3 Para Bn in 1977.

Border War

In 1974 and 1975 1 Parachute Battalion operated along the

Angola , national_anthem = "Angola Avante"() , image_map = , map_caption = , capital = Luanda , religion = , religion_year = 2020 , religion_ref = , coordinat ...

n border with S.W.A; along the

Caprivi Strip The Caprivi Strip, also known simply as Caprivi, is a geographic salient protruding from the northeastern corner of Namibia. It is surrounded by Botswana to the south and Angola and Zambia to the north. Namibia, Botswana and Zambia meet at a s ...

; a platoon jumped near Luiana (September 1975), Angola to relieve a group of "

Bushmen The San peoples (also Saan), or Bushmen, are members of various Khoe languages, Khoe, Tuu languages, Tuu, or Kxʼa languages, Kxʼa-speaking indigenous hunter-gatherer cultures that are the Indigenous peoples of Africa, first cultures of Sout ...

" trapped by a

SWAPO The South West Africa People's Organisation (, SWAPO; af, Suidwes-Afrikaanse Volks Organisasie, SWAVO; german: Südwestafrikanische Volksorganisation, SWAVO), officially known as the SWAPO Party of Namibia, is a political party and former ind ...

force; and 3 platoons Joined Operation Savannah at Sá da Bandeira the day after the airport was taken (October 1975). The two platoons withdrew in February/March Operation Savannah during the

Angolan Civil War The Angolan Civil War ( pt, Guerra Civil Angolana) was a civil war in Angola, beginning in 1975 and continuing, with interludes, until 2002. The war immediately began after Angola became independent from Portugal in November 1975. The war was ...

in July 1975 when 1 string of 1 Parachute Battalion were flown to

Ondangwa Ondangwa (earlier spelling ''Ondangua'') is a town in the Oshana Region of northern Namibia, bordering the Oshikoto Region. Ondangwa was first established as a mission station of the Finnish Missionary Society (the FMS) in 1890. In 1914, it beca ...

and travelled by

Unimog The Unimog (, ) is a range of multi-purpose tractors, trucks and lorries that has been produced by Boehringer from 1948 until 1951, and by Daimler Truck (formerly Daimler-Benz, DaimlerChrysler and Daimler AG) since 1951. In the United States and ...

to Ruancana on the northern border of SWA at Ruacana and Santa Clara in Angola to relieve two Portuguese communities trapped by the

MPLA The People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola ( pt, Movimento Popular de Libertação de Angola, abbr. MPLA), for some years called the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola – Labour Party (), is an Angolan left-wing, social dem ...

The Para Brigade

With the coming of 44 Parachute Brigade in April 1978, under the leadership of Brigadier M J du Plessis and Colonel

Jan Breytenbach Jan Dirk Breytenbach (born 14 July 1932) is a retired career South African Special Forces military officer and author of military books. He is best known as the first commander of 1 Reconnaissance Commando, South Africa's first special-forces u ...

, a co-founder of the brigade. it became a powerful force. The first large airborne exercise of the Parachute Battalion Group took place in 1987 in the Northwestern Transvaal (now

North West Province North West is a province of South Africa. Its capital is Mahikeng. The province is located to the west of the major population centre of Gauteng and south of Botswana. History North West was incorporated after the end of Apartheid in 1994, an ...

). With the eventual disbanding of 44 Parachute Brigade its full-time personnel were moved to

and incorporated into the 1 Parachute Battalion Group.

New Techniques

In 1986, the unit embarked on its first HALO/HAHO (High altitude Low Opening/High Altitude High Opening) course in Bloemfontein. This would enable the troops to drop into enemy territory from aircraft following commercial routes.

Under the SANDF

In 2001 battalion personnel formed the spearhead of the South African Protection Support Detachment deploying to

Burundi Burundi (, ), officially the Republic of Burundi ( rn, Repuburika y’Uburundi ; Swahili: ''Jamuhuri ya Burundi''; French: ''République du Burundi'' ), is a landlocked country in the Great Rift Valley at the junction between the African Gr ...

. In 2012, 1 Parachute Battalion participated in the

South African military assistance to the Central African Republic The South African Government has assisted the government of François Bozizé in the Central African Republic militarily. After 13 paratroopers were killed in the March 2013 battle for Bangui, the Zuma government came under heavy criticism and q ...

operation, where the unit suffered 13 killed, with 27 injured and one missing in action in an ambush conducted by

Séléka Séléka CPSK-CPJP-UFDR was an alliance of rebel militia groups that subjugated the Central African Republic (CAR) on 24 March 2013. After its official dissolution in September 2013, the remaining rebel groups became known as Ex-Séléka. Sél ...

rebels. In 2014 it was announced that 1 Parachute Battalion would receive Battle Honours for this operation. In 2013, the battalion contributed one company, under command of Major Vic Vrolik, to the FIB which fought a number of engagements in the

DRC The Democratic Republic of the Congo (french: République démocratique du Congo (RDC), colloquially "La RDC" ), informally Congo-Kinshasa, DR Congo, the DRC, the DROC, or the Congo, and formerly and also colloquially Zaire, is a country in ...

Training

1 Parachute Battalion is the sole military parachute training institution in South Africa, with its parachute School being responsible for all training. The school has had only four fatalities in its existence. 1 Parachute Battalion is a full-time unit which in addition to parachute training also conducts force training to recruits inducted into the unit and other units in the South African Army. The average age ranges in the mid-twenties. The selection and training of paratroops is rigorous to ensure a standard of combat efficiency is retained at a high level.

Recruitment

Members of 1 Parachute Battalion visit the various battalions each year early in the training cycle to look for volunteers. These must then pass a physical test at their unit prior to appearing before a selection board, which examines their character and motivation.

Initial evaluation

To give would-be members the endurance and the fitness they will need for operations in the harsh African conditions, the instructors of 44 Parachute Brigade place particular emphasis on basic physical training. Soldiers volunteering for service with the parachute forces first undergo a battery of medical tests – similar to that for flying personnel – before setting off on a timed run. Before they can recover their breath, they tackle the second test: run in which each man carries a comrade on his back. The applicants are then put through various psychological and physical tests – though these are usually well within the reach of anyone with sufficient motivation and willpower. The real ordeal will then start: for four long months, the recruits Bats will endure forced marches, physical exercises, shooting sessions and inspections – all this barracked by the screams of their eagle-eyed instructors. The South African paratroop instructors, like their British counterparts, enforce strict discipline. For example, trainees always take their grooming kit along with them on marches and at dawn, when back at the base with aching bones, devote whatever little time is left they have to rest to 'spit and polish'. Those who are accepted are then transferred to 1 Para, where they first complete the normal three-month basic training course, with some differences: PT three times a day, no walking in camp under any circumstances and a run to end each day. runs carrying tar poles; car tyres attached to the candidates by a long rope; or the dreaded concrete slab that has to be carried everywhere the candidate goes. Some 10 to 20 percent drop out during this phase, returning to their original units. All this builds up to what is called the ''koeikamp'' ('cow camp'). It is 3 days of the ultimate challenge of physical and psychological endurance. The would-be paratroops get a 24-hour ration pack or "rat pack" for the duration of the selection. During these days, they are given several tasks to perform in an allocated time: Several Night marches/runs with bergens,

boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

, stretcher run over , digging trenches and the carrying of artillery canisters over during a timed run are just a few of the tasks that has to be completed. On top of all this the candidates are out in the African bush with no showers, hot meals or beds after each gruelling day. Each year the sequence of what "tests" will be done to get the strongest out of the "wannabees" changes, so it comes as quite a surprise each year. Due to lack of sleep, hunger and extreme physical tasks many of the men give up. After all the above tests, the few remaining soldiers head back to camp where they have to complete an obstacle course called the "Elephant". Some foreign Elite soldiers claimed this to be one of the hardest bone breaking obstacle courses ever. Again, this is a timed exercise, which has to be completed several times, it is also done with full battle kit. Again the instructors are looking for any hesitant students during the high obstacles and underwater swim through a narrow tunnel. At the end of the "Elephant" several more students drop out due to injury or not completing the course in the required time. At this point the course has been completed. However, there is always the 'bad surprise" which has historically become part of the Selection Phase. After a six-month ordeal, the selected few (about 40% of the original intake), make the 12 jumps required to obtain their wings. During this time, the chances of being disqualified are still very high. This phase is followed by some advanced individual training, during which such subjects as advanced driving, demolitions, tactics and patrolling, unarmed combat, survival skills, escape and evasion, aspects of guerrilla warfare, tracking, raiding,

counterinsurgency Counterinsurgency (COIN) is "the totality of actions aimed at defeating irregular forces". The Oxford English Dictionary defines counterinsurgency as any "military or political action taken against the activities of guerrillas or revolutionari ...

operations, fast rope skills, ambush and anti-ambush techniques and foreign weapons and techniques are covered. Their instructors, however, always find that something is left to be desired with the inspection which invariably follows. To harden their muscles, trainees are made to carry a telegraph pole for two days, at a rate of daily. Back at base, the 'marble', a stone weighing about which the soldier must carry wherever he goes, is used as a substitute for the same purpose. The detailed training programme is listed below: Updated Proficiency Board 2010-Nov-2010 Ver 2

Updated Proficiency Board 2010-Nov-2010 Ver 2

Basic training – 10 weeks

* Musketry * Field Craft * Drill * Map Reading * Buddy Aid * Physical Training – Very important

Parachute qualification training – 5 weeks

* Parachute Selection – 2 Weeks (8 hours Physical Training every day for 2 weeks) ** Running and more with boots ** Running up to with logs ** Battle PT with Logs, Concrete Blocks and Rifles ** Route Marches of with full kit **

Boxing Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermined ...

, Soccer,

Wrestling Wrestling is a series of combat sports involving grappling-type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. Wrestling techniques have been incorporated into martial arts, combat s ...

, Rugby with Car Tyre as ball ** Callisthenic Exercises ** Qualification Tests (60% must be attained after the 2 weeks Parachute Selection) *** with full kit in 18 minutes *** 40 Shuttle Runs in 90 seconds *** fireman's lift with full kit *** Climb a 6-metre rope *** Climb over a 2-metre wall with full kit *** 50 pushups without resting *** 67 sit-ups in 2 minutes *** 120 squat kicks without resting * Parachute training – 3 weeks following successful parachute selection ** Ground training in hangar ** Jumping from "aapkas" (Outdoor exit trainer) ** Jumping from Dakota Aircraft ** Jumping from C130 / C160 Transall Aircraft ** Jumping includes day and night jumps, with and without kit using standard and steerable parachutes ** A total of 8 jumps must be completed before the sought after paratrooper wings are awarded *** Current Day Selection and Training for the Physical portion of the Parachute Course *** Until 1991 the physical portion of the Parachute Qualifying course was 2 weeks, but due to national service being shortened to one year, the army had a need to change and make the training more compact and fast-paced. However some of the 'older' paratroops still do physical training courses to ensure that standards do not drop.

Individual training – 8 weeks

* Platoon Weapons * Battle Craft * Specialist Training (in one of the following mustering) ** Section Leaders ** Rifleman ** Mortar man ** Anti-Tank Gunner ** Machine Gunner ** Signaler ** Intelligence NCO ** Medical Orderly ** Driver ** Clerk ** Parachute Packer ** Store man

Conventional warfare training – 10 weeks

* Advance * Defence * Withdrawal * Cooperation with Armoured, Artillery, Air Force etc. * Airborne Operations including Air Assault battle handling on sub-unit level

Counter-insurgency (COIN) training – 9 weeks

* Bush Warfare Techniques * Reaction Force Operations * Specialized Air Operations * Airborne Raids

Active operational duty

* Once a paratroop is fully trained, he takes part in the normal operational and training activities of the unit.

Other Training

* Specialist Parachute and other Training Courses include: ** Pathfinder Training ** Basic

fast-roping Fast-roping is a technique for descending a thick rope, allowing troops to deploy from a helicopter in places where the aircraft cannot touch down. The person holds onto the rope with gloved hands (with or without using their feet) and slides do ...

rappelling Abseiling ( ; ), also known as rappelling ( ; ), is the controlled descent of a steep slope, such as a rock face, by moving down a rope. When abseiling the person descending controls their own movement down the rope, in contrast to low ...

skills

** Fast-roping/rappelling dispatchers ** Fast-roping/rappelling instructors ** Static Line dispatchers course ** Basic Parachute instructors course ** Advance static line jump course ** Basic Free Fall Course ** Free fall dispatchers course ** Free fall instructors course ** Advanced free fall course ** Advanced free fall instructors course ** Drop zone safety officers course ** Parachute Packing and checking course ** Tandem parachuting

Leadership

Insignia

Previous Dress Insignia

Battle Honours

Notes

References

{{SA Army Units Infantry battalions of South Africa Military units and formations in Bloemfontein Airborne units and formations of South Africa Military units and formations established in 1961 Military units and formations of South Africa in the Border War