Acting Captain John Martin

John Martin served with Airborne Forces with 16 Parachute Heavy Drop Company, RAOC and on attachment with 2 PARA in the early 1960s.

John Martin joined the Army at Blackdown Barracks, Deepcut to join the Royal Army Ordnance Corps in January 1959. After completion of his basic training and pre-War Office Selection Board (WOSB) training at Blackdown, he transferred to Mons Barracks, Aldershot, in around August 1959, and gained his commission on 5 December 1959.

Shortly afterwards, he transferred to Maida Barracks to undergo P Company on the last course before Christmas 1959, continuing to RAF Abingdon and Weston-on-the-Green in January 1960 for parachute training.

After qualification, he was posted to Watchfield, near Shrivenham, to complete his Heavy Drop course at Old Sarum in final preparation for joining 16 Parachute Heavy Drop Company RAOC.

Shortly after joining the unit, he took part in the 16 Para Brigade exercise in Libya. Whilst in the Middle East, he was attached to The 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), as an Acting Captain, where they were based at Limassol, Cyprus. He undertook trips to Aden and Bahrain, to inspect their heavy drop equipment, and undertook further exercises in Libya and Kenya, and later was deployed to Kuwait with 2 PARA.

John returned to 16 Para Heavy Drop Coy afterwards, as a Captain had become available to fill their vacancy, and he was posted to Aden with the Company. The Company eventually returned to the UK, and back to Watchfield, where John was eventually demobbed.

Profile under construction