Sapper William M Morgan

I was called up for National Service on 5 June 1947. My first posting for six weeks basic training was with the Royal West Kents at the Invicta Lines, Maidstone, Kent.

At the completion of this training I was then sent to the No 1 Training Regiment Royal Engineers (I had completed a Carpenters Apprenticeship). This was a 13-week Sappers Recruit Training course held at Malvern, Worcs. Nearing the end of this course we were visited by 2 members of the Parachute Regiment, complete with parachutes. They explained the joys of parachuting and called for volunteers. I put my name down, and subsequently commenced Para training: the physical part; a final 2 weeks intensive gymnasium; and assault course in Aldershot - this one really sorted out the men from the boys. From here we started true parachute training: exits; pulling down; rolling; the tower etc. Then balloon, aircraft day and night.

I was granted the Parachute Badge on 21 January 1948.

My next posting was to the Rhine, on 14 March 1948; first to Belefeld then Hamburg, finally to the 3rd Airborne Squadron in Neumunster, Schleswig Holstein. Shortly after arriving there, there was a call for volunteers for the Airborne Forces Experimental Establishment (AFEE) at Beaulieu Airfield in Hampshire. Once again I put my hand up and by 2 April 1948 I found myself back in the UK.

The work at AFEE was mainly testing various aircraft for suitability for parachuting, getting away from the Dakota and using a British aircraft. My time there was mostly with the Hastings and the Valetta. Every change in the aircraft set up had to be tested, first with dummies then with live drops, often hundreds of each.

On June the 8th 1948, whilst carrying out aircraft load tests, I suffered a chute malfunction with a kitbag strapped to my leg containing 80lbs of concrete. At AFEE we always jumped from 2,000 ft and with an emergency chute. It was with a certain amount of difficulty I managed to get this second chute deployed (someone had removed the spring loaded pilot chute from the pack, for safety reasons). I released the Kitbag and it hit the ground before getting to the end of its 20ft rope - I followed it in hard. In 3 hours I was up and down again.

This episode entitled me to membership of the Caterpillar Club and I duly received my golden caterpillar and certificate.

I remained on this airfield with the AFEE until being sent to Airborne Forces Depot, Aldershot for release on 14 June 1949.

In November 1950 I arrived in Australia as a migrant.

By Bill Morgan