Parachute Balloon Training Company RAF Cardington

The  Parachute Balloon Training Company, which was part of the Airborne Forces Depot establishment, was based at RAF Cardington in the 1950s and provided refresher training to Airborne Territorial Army units. Prior to this, the provision of balloon training units was the responsibility of the RAF.

Its origins can be traced back to 18 September 1950, when Demonstration and Experimental Company at Netheravon started to disband and by the middle of October most of its personnel had been reposted to Headquarters, Balloon Command, RAF Cardington, to man three balloon teams, under the command of Captain M L Dundar with Lt Gaff as 2i/c.

After training by the RAF, the members of  Army Balloon Company, later to be renamed as the Parachute Balloon Training Company, commenced their professional engagements around April/May 1951 by providing continuation training for Territorial Army airborne units. In its first season the company travelled 180,000 miles for 73 training commitments.

The company was subsequently expanded to five balloon crews, probably around late 1952 - early 1953.

During its existence the company travelled more than 1.5 million miles to provide 58,049 TA parachute descents, plus thousands more descents for regular army formations.

The following table provides a breakdown of TA descents made from company balloons.

Its final major task in November and December 1955 was to provide assistance to 16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group for conversion training of troops in the use of the reserve parachute, when over 2,500 descents were made on Frensham Common.

The RAF, who resumed responsibility for the provision of balloon units, subsequently discovered that it did not have the capacity to take on all parachute balloon training tasks and two Army crews were temporarily retained for the start of the jumping season in April 1956.