Home of the South African Parabat

   

   

1 Parachute Battalion

The South African Air Force established a Paratroops Company in August 1943, during the Second World War, but was disbanded before training could commence. In the late 1950’s, the General Staff decided to establish a South African parachute unit. On the 27th September 1960, 15 South African Defence Force volunteers were sent to Britain to be trained as paratroopers and parachute jumping instructors at Abingdon Royal Air Force base. This course started on the 3rd October and all 15 qualified and received their wings on the 8th November. 2 members, who had broken a leg each during the night jump, received theirs in the hospital. The advance training started at the transport squadron and produced, 11 parachute instructors, 2 parachute riggers and 1 medic at the medical center. The courses ended on the 15th December and they returned to SA on the 22nd of December. The army members were issued with British Army Wings and the air force members with the Royal Air Force Parachute Wings, which were worn on the right upper arm of thier uniforms. The army members of the group completed the parachute instructor’s course at Abingdon and were then awarded the parachute instructors’ half-wing which was worn on the left side of the chest of the uniform. On completion of 50 jumps, the South African wore their wings on the right side of the chest.

South Africa’s first airborne unit was thus established under the command of Cmdt W.P.Louw, along with the other 14 members who were: 

 2 Mobile Watch commanded by Cmdt. W.P. Louw, became the elite of the SADF, nicknamed ‘Parabats’. This unit was then converted into 1 Parachute Battalion on the 1st of April 1961, which is generally regarded as the birthday of  South African’s parachute forces, and by the end of the year the first paratroopers were being trained in South Africa.

It was in 1961 that the first South African wings were developed. The qualification wing, a cloth wing of blue and white on a dark brown background, was instituted. It was worn on the right upper arm of the uniform by candidates that had qualified as paratroopers, and on the right side of the chest by those with 50 or more jumps.

The instructor’ half-wing was slightly larger than the RAF instructors half-wing and this was white on a lighter brown background, with a green wreath around the lower portion of the parachute. This half-wing was worn on the left side of the chest. Initially, instructors wore both wings, but in 1962 they reverted to only wearing the instructors half-wing.