The Paras 1940–84

The Paras 1940–84 PDF Author: Gregor Ferguson
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9780850455731
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Osprey's examination of the British Airborne Forces, from World War II (1939-1945) to the Falklands War (1982). On the night of 7 February 1941 the first British parachute unit was sent into action. Their target was the Tragino Aqueduct in Italy, and although the mission itself did not go to plan, the effect on Italian morale of this landing in the heart of their country was considerable. It was also a valuable achievement for the parachutists to have proved themselves in action, even on so small a scale, at a time when Britain was reeling from defeat to defeat. Since then, British Airborne Forces have proved themselves in action time and time again, in a variety of different theatres from Europe to the Falklands.

Blood Clot

Blood Clot PDF Author: Jake Scott
Publisher: Helion and Company
ISBN: 1909384348
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 420

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Book Description
"As you know 'blood clot' means blood cells coming together to form a strong clot that forms and sticks together to keep the wound sealed enabling it to repair. The Parachute Regiment's 'blood clot' acts the same, whether downtown scrapping or in some far away country fighting alongside each other. Our maroon berets come together, they stick together, they close ranks forming the blood clot and fight against anything that comes their way." (Jake Scott) When the 3 Para battle group departed for Helmand Province, south Afghanistan, nobody really knew what to expect. Within a month of being on the ground the first of many contacts between the Taliban and British forces began. The British government and media were in shock - for the men on the ground it was what they were trained for. As weeks went on the fighting increased. Resources and manning were poor but for the Paras it was too late - it was back to basics, living in holes in the ground in 60 degree temperatures, often in small numbers and under constant attack from the Taliban. It looked as if it was going to be a long six months... 'Blood Clot' is a personal account of the Parachute Regiment's ferocious tour of duty in Helmand Province, Afghanistan 2006 by a man who was involved in the thick of the action. Born in 1981, Jake Scott joined the Parachute Regiment aged 17, and had already seen service around the world - including Iraq - before becoming part of a small reconnaissance team trained to operate behind enemy lines, known as 'the Patrols'. Jake and his mates probed, escorted and fought their way in and around some of the most dangerous areas in the whole of the Middle East - virgin Taliban country. After intense fighting against the odds, leaving dead Taliban soldiers in their wake and encountering some very near misses themselves, the Patrols platoon eventually ended their tour of duty. This is their story - the very beginning of the Afghan troubles in the south, the build up and lack of support and equipment in the initial stages, the close and dangerous fighting, the boredom of the open desert and the uncontrollable sadness of friends killed and injured around them. The Paras and their battle group arrived in small numbers in Helmand in 2006. They set the example for others to follow for many years to come - the aggressiveness of the airborne soldier when it was called for, fighting the Taliban on their turf, up close and personal.

The Paras 1940–84

The Paras 1940–84 PDF Author: Gregor Ferguson
Publisher: Osprey Publishing
ISBN: 9780850455731
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
Osprey's examination of the British Airborne Forces, from World War II (1939-1945) to the Falklands War (1982). On the night of 7 February 1941 the first British parachute unit was sent into action. Their target was the Tragino Aqueduct in Italy, and although the mission itself did not go to plan, the effect on Italian morale of this landing in the heart of their country was considerable. It was also a valuable achievement for the parachutists to have proved themselves in action, even on so small a scale, at a time when Britain was reeling from defeat to defeat. Since then, British Airborne Forces have proved themselves in action time and time again, in a variety of different theatres from Europe to the Falklands.

The Para Fitness Guide

The Para Fitness Guide PDF Author: Sam McGrath
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1782001778
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
In The Para Fitness Guide, Major Sam McGrath of the legendary Parachute Regiment has collected together an inspirational series of exercises which are perfect for anyone. Every year getting fit and losing weight is at the top of the list of resolutions but few of us manage to stick to any kind of fitness regime. What you need is a military instructor watching over your exercise programme, helping you out and encouraging you along the way. Unfortunately, we can't supply you with your own personal fitness expert, but this book is the next best thing! Sam offers advice on how to choose a gym, eat well, prepare for exercise, warm up and how to warm down to reduce the impact of all of those aches and pains. The book also sets out six challenges for readers to aim for as they follow this programme, including a 10-mile race and the grueling Fan Dance around the Brecon Beacons. Recession proof your fitness programme with our accompanying iPhone app; have Major Sam McGrath as your own personal, portable trainer on your mobile device! The updated app now features the Emperor Training programme, pushing your quest for fitness further with weight training. With our help you can be fighting fit in time for your summer hols!

The Paras in Iraq

The Paras in Iraq PDF Author: Craig Allen
Publisher: Key Publishing
ISBN: 1802820671
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
For Operation Telic, the 2003 campaign in Iraq, the UK was the junior partner alongside their American allies but still contributed a substantial force. This was based around the 1st Armoured Division consisting of 7th Armoured Brigade, 16 Air Assault Brigade and 102 Logistics Brigade, with the Marines of 3 Commando Brigade under command. This photographic diary concentrates on 16 Air Assault Brigade’s two parachute battalions, 1 and 3 Para. Beginning with the invasion and operations in the southern oilfields, the story follows 3 Para’s successful entry into Basrah, before the action switches to 1 Para and a move to Baghdad to secure the British Embassy. This is followed by a look at life at the Embassy and on patrol in the city before 3 Para’s return south. Written by a media escort and photographer with 3 Para, who was himself a Para for 23 years and continued to serve as a reservist, this book shows how paratroopers looked and fought during the campaign. Illustrated with over 200 color photographs, it shows the reality of British forces in a modern-day war, with insights into the Parachute Regiment’s equipment and operations.

The Paras

The Paras PDF Author: John P. Cann
Publisher:
ISBN: 1913118231
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 74

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Book Description
Portuguese paratroopers or “paras” began as a stepchild of the army and found a home in the Portuguese Air Force in 1955. Initially, the post-World War Two Portuguese Army seemed to have had mixed emotions about the need for elite, special-purpose forces that operated in small units with the attendant flexibility and elevated lethality. Shock troops have been traditionally controversial, and even the vaunted military theorist Baron Karl von Clausewitz saw little point in them. The history of the paras in the Portuguese Army is illustrative of this ambivalent view. Nevertheless, in a “war of the weak” in which insurgents avoid government strengths and exploit its vulnerabilities using agility, deception, and imagination, such small, crack government units are particularly well suited to counterinsurgency operations. This appreciation emerged with the threat of a new kind of war in Portuguese Africa, an insurgency, and the new and visionary Air Force well understood the potential of paras when combined with the mobility of the helicopter. The Air Force saw an urgent need for troops who could fight an unconventional war, who could not only defeat an enemy but separate him from the population in which he sought concealment and support and on which he depended for funding, recruits, and intelligence. These were specialised warfighters who in one minute were physically destroying an insidious enemy and in the next administering aid and support and protecting a vulnerable population. These were just the troops that Portugal would require for military success in its approaching battle fought between 1961 and 1974 to retain its African possessions, and this vision would be realized on the African battlefield with devastating consequences. This book tells the paras’ story as researched from Portuguese sources. It details how they were formed and trained and how they developed their imaginative, effective, and feared tactics and applied them in operations to protect the population from insurgent predations and destroy a vicious enemy.

Be PARA Fit

Be PARA Fit PDF Author: Sam McGrath
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
ISBN: 1472839714
Category : Health & Fitness
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
THE 4-WEEK FORMULA FOR ELITE PHYSICAL FITNESS ARE YOU READY TO BE PARA FIT? Transform your lifestyle and fitness with the powerful new programme from Major Sam McGrath, former commander of the legendary PARAs' P Company selection process. Whatever your fitness level this 4-week formula evolves with you, equipping you to take on your most ambitious goals, maximize your potential and achieve transformational results. CHALLENGE yourself and your body with the same endurance training and functional movement patterns used during PARA selection. BUILD a lifestyle that complements your training with Major McGrath's pyramid approach, aligning firm foundations of sleep, nutrition and mobility with a structured exercise regime. CONQUER your fears and unlock a 'Paratrooper Mindset', with a focus on progress, not perfection, and the confidence to embody the PARA maxim 'Ready for Anything'. Be PARA Fit is supported by a fully integrated companion app designed to guide you through the tailored 4-week exercise regime. Download it today through the App Store or Google Play.

The Paras - The Inside Story of Britain's Toughest Regiment

The Paras - The Inside Story of Britain's Toughest Regiment PDF Author: John Parker
Publisher: Metro Publishing
ISBN: 1782190503
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 251

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Book Description
Since their foundation during the Second World War, the Parachute Regiment has acquired a formidable reputation as tough, fearless soldiers. 'The Red Devils' have played a key role in many of the battles of the past sixty years - the capture of Sicily, the D-Day landing, the heroic but doomed attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem. In the savage wars of 'peace' since the Second World War, the Paras have seen action all over the world - from Cyprus, Palestine, Egypt, Borneo and the Falklands to Bosnia. For his authoritative book, John Parker has gathered together the testimony of numerous veterans of the Parachute Regiment. Their first-hand accounts of the major events in their history make enthralling reading, bringing home the reality and cruelty of combat.

The Paras

The Paras PDF Author: Frank Hilton
Publisher: Presidio Press
ISBN: 9780563200994
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 256

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Book Description
"By interweaving the story of 480 Platoon with a general history of airborne operations, I have tried to five the reader some understanding of the background to what is still a relatively modern form of warfare, and at the same time relate the like of a present-day Para to that of his predecessors"--Introduction.

The Paras

The Paras PDF Author: Max Arthur
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
ISBN: 1444787551
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 304

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Book Description
'It should be read by anyone interested not just in military history, but in the history of people, and what they can achieve.' Dan Jarvis Tough, highly adaptable and efficient, the Parachute Regiment has established itself as one of the finest fighting forces in the world. On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of its founding, renowned historian Max Arthur has compiled this enthralling oral history of the modern Parachute Regiment. This unique chronicle is told through the voices of more than a hundred of the soldiers themselves, and of those involved closely with them. Whether in the Falklands, Kosovo, Iraq, Sierra Leone or Afghanistan, the Paras have maintained their reputation for being where the fighting is fiercest and where the odds of survival are often stacked heavily against them. The gripping, visceral first-person narrative makes The Paras stand apart from conventional regimental histories as one of the most remarkable accounts of conflict ever published.

With the Paras in Helmand

With the Paras in Helmand PDF Author: Craig Allen
Publisher: Pen and Sword
ISBN: 1848843003
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 301

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Book Description
Craig Allen, a Paratrooper for 29 years, returned to 2 PARA as a reservist and unofficial photographer for the BattlegroupÍs dramatic 2008 Tour in Helmand. As both a respected soldier and photographer he had unrivaled access to the fighting and moved from area to area following the action. Every evening he wrote up his experiences and those of the men he was with, whose trust he had as ïa member of the clubÍ. He had a ringside seat to a very costly summer tour, with the Taliban proving themselves worthy enemies to even the most elite British Army soldiers. His story tells in superb action photographs and no-nonsense prose of the hardships, courage, fears and cost suffered by front line soldiers over prolonged periods. He captures the color of life and death in Afghanistan for both combatants and the luckless civilian population caught up in this vicious spiral of war. An unforgettable book which has true visual appeal.