CZ parachutists

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4
ASSAULT SECTION SECTION PARA FINISHING SECTION SECTION MEN Part 3: The Preparation and Training of „Men for Special Operations“ The major part, capturing the preparation and training of Czechoslovak parachutists – with the focus on Assault Training in Scotland The second part – the Para Course – as the name itself implies was parachute training. An airborne mission was one of the most viable, and in the case of Czechoslovakia, the only possibility. For this reason special agents trained in Britain during World War II were referred to as Parachutists. Parachute jump training took place at Manchester Ringeway Airport. After this stage of training, the Czechoslovaks, bound by an oath of silence, returned to their units and awaited to see if they would be selected for further training. It was only an elite few that progressed to the next stage. Czechoslovak authorities in exile had decided that they would only use young and fit men (some sections also used women, who usually performed very well, such as the French), no Jews, Germans or politicians. This was not racially motivated but merely a common sense approach to ensure the greatest possible success of operations. The Jews faced the threat of Nazi persecution; Czech home resistance did not trust Germans for obvious reasons and politicians who had refused to join the Government-in-Exile obviously lacked the necessary courage, in the eyes of the military exile authorities.

PART 1 PART 2 PART 3 PART 4

ASSAULT SECTION SECTION PARA FINISHING SECTION SECTION MEN

Part 3: The Preparation and Training of „Men for Special Operations“

The major part, capturing the preparation and training of Czechoslovak parachutists – with the focus on Assault Training in Scotland

Illustrative photograph

The second part – the Para Course – as the name itself implies was parachute training. An airborne mission was one of the most viable, and in the case of Czechoslovakia, the only possibility. For this reason special agents trained in Britain during World War II were referred to as Parachutists. Parachute jump training took place at Manchester Ringeway Airport.

After this stage of training, the Czechoslovaks, bound by an oath of silence, returned to their units and awaited to see if they would be selected for further training. It was only an elite few that progressed to the next stage. Czechoslovak authorities in exile had decided that they would only use young and fit men (some sections also used women, who usually performed very well, such as the French), no Jews, Germans or politicians. This was not racially motivated but merely a common sense approach to ensure the greatest possible success of operations. The Jews faced the threat of Nazi persecution; Czech home resistance did not trust Germans for obvious reasons and politicians who had refused to join the Government-in-Exile obviously lacked the necessary courage, in the eyes of the military exile authorities.