Junior Parachute Company

Short film to commemorate JPC which started in 1961 and finished in 1993.

[@peterstanton253]

Loved your upload. I came through in 1966-1967 Malta Barracks (them old wooden spider buildings - but they were great to live in). Then they built the new Barracks - and the new Para Reg Depot. JPC moved to new premises. I went through Depot in the old Maida Barracks across the road from Normandy Barracks - where I ended up anyway in 2 Para. I served my time as a Juniour Infantryman - then Depot - then 9 years in the Batallion. Never forget my time in JPC. Big thumbs up for your video and reminisce.

[@krisgoodgroves2654]

Nice to see that bridge again at 4.31 ;) . I was never Para reg but i attempted The Pathfinder Cadre in Jan 91and spent a long time getting beasted across it and over it, During the initial welcome Magic Moments, Crab crawling kills you lol. Smiles per miles :)

[@agincourt141]

Awesome pal! Some great memories of the depot, even spotted the dreaded "humps!"

[@oldguygb5342]

Just come across this, I was in 1/4 Platoon, Winter Term 1974 - still got the picture! This has brought back memories and just remembered the CSMs name WO2 (CSM) Geraghty as I recall. OC was Maj Whitehead I think? Thanks for the memory - Peace Out ✌🏼😎

[@hunkybullyab]

What a shame all our young men nowadays want to do is watch love island wear dresses the future is bleak

[@davidwoods7695]

I was there twice........ First time 71-73 as a J/Inf,,,,,Malta Bks, Then in the 80'a for 18 months as a Pln Sgt at Pirbright. Come on my lovlies, you know it was for your own good. No beasting on my shift.

[@AMFashionDesigns]

+David Woods Any chance you were in this with a lad by the surname McGinty?

[@davidwoods7695]

Amy. As a J/Inf it may have been possible, we has nearly 250 lads in Trg. At Pirbright we had only two platoons, and I cant say I remember a McGinty.

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

I remember Malta Barracks well. The only thing left now is the parade ground which is a car park and the range.

[@robertyates9745]

17 platoon 1984 loved the position 😂

[@thomasollek9749]

The best time of their lives!!

[@TIMG128]

7th September 1982. Thats the same day I joined the army! I finish on 31st December this year. Had some good times.

[@JammyDodger45]

Never mind the good times how good is your hard earned 40yr pension 😁

[@TIMG128]

@@JammyDodger45 not much for such a long career.

[@JammyDodger45]

@@TIMG128 - is that the new pension scheme? I left Regular service a decade ago as a SD Capt (but with enough time as an acting Maj to get the pension credits) with over 20yrs service and my commuted pension was pennies short of 6 figs and £15kpa (pre tax) and going up in a couple of years. I'm not saying i could have lived on it but it's paid for some mega holidays 😁 I presume you're a LE?

[@azdigbee]

Best memories...... JP 70-71 then 367 platoon and on to 2 Para till ‘78 👍

[@jackmason4374]

I joined in 72 can’t remember what platoon I was in , but remember sergeant Flanagan and corporal smudge smith

[@jackmason4374]

@The Richest Man In Babylon when you have severe head injuries due to service you do not have full recall

[@JammyDodger45]

@@jackmason4374 - if you apply to the MoD for a print out of your service record it will tell you all the details you need. It's a free service and only requires you to fill out a simple form online.

[@jackmason4374]

@The Richest Man In Babylon I’ve got that as well as a face like Quasimodo 😂 I think sheen I moved to the depot I was in 401 platoon not 100 % tho ! Something else I never knew till recently that the P in p coy stood for Pegasus I always thought it stood for physical (pain ) 🤣

[@Ashtonbisson]

Brings back loads of memories here to, I was in 23 Platoon in june 1985. How do you think I could look up some of my guys ? anyone

[@jpatriot9542]

Why the blue backing to the cap badge? Initially JPC was a part of depot to include depot flashes and lanyard and not blue backing. At least it wasn't up to 65.

[@tooyoungtobeold8756]

Or 67

[@24282488david]

It was to differentiate between them and those that had passed out

[@theoogle3756]

I'm ex 3 Para, and I joined 20 Platoon of Junior Parachute Company back in 84'. I'm on the photo at the end of the vid ~ back row, next to Bob Ayres. Tam Malloy looks no older and neither does Rob Birkenhead. How are you, Stevie Coles?

[@para84]

Is that you Mr Barmby from Barnsley !

[@theoogle3756]

@@para84 It is me. Well, at least it was the last time I looked... How's things, Steve, all good I hope? Fuck me mate, it's been a lonnng time... Back in the day, whenever I saw Max Maxwell [1 Para] around Battalion lines or down Aldershot on the piss, I always asked if he'd seen you and how you were doing back home in Coventry. You should've stayed with us mate... I mean, remember 'Smudge Smith'? Him with the head which looked like a deformed apple coupled with ears to match? He marched like a man with elastic arms and legs falling down the stairs, remember him? Fuck knows how, but even he made it to 3 Para. I achieved the dizzying ranks of platoon sniper, 8 Plt, C Coy, 3 Para - I did the drill and duties course when I was 19, but turned them down for the next 3 years in regards to promotion, as I was happy being a sniper and a senior Tom, holding miles more respect than a Lance-Jack, scoff-queue orderly...When I was due to leave the Regiment, my Coy Sgt Maj offered me 22 SAS selection on the August intake, as opposed to the proverbial dangling carrot of promotion, because he knew that promotion just wasn't my thing. About a year ago I went to the funeral of an old but local ex-paratrooper - I served with him in the South Yorkshire Fire Service after I left the Regiment. Anyway, at his funeral were quite a number of old ex-paras. They asked me to join/attend the Regimental Association meetings and I agreed that I would, not having done so before. Like I said, that was about a year ago. In the meantime, and whilst this Covid nonsense has been going on, we lost an old bloke who used to be the Barnsley Branch PRA secretary. Last week they voted me in as the new secretary of the Parachute Regiment Association, Barnsley Branch. My details have not yet been updated on the internet, but in the near future, when things calm down a bit, if you care to get in touch personally then please feel free to seek me out and do so. Whilst serving as a Firefighter I was approached by an ex-3 Para bloke from Sheffield, a Falklands vet who was and still is working the Private Military Security sector, mainly in the Middle East. He offered me a job which I took, in the field of deniable hostage rescues. This chiefly entailed busting international paedophile networks who steal children to order...we did not tickle their feet, just in case you were wondering... That's enough about me for now, I suppose, so how are you and where did life take you, my old Junior Para Company brother?

[@para84]

@@theoogle3756 mate , absolutely great to hear from you - here’s my email [e-mail] . I'll send you over my dets 👍🏻

[@SE10GREENWICH]

Gibraltar barracks if I remember rightly, just over the road and round the back of the old Shot depot para.

[@kylesalisbury3389]

Brilliant 👌

[@rod2479]

This was brill, i was in 10 PL and have just shown my seven year old son the pictures that im in on the video, iv never seen some of these pictures myself so THANK YOU. Can i get copies?

[@kylesalisbury3389]

Well done 👌

[@DDJB64]

Mate I loved this, brought back so many memories, I was in the Pegasus Gymnastic Display Team, Gym Pln, in '76/77. Do you know if there is any film of our routine around, I'm sure Mickey Munn would have filmed it ! Regards David.

[@samrhodes1169]

I was in the the display team with you

[@deathski2]

October 1986

[@jamiepearce3576]

Is that Rob Birkenhead on the right, @7.20 in??

[@iainpowell7810]

Thought that was birkensnoz front row with black eye 5.21 in

[@AFroese]

Did they end the program due to budget reasons or was it political with some folk averse to seeing kids running around with guns learning discipline?

[@idonthavealoginname]

No doubt it was due to cutbacks in military spending while useless MP's get pay rises.

[@JammyDodger45]

There were lots of reasons junior intakes ended, most of them driven by legislature. Education rules and 'loco parentis' guidelines caused issues, then there was the fact that they had a huge drop out rate and also the fact that European rules on 'child soldiers' were making employment on Battalions increasingly difficult. There is little doubt that they produced a unique type of soldier but arguably the modern system of going to the Harrogate Foundation College produces a more developed soldier at the end of it ... even if they're not as robust and crazy as in days gone by. Times changed, people changed, warfare changed and training had to change or that change would have been forced upon the military. And let's face it, sending young lads to do their maturing in Battalions of hardened paratroopers was never the best idea!

[@JammyDodger45]

@The Richest Man In Babylon- it was a very different world back then, thankfully we've moved on.

[@JammyDodger45]

@The Richest Man In Babylon - my son is on 🟦, he went through Depot almost 4yrs ago, there was nothing soft about it. I'm a Reservist now after 20 odd years of service starting in '89. Modern troops are different to us but not worse. We went through far more shit in Afghanistan than we did in NI, Bosnia, Kosovo and even Iraq and they did well. If you can't grasp that because of some incorrect "it was all tougher in my day" bollocks well that's your drama not mine

[@yan24to]

29 1977.

[@MadScotsman1]

11 Platoon, Oct 1987

[@24282488david]

Fck me brings back memories from 1972

[@steveforster9764]

47Plt 1980

[@lynseymiller3841]

13 platoon, 83

[@derekrichardson6515]

10 platoon 82/83

[@6Nigel9]

I did 21 week`s in 12pl `88. Hardest thing i`ve ever done.

[@louisrhode289]

Fuck I wish I could do this.....

[@everlast2658]

Crow 505

[@robdean704]

The Hitler youth, if you know you know