Memory Project

Ron Davies (Primary Source)

Published Online March 28, 2023

Last Edited February 13, 2024

This testimony is part of the Memory Project Archive

Ron Davies served in the British Parachute Regiment during the Second World War.

Please be advised that Memory Project primary sources may deal with personal testimony that reflect the speaker’s recollections and interpretations of events. Individual testimony does not necessarily reflect the views of the Memory Project and Historica Canada.

Ron Davies, pictured in October 1939, England.
Ron Davies (middle of back row) pictured in Athens, Greece in February 1945.
Worn by Ron Davies of British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group as recognition of the only British unit jumping into south France before the American Army.
These wings worn on the right arm by British parachute solders are the first pair awarded to Ron Davies, in July 1942.
This original Airborne Pegasus shoulder flash was worn by Ron Davies in 1942.
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Jumping was fine. The jumping out of the airplane is fine, it's when you get on the ground that the trouble starts.

Transcript

I joined the British Parachute Regiment in August, 1942. Served in Algeria, Tunisia, Italy, France, Greece, India, Malaya and Singapore before being discharged in November, 1945. The Parachute Regiment were awarded ten battle honours between 1943 and 1945. Being awarded ten battle honours has never before been achieved by any unit in any army. I fought in Algeria and Tunisia and Sicily, Italy. We jumped into the south of France as the assault brigade for the American 7th Army. We jumped into Greece to liberate Greece. And, later on, we were instrumental in preventing a Communist take-over of the government of Greece, resulting in ... very intense fighting in Athens and Selenica. After the war ended in Europe a number of officers and NCOs from the Second Brigade were sent to the Fifth Brigade and went out to India and we did a sea borne landing in Malaya on the same day that the Japanese surrendered. Later on, after I left Singapore, the Brigade were involved in pacifying what is now Indonesia, Java and then Sumatra.

When we first trained in 1942, we were using obsolete British Whitley bomber converted to allow parachute jumping through a hole in the floor, which wasn't the most easy form of exit. But, that was the only plane they had at the time. Later on, in North Africa, we were using American made DC-3s which the American designation was C-47. And the Royal Air Force called them Dakotas. Our exit was from a door, which was much easier than through a hole in the floor. Jumping was fine. The jumping out of the airplane is fine, it's when you get on the ground that the trouble starts. The jumping is fine. There's no problem at all. It... the second jump that you do is the worst of all. When you do your first jump, you don't know what to expect. But, when you do the second jump, you know what to expect but, you're not experienced enough to really cope with it. So, I consider it an honour to have served with the Parachute Regiment because they were the finest bunch of men you could ever wish to meet.