Video Examples of Uniforms and Equipment

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Newsreel No. 19 (1943)

https://youtu.be/dDg7tlsPbos

This newsreel begins with a segment on Canadian airborne training. It shows the obstacle courses, running and ropes courses used for fitness. They also mention that paras would trained to subsist on less food, to prepare them for operations on limited supplies. Next we see paras training on an indoor jump simulator, using a zipline and cushioned landing pad. Finally the Paras do a real jump out of a British plane, possibly filmed at Ringway in England? Two main things of note: mix of corcoran and ammo boots, and mix of camouflage and white parachutes.  

Newsreel No. 26 (1943)

https://youtu.be/ENBT87NhK_c?t=8m37s

At 8:37 a segment begins shows Canadian and British airborne troops jumping in the British manner. Judging by greatcoats being worn by the observing officers, this is likely late fall/winter 1943. Of note: though the narrator says that men have white parachutes and equipment canisters have mottled (camouflaged), there is clearly a man landing with a camouflaged parachute at 9:50.

Newsreel No. 28 (1943/44)

https://youtu.be/2W79U7Eu_fo

This newsreel begins with a segment showing a platoon of Canadian paras standing by their aircraft in a staged discussion of the newest round of Canadian War Bonds. Of note here: how the dennisons are worn/ fit in cold weather. This entire platoon appears to be wearing the ammo boots and anklets, which makes sense since the leader mentions being back in Shilo (the Canadian Airborne Training Center). Also of note: the variety of locations the jumpwings were sewn onto the dennisons, just about anywhere above the left breast pocket seems to have been accepted.

Newsreel No. 37 (1944)

https://youtu.be/87OJlyl8m7o?t=3m19s

At 3:19 a brief segment begins showing Field Marshal Montgomery awarding Canadian Paratroops medals. Medals awarded:
Military Cross: Captain Peter R. Griffin, Lieutenant John P. Hanson
Military Medal: Sergeant Harvey Morgan, Lance Corporal Russell Geddes, and Corporal Noval.
Note, at this point all enlisted troops are still wearing their battledress fully buttoned, rather than open with a tie. This also gives some good shots of hairstyles in the berets, as well as how the beret was worn.

Newsreel No. 67

https://youtu.be/NCer0gakIg4?t=6m50s

At 6:50 a segment begins showing the Canadian participation of Operation Varsity ( the Rhine Crossing). At 7:33 the airborne segment begins, showing emplaning, and the eventual drop over the Rhine. This gives a great sense of how large and complicated an operation this was, with airborne, gliderborne and ground components all working together. At 8:10 there’s a good shot of a para running with a Sten Mk V, and a web belt full of just about every bit of kit he could get his hands on. There are a few brief shots of German prisoners of war, dead and wounded, one can see that these weren’t all the old men and boys talked about in propaganda. The segment ends with Canpara meeting up with the Royal Scots, this gives us a glimpse into what the Paras would wear on patrol, as little as possible. A 1st Lieutenant is shown with no equipment other than his Sten, and a pair of field glasses. Most men aren’t wearing their identification slips (yellow cloth tabs on the epaulettes) on their denison smocks.

Newsreel No. 69

https://youtu.be/BJj6UxfohEs?t=4m28s

At 4:28 a segment begins showing 1Canpara fighting through Germany after operation Varsity. It’s stated that their goal are the German North Sea Ports, likely Wismar, on the Baltic near the Danish border. Nearly every moment of this segment is a fantastic shot of 1Can soldiers in full battle loadout. Note that most have placed their mess tins in the water bottle carrier. Most of the men are in helmets, save a radio operator riding in the back of a jeep. This was only a brief moment in 1Canpara’s race to Wismar, They jumped from town to town picking up support from various Allied units as they moved ever farther north to stop the Soviet advance.

Newsreel No. 80

https://youtu.be/d1S2cCdRIcQ

This newsreel begins with a segment covering repatriation to Canada after peace is declared. Throughout the segment there are good examples of how the men wore their uniforms while relaxing, and if one pays close attention, there are a number of shots showing men with white jump wings over their left breast pocket, these are paratroopers. The segment ends showing the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion disembarking, and marching down the streets of Halifax. It was the 1st Canadian unit to return as a single unit, and the Commanding Officer is given the key to the city of Halifax.

Newreel No. 103

https://youtu.be/Rzx5v-lW2Oo?t=4m23s

At 4:23 the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion is given a brief mention in this 1945 in Review newsreel. Of note, is the award of a Victoria Cross to Cpl. Frederick George Topham, for his actions during Operation Varsity. Cpl. Topham risked his life on multiple occasions to assist wounded men during the operation, first by running into enemy fire to assist a wounded man, whose first two orderlies had only just been killed. Topham treated the man’s wounds, and carried him back to safety, despite a severe injury to his nose. After refusing to be evacuated for his wound, he came across a universal carrier full of mortar ammunition. It was under German mortar fire, and was aflame, setting off the ammunition it stored. Despite warnings not to, Topham rushed towards the vehicle, and pulled 3 crew members out, one of whom unfortunately died. The two other men survived, thanks to Topham’s willingness to risk his life to save his fellow man.

                                              - G. Christy & W. Rodger