Hi Guys, last weekend Lez and I, together with seven other members of "Summer of '44" attended the reunion of the XXI IPC.
This was our 5th year of attending. Our living history group represents this unit and we have been granted the honour by the Veterans of being allowed to wear their old unit insignia and attend their reunion.
The XXI was formed in 1942 as the original Pathfinder unit for the Airborne forces. The unit has a very interesting history. All members of the airborne forces were volunteers, but this unit had an unusual make up. Many of it's original members were recruited after failing to become Glider pilots. Glider pilot training was very tough and demanded a special kind of soldier, even someone who failed to make the grade was still a potential NCO in any other unit. Another interesting aspect of the unit was over 25 of it's 180 man strength were actually German or Austrian Jews.
The XXI became an elite of the elite and was often called upon to test the latest prototype kit. Many times they were used as a demo unit for visisting "Top Brass".
The tasks they were trained to do was the marking of the DZ's and LZ's for the rest of the Division. This involved parachuting being enemy lines and:
Laying out coloured marker panels.
Marking the LZ/DZ with a code letter marker panel.
Setting up the "Eureka Becons", these were small radar type sets which emitted an electronic pulse which could be picked up by the "Rebeca Set" in the incoming aircraft. These top secret peices of kit had a self destruct devise to prevent them failing into German hands.
Setting off colured smoke flares.
The unit served in North Africa; Italy; Arnhem; Norway; Palestein.
One Platoon of the unit also served in Southern France and Greece.
Here are a few pics of the Veterans.
Cheers, Ade.
This was our 5th year of attending. Our living history group represents this unit and we have been granted the honour by the Veterans of being allowed to wear their old unit insignia and attend their reunion.
The XXI was formed in 1942 as the original Pathfinder unit for the Airborne forces. The unit has a very interesting history. All members of the airborne forces were volunteers, but this unit had an unusual make up. Many of it's original members were recruited after failing to become Glider pilots. Glider pilot training was very tough and demanded a special kind of soldier, even someone who failed to make the grade was still a potential NCO in any other unit. Another interesting aspect of the unit was over 25 of it's 180 man strength were actually German or Austrian Jews.
The XXI became an elite of the elite and was often called upon to test the latest prototype kit. Many times they were used as a demo unit for visisting "Top Brass".
The tasks they were trained to do was the marking of the DZ's and LZ's for the rest of the Division. This involved parachuting being enemy lines and:
Laying out coloured marker panels.
Marking the LZ/DZ with a code letter marker panel.
Setting up the "Eureka Becons", these were small radar type sets which emitted an electronic pulse which could be picked up by the "Rebeca Set" in the incoming aircraft. These top secret peices of kit had a self destruct devise to prevent them failing into German hands.
Setting off colured smoke flares.
The unit served in North Africa; Italy; Arnhem; Norway; Palestein.
One Platoon of the unit also served in Southern France and Greece.
Here are a few pics of the Veterans.
Cheers, Ade.
Both nights we got to bed at around 3am.....
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