UNITED KINGDOM: VALENTINE SKY-DROP BRINGS BRITISH PARATROOPERS HOME FROM NORTHERN IRELAND

Record ID: 337032

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: VALENTINE SKY-DROP BRINGS BRITISH PARATROOPERS HOME FROM NORTHERN IRELAND
  • Date: 14th February 1975
  • Summary: 1. GV Aircraft dropping paratroopers (2 shots) 0.34 2. SV Wives and children looking up 0.38 3. GV Parachutist landing 0.50 4. SVs Wives running to greet husbands (3 shots) 1.10 Initials ET/135 ET/207 Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 1st March 1975 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: FARNHAM, SURREY: UK
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA6SF6Q7Z7TG813DJJODJJIQTTS
  • Story Text: Some 120 British paratroopers made a novel, St. Valentine's Day return from a four-month tour of peacekeeping duty in Northern Ireland on Friday (14 February) when they literally dropped from the sky into the waiting arms of their families.

    Members of 9 Independent Parachute Squadron, Royal engineers, the soldiers were returning to their home base at nearby Aldershot when they made the drop -- officially classified as a training exercise -- on to Hankley Common, south of Farnham in County Survey. They were led in the exercise by their commanding officer, Major Mike Payne, and made the drop at ??? feet from two Royal Air Force Hercules aircraft based at Lyneham in Wiltshire.

    Their waiting wives, children and girl friends watched the drop and rushed out on to the common to welcome them home with warm Valentine kisses and embraces.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register