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Old 14th Apr 2009, 16:50
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CirrusF
 
Join Date: Oct 2006
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OK, not aircrew except perhaps for those SAS that jump out of aircraft.
Well we never lost a hard-drive, but lots of other stuff went missing on jumps (eg entire Bergens). Perhaps most memorable was when one of our patrols lost their lead-scout (who usually jumps first) on a jump out of an Armée de l'Air Transall. If my memory is still correct (probably not!), the normal sequence of traffic lights on NATO jump aircraft is red-on (approaching DZ), green-on (go) - but for the usual gallic reasons the French had at the time a slightly different sequence where green signified approaching DZ, and the final signal to go was a shove from the Jumpie (or something like that). Anyway, it was sufficiently different that we were heavily briefed before the jump about the differences. Unfortunately the lead scout on the first stick was a Porridge Wog who had difficulty understanding King's English, let alone French, with the result that on the Green he hoofed out before the Jumpie could stop him. He landed at 4am in full NBC gear in a quiet village in Picardie, and was arrested by the bemused Gendarmes. As he was a good few miles from the DZ, the local Gendarmerie had no idea there was an exercise on, and completely failing to understand his Jockanese locked him up "Garde en Vue". They were preparing to charge him for attempted bribery of a Gendarme after he handed over his get out of jail free card and the issued gold soveriegn when the CO and French LO found him.

Last edited by CirrusF; 14th Apr 2009 at 17:29.
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