Little parachutes

[pjac]

When I was about 11-12 (early 60's) there was a craze for buying little parachutes from a surplus store in the town (Macclesfield). These came packed in a khaki canvas box-shape , probably about 6 inches in length and 3 inches deep, and the parachutes when opened must have been about a foot across.There wasn't that much you could do with them apart from tie model soldiers to them and drop them from trees and off walls, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Does anybody have any idea what the original purpose of these was? My dimensions may not be right -it was a long time ago.

Patrick

[Harry the Mole]

I used to buy the very same things in the 60's from an army surplus stores which was situated in a basement in Tib Street, Manchester. Depending on how large they actually were depended on their usage. Some were used in parachute flares. Others were used to open main parachutes used for dropping supplies.

I used to be an air defence gunner on the Bofors LA 40/70 AA gun. One of our firing camps was at Den Helder where we fired at wind socks towed by R/C aircraft (Drones). We were instructed to fire at the wind socks and NOT the drones. When we 'accidently' shot them down they sometimes came to earth beneath a small parachute. Probably a bit bigger than the ones we played with though!

[pjac]

Thanks Harry.I thought it might be something like that, but I'd never checked.Wonder if this was just a craze in the Manchester area or wider spread?

I became a militaria collector at a fairly early age, and used to go to a shop in Manchester near Blackfriars Bridge, called, I think, 'The Old Curiosity Shop', whenever I had any money. I can recall walking back from there to Piccadilly station with a couple of bayonets and a Japanese sword, wrapped in newspaper- different times.I collect Victorian and Edwardian British helmets now, and I always remember longingly that there were loads of these on the shelves around the shop, and also a Prussian Garde Du Korps helmet . All at prices that look like peanuts now, but were still way out of my price range. Do you know the place I mean? Long gone.

Patrick

[Harry the Mole]

Hi Patrick,

Can't say I recall it. But I used to spend a lot of time in a militaria shop in King Street, Manchester. Again it was in a basement, and the owner was a bloke called Bernard Marsh if I remember rightly. I purchased a Wakizashi off him and was allowed to pay whatever I could afford each week. I recall it cost me £6. I also remember someone giving me a german military rifle which had resided in a coalhouse for years. It was either WW1 or pre-WW1 and in working order. I took it to Manchester on the bus. I didn't even bother to wrap it up. Nobody batted an eyelid. That was about 1962.

Then of course there was the wooden shed at Shudehill Market. German officer's Pickelhauben at £5 a time. And I always remember an M36 DD Luftwaffe helmet in mint condition for 37/6d. The place was overflowing with SS regalia. Everyone I knew had german militaria in their houses which had been brought home by their fathers or uncles. I was even given a Luger when I was 8 years old. The trigger had been removed! Happy days.

Steve.