School of Airborne Troops

[No one]

Dear Gentlemen,

 

Google tranlation of the French link: École des troupes aéroportées — Wikipédia (wikipedia.org)

 

" On 1 June 1947, the School of Airborne Troops (ETAP) was created, and in November 1953 it was set up at the Astra camp. In addition to its training mission, it provided logistical support for the theatres of operations and in 1953 it took the name of Base Ecole des Troupes Aéroportées (BETAP). Ten years later, in 1963, the BETAP again took the name of School of Airborne Troops (ETAP) and was entrusted solely with the training of military paratroopers from the three armies and the gendarmerie.

 

The School of Airborne Troops has its origins at the end of the Second World War. It is the culmination of the various reorganizations of airborne troops on French territory. In April 1945, the Parachute School was created in Lannion. This school depends on the Air Force but is responsible for training paratroopers from the three armies (land-air-sea). Subsequently, on 1 October 1945, the COITAP (Centre for the Organisation and Instruction of Airborne Troops) was formally created in Mont-de-Marsan, under the orders of General Bonjour of the 24th DAP.

This installation was short-lived: in February 1946 the parachute school was moved to Pau-Idron, giving rise to the CETAP (Airborne Troops School Centre) on 16 April 1946, following its dissolution. On 1 June 1947, CETAP became the ETAP (School of Airborne Troops). This school provides both parachute training and tactical training oriented towards "shock" combat. On 1 October 1953, in addition to its mission as a school, ETAP received a role as an operational base, which it would lose 10 years later, and thus became the BETAP (airborne troops training base) under the orders of Colonel Edel; it settled in the Astra camp north of Pau. On 1 October 1963, BETAP returned to a BOMAP (Airborne Mobile Operational Base) and regained its name of ETAP under the orders of Colonel Le Borgne.

The school's flag is decorated with the Aeronautics Medal**. "

 

**médaille de l'Aéronautique

 

The English link is not as detailed: School of Airborne Troops (France) - Wikipedia

 

The insignia of the School of Airborne Troops (ETAP*) homologation H 605 on January 31, 1948:

*École des Troupes Aéroportées / ETAP 

 

 

Yours sincerely,

No one