Fleet Air Arm parachute wings

[Colin S]

Can anyone explain why this rating is wearing parachute wings during Ark Royal’s last sailing?

Thanks,

Colin S

[crest-insignia]

Because she has done the course??????

[Alan O]

Very unusual for a Sailor to be para trained and even rare for a woman to have done the jumps course. To be wearing the full wings rather than the light bulb does suggest an operational role but I am unsure just what that would be. It may be from previous service with an Army or Reserve unit but again for a woman to have qualified is very rare as the number of women who have passed P Coy is probably still in single figures.

[Home Guard]

I too would think either done the course or maybe she is a rigger???

Terry

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by Alan O

Very unusual for a Sailor to be para trained and even rare for a woman to have done the jumps course. To be wearing the full wings rather than the light bulb does suggest an operational role but I am unsure just what that would be. It may be from previous service with an Army or Reserve unit but again for a woman to have qualified is very rare as the number of women who have passed P Coy is probably still in single figures.

It's not so unusual these days, a good proportion of clearance divers (CD's) are parachute trained, as are a lot of sailors who have completed the all arms commando course, plus those submariners who serve with the Submarine Parachute assistance Group (SPAG, who are the only naval personnel who wear a lightbulb, (but larger and as a specialisation badge when serving in the SPAG), otherwise they wear the standard wings. SPAG and CD's do not do P company and I have been told Personnel who have passed the AACC, no longer need to either? what an Aircraft handler would need to do the Para course for I don't know, but she could previously been commando trained, a submariner or even a diver, all are open to women and has re-categorised or as said could be ex army?

[Alan O]

The number of women who have passed the AACC is even fewer than P Coy so SPAG or CD are most likely. Bit of a cheek wearing the full wings without having passed PCoy, AACC or SF selection in my opinion.

[Jim Maclean]

The RN does not really subscribe to the lightbulb, if you do the course you wear the wings. That said there have been cases of persons having done a recreational course "mistakenly" believing they are entitled.

There is no requirement for completing an arduous course, them's the RN regs.

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by Alan O

The number of women who have passed the AACC is even fewer than P Coy so SPAG or CD are most likely. Bit of a cheek wearing the full wings without having passed PCoy, AACC or SF selection in my opinion.

Think you might find that SPAG, who do exclusively "wet" jumps, often at night, in atrocious weather conditions, a long way from land, in areas with the odd shark or two, may say para's have it easy! And I don't think you'll find any CD's, who have a stupendous level of fitness, and have passed an incredibly arduous training course and do an extremely arduous and dangerous job, would consider themselves anything, but at least as fit as a para!

[Colin S]

Thanks for all your replies, but behind my question is the fact she is wearing a speciality badge which indicates a naval aviation mechanic, so not CD or SPAG or Cdo. The Ark Royal went out of service in 2011, long before a female first passed P Company, so a great mystery. Another photo from the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005 shows another female rating wear full parachute wings on her dress uniform. Unexplained mysteries.....

Colin S.

[sailorbear]

Originally Posted by Colin S

Thanks for all your replies, but behind my question is the fact she is wearing a speciality badge which indicates a naval aviation mechanic, so not CD or SPAG or Cdo. The Ark Royal went out of service in 2011, long before a female first passed P Company, so a great mystery. Another photo from the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar in 2005 shows another female rating wear full parachute wings on her dress uniform. Unexplained mysteries.....

Colin S.

Well I did quote Re-categorised, ( and my point about CD's SPAG and Cdo's was that para trained matelots aren't that unusual anymore!) but aircrew and aircraft handlers and air mechanics, can be commando trained, and females have been able to attempt the AACC since 2002, and personnel who have passed the AACC can be para trained without the need to attend P coy, though when this started I don't know (certainly members of 148 Cdo battery used to have to do both!), Don't think it's so much a mystery as a case of females passing commando and para courses not being massively publicised!