The Early Days of Commando Skydivers..

The Early Days of Commando Skydivers..

From “The History of Parachuting at Pakenham” 1995.

“Men and women who take up “skydiving” in the future, will be accepted by the public, as any other sportsman and sportswoman, and can look forward as being those who enjoy the most exciting, adventurous, thrilling and safest sport that can be devised in our modern age” 

(The Commando Skydiver newsletter, Vol 1, November 1961) As early as the 12th Century, parachute-like devices were said to have been used for stunts at Chinese court ceremonies. In 1514, Leonardo da Vinci sketched a pyramid shaped structure, which he suggested could be used for people to jump from burning buildings.

Four centuries later, in 1955, pilot Jack Palmer watched a New Zealander do a display jump at Moorabbin.  Jack managed to borrow his gear and received a five minute briefing before doing a freefall from a Tiger Moth at 1500 feet.

Despite Jack’s jump, Victoria’s first civilian sport parachute jumps are credited to Keith Bulleid and Graeme Grigg in 1958.  Each had 8 army static lines jumps under his belt when enlisted to train as instructors with the Gertrude McKenzie Flying School.  4 keen students responded to an advertisment in ‘The Sun’ in July 1958, paying 30 pounds each to do the training. That was more than twice the basic weekly wage.  On their 13th jump, Bulleid and Grigg despatched their first students.

A year later, they started the Victorian Parachute School at Broadford, and they moved to old wartime strip at Pakenham in 1959. In 1960, the first National ‘Parachute Jumping Championships’ were held at Pakenham. Their accuracy ranged from eight yards to more than 500.  16 competitors took part, and newspapers reported the rather extreme figure of up to 20,000 spectators.

Around this time, in a Dakota over Laverton, an enthusiastic member of the 2 Commando Company of the CMF was laying two shilling bets with the lads on who could get closest to the target. Warren Hutchings had become a ‘seasoned’ jumper at Berwick and Pakenham, and he’d talked with his CO about forming a club. The dream became real on 4th Feb 1961. 

04.02.61

Ripponlea Army DepotThe ‘2 Commando Skydivers Club’ was formed.

Chief Instructor – Warren Hutchings

Treasurer – Claude Gillard

The 2 Commando Company Skydivers had their first jumps on the 12th March 1961 at Pakenham, as guests of the Victorian Parachute School. Their real home was to become the Laverton Air Force Base, where they began jumping on the 27th of July.  In August they despatched their first students.

Warren Hutchings chuckled as he remembered his first entrepreneurial equipment program: “I pulled a swifty! When I was in the Commandos they had a pile of old chutes for ground practice.  I took them to the Air Force to be tested for porosity, and it turned out that they were OK.  So, unbeknown to the Army - but I think they suspected it - I went round to all the disposals stores finding old style chutes.  We had nine or ten.  I replaced the good ones with the ones I bought from the disposals store!” 

In an early newsletter, members were advised to "bind their feet and ankles with elastic bandages to avoid twisted ankles and the nasty jar" on Laverton’s concrete hard ground. Ground training was compulsory at Ripponlea or Laverton every Friday night.  The Commandos notched up 240 jumps in the first four months, and their membership grew to more than 80. 

The club’s first malfunction, a line-over, was recorded on 7 October 1961. Private Bob Cause landed well, but lost his reserve ripcord.

Chief Instructor Warren Hutchings recorded the club’s first injury. He jumped without suitable boots, collided with another canopy at 30ft, and landed heavily with the other parachute wrapped around his body.  With a twisted ankle and minor fracture, his only consolation was that they landed less than five yards from the target. The other bloke wasn't hurt. When Warren returned to jumping about four months later, he had to do a static line PRP jump, in line with his own rules. 

Dave Millard did his first jump at Laverton on 14 October, 1961 (the week after Bob's malfunction).

In those days the Club only jumped on Saturdays---Sundays were for going to Church!

Bill Kenny came along in 1962.  He had a two door Riley then.  Not long after he started he had the club badge printed full size on the driver's door!  The club would have been lost without him.  He did a lot of work---for nothing.   A young teenager named Jo Chitty soon started hanging around the DZ, soaking up all the information that he could about parachute equipment.  

There were many exciting chapters to follow..... But, you’ll have to take part in our Golden Anniversary celebrations for the full story! 

(The club history will be updated for the celebrations and we’re working on a CD/DVD. All stories, photos and film gratefully received by early 2010 please.)