What was the role of parachute riggers in WWII?

[shocktrooper15]

Hey guys,

 

What did these guys do? Through research I am not able to find much information other than they prepared parachutes. Also, I see a lot of Airborne Militaria such as "Rigger Liner".

 

Thanks and regards,

 

shocktrooper

[Sabrejet]

Hey guys,

 

What did these guys do? Through research I am not able to find much information other than they prepared parachutes. Also, I see a lot of Airborne Militaria such as "Rigger Liner".

 

Thanks and regards,

 

shocktrooper

 

 

Riggers packed, repaired and maintained the 'chutes. They had access to webbing, canvas, fasteners and sewing machines etc. so the term "Rigger-made" usually applies to some item of equipment which has been unofficially made or modified by these people using said materials.

 

Sabrejet

[shocktrooper15]

Riggers packed, repaired and maintained the 'chutes. They had access to webbing, canvas, fasteners and sewing machines etc. so the term "Rigger-made" usually applies to some item of equipment which has been unofficially made or modified by these people using said materials.

 

Sabrejet

 

 

Thanks a lot Sabrejet! :thumbsup:

[gwb123]

Parachute Rigger is considered a Quartermaster speciality. You are more apt to find descriptions of it in texts dealing with Quartermaster units.

[boyt44]

"Rigger made" is also a good term to attach to some faked-up piece of gear on eBay. :think:

[Saskatoon Light Infantry]

Hey guys,

 

What did these guys do? Through research I am not able to find much information other than they prepared parachutes. Also, I see a lot of Airborne Militaria such as "Rigger Liner".

 

Thanks and regards,

 

shocktrooper

 

 

U.S. Military

 

Riggers have played an important role in the American military since the advent of the use of the parachute for aerial insertion of troops, supplies, and equipment into combat zones. In addition to the maroon beret worn by paratroopers in airborne units, riggers are authorized the wear of a distinctive red baseball cap as their military headgear when on rigger duties.

 

U.S. Army

 

When the Army formed its first paratrooper unit in 1940, a parachute test platoon, the paratroopers themselves prepared and took care of their own parachutes. The test platoon had only 3 men, two enlisted soldiers and one warrant officer, from the Army Air Corps serving as the precursors of the Army's parachute riggers.

When the Army created five Airborne divisions for World War II, the Army stopped training each paratrooper how to pack his own chute and started support organizations for parachute packing and rigging. The first riggers received their training at Fort Benning, GA.

After 1950, the Army assigned the Quartermaster Corps with the mission of aerial delivery, including parachute rigging. A parachute rigger course was established at the U.S. Army Quartermaster School at Fort Lee, VA in 1951, and has continued since then.

Army Parachute Rigger recruits start their training at Airborne Orientation Course (AOC)[1], a course designed to prepare 92R0 recruits for success at Airborne School. AOC was, in the past at Fort Lee, VA, but is now at Fort Jackson, SC. The Airborne Orientation Course is designed to give riggers some preparation for the physical and mental trials of Airborne school, in particular the large amount of running required all Airborne students, as all US Army Parachute Riggers must be airborne qualified. From AOC, rigger recruits go to Airborne School at Fort Benning, GA. If a rigger recruit does not pass Airborne School, that soldier is reclassified. After Airborne School, the 92R0P recruits head to Fort Lee to attend the 13 week Parachute Rigger Course. The course is divided into three parts: Personnel Pack(pack), Aerial Delivery(AD), and Air Equipment Repair(AER). During their time at Fort Lee the Future Riggers must complete a parachute jump using a chute that they themselves have packed.

Service members from other branches of the U.S. Armed Forces also attend parachute rigger courses at Fort Lee.

 

U.S. Air Force

 

United States Air Force parachute riggers are trained at Sheppard AFB, Texas. The career field is classified under, "Aircrew Flight Equipment" (AFSC 1P0X1). Airmen attend a 3 1/2 month course learning to inspect, pack, and repair emergency parachutes. Once graduated from this technical school, students are assigned to a duty location where they are further instructed using on the job training.[2]

In mid-2009, the Air Force's 98th Virtual Uniform Board announced "Airmen earning and awarded the Army Parachute Riggers badge are authorized permanent wear on all uniform combinations. For the airman battle uniform and the battle dress uniform, the badge will be blue. On the desert combat uniform the approved color is brown."[3] Previous guidance had limited the wear of the badge to airmen attached to Army rigger units. Aircrew Survival Equipmentmen whip and fold gores of a parachute during a 224-day inspection in the paraloft aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln.

 

U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps

 

Parachute materials school was first established in 1924 at Lakehurst, NJ by two Navy Chiefs, Samuel Young and Randolf Myler. Parachute Rigger, or "PR", became an enlisted job rating in 1942, but the name changed during the 1960s to Aircrew Survival Equipmentman. The United States Navy parachute riggers are now trained at Naval Air Station Pensacola during a 12 week (55 training day) school. When they graduate, they do become PRs, but the rating is called Aircrew Survival Equipmentman. While in school they go through 9 courses, 3 courses of "Common Core" skills over 19 days, 3 courses of Organizational-Level skills for 17 days, and finishing with 3 courses of Intermediate-Level skills for 19 days. The first week is sewing, dubbed by students and instructors alike as "Combat Sewing". Students will manufacture a "rigger bag" completely from scratch and will learn about tool control and FOD management. The next course is NB-8 parachutes, where students will learn basics of parachute rigging, inspection cycles and nomenclature. This is followed by a course of general survival equipement named ESE. Then "O" strand begins with Survival I Fixed Wing, followed by Survival II Rotary Wing, where students learn inspection and maintenance concepts unique to squadron level work. The final "O" level subject is Survival Radios. "I" strand will start with NES-12s, the Navy's most complicated parachute system, for advanced rigging concepts. Seat Survival Kits and Life Preservers finish out the entire course of instruction, where they will graduate upon completion. Classes average to about one week per class.

During the entire time of study students will undergo physical training at least three times a week, be subjected to rigorous inspections every Monday, and will march to and from the building, being accountable for showing up on time, cleanliness, and homework.

Within the PR rating, there are a select few who perform duties as a Special Operations Parachute Rigger. They serve in EOD and Naval Special Warfare commands. The minimum prerequisite qualifications are graduating the Basic Airborne course at FT Benning, GA and the EOD Rigger course at FT Lee, VA. Although their primary duty is to maintain parachuting equipment, many go on to achieve greater qualifications such as Static Line Jump Master, Military Free Fall Parachutist, Military Free Fall Jumpmaster, Air Load Planner, Hazardous Cargo Certifier, FAA Senior Rigger, Rappel Master, and Fast Rope Master.

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[ehrentitle]

Parachute riggers are one of my areas of expertise and collecting.

 

Sabrejet had it right in his description in post #2. They were responsible for packing and repairing parachutes and associated equipment. They also recovered air items for reuse because of their expense and scarcity.

 

Parachute riggers then and now had extensive training and experience in sewing and repairing parachutes and associated heavy canvas equipment like airdrop containers. Rigger modified uniforms and bags were, as Sabrejet indicated, unofficially modified or made.

 

During WWII parachute riggers were Infantry, it wasn't until 1950 that the function came to the Quartermaster Corps.

 

Looks like the last post was a cut and paste of sections from the Wikipedia page on Parachute Riggers at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parachute_rigger

 

Here is a page I put together several years ago for the Quartermaster Museum provides a history of Army Parachute Riggers and Aerial Delivery, including WWII: http://www.qmfound.com/riggers.htm

[ehrentitle]

I should also note that some items attributed to Parachute Riggers, like the "Rigger Liner" were not always made by riggers. They could have been modified or created by local tailor shops, or by Army fabric repair and laundry and bath field service units which had the same heavy duty sewing machines and simular skills to Parachute Riggers.

 

The sewing skill of the current MOS 92S - Shower/Laundry and Clothing Repair Specialist are so close to that of a MOS 92R - Parachute Rigger that they are both trained in the same department in the Quartermaster School today. the Aerial Delivery and Field Services Department.

[ehrentitle]

One last comment...this time on parachute rigger badges during WWII. There was no official parachute rigger badge during WWII. I always have to chuckle when I see the full colored cloth parachute rigger badge on felt or twill advertised on E-bay and elsewhere as genuine lifetime guaranteed WWII badges. The badge wasn't designed by then MAJ Cross until 1949 and was first worn unoffically in 1950, the official metal badge wasn't approved until 1986. See: http://www.qmfound.com/rigger.

 

I'm someone is sure to comment on the Parachute Badge with the "R" affixed to the parachute risers in the center of the badge. This rare badge has been discussed in other threads here and was worn by WAC parachute riggers at Fort Benning during WWII...and is much copied.

[jgawne]

I knew a Navy rigger once. I recall he ended up sewing a pistol holster onto everyone's chute harness so they would be sure to have a weapon when they landed. He also got to see an aircraft crew bail out with chutes HE had packed. He sweated that one out until the last guy's chute opened.

[kfields]

As Kevin mentioned in one of his posts, parachute riggers in WWII were "infantry" as well. Their primary responsibility was packing the chutes for the straight infantry guys that jumped but they also packed the packages & chutes (machine guns, bullets, butter) that were also dropped with the paratroopers.

In addition, many/most of the riggers jumped as well with the paratroopers as many/most were jump qualified.

I'm far from being an expert in this area but this is just a little bit of the information I gleened from the research I did after acquiring a fabulous WWII period photo album from a Warrant officer of the rigger company with the 508th PIR. He also jumped into France and Holland.

Kim

[J_Andrews]

1. Men of the Divisional Parachute Maintenance Companies were included in the initial and/or follow-up jumps in the ETO. Not ALL of them, but several or a dozen or so. Why? To recover and secure airborne equipment (including that associated with gliders), ASAP, on the DZ/LZs. As such they got involved in securing the LZ/DZs -- using their weapons and Infantry training, not just standing idly by. I spoke with two Normandy rigger vets who "never forgave the Army" for disallowing them the CIB, because they were withdrawn from qualifying front-line duties a few days into the campaign, yet they were still under fire as they filled in as drivers, escort guards (for supply trucks and POWs) and stretcher bearers. As I recall these two did not make another combat jump in Holland, because other riggers wanted to volunteer for their "moment of glory".

 

2. Regiments did not have rigger COMPANIES. IIRC seperate Regts had Para Maint SECTIONS, of approx 8-10 riggers, within the Regtl Service Co.

 

3. The Divl PM Cos were manned by taking existing rigger sections OUT of the organic regts and consolidating them, under a Co HQ with at least two officers.

[shocktrooper15]

:w00t: Thanks for all of the information! This was a huge help. Thanks again guys!

 

Regards,

 

shocktrooper

[ehrentitle]

3. The Divl PM Cos were manned by taking existing rigger sections OUT of the organic regts and consolidating them, under a Co HQ with at least two officers.

 

That's true, by 1944 each Regimental Service Company had a platoon sized rigger element. I believe before the end of the War in 1945 all Airborne Divisions had TO&E (Table of Organization and Equipment) Parachute Maintenance Companies. Or at least Shelby Stanton cites them as existing in his WWII Order of Battle. My correspondence with Colonel Cross (creator of the Rigger Badge) indicates that they were in existence by November 1947 when he joined the 11th Airborne Division which was then on occupation duty in Japan. and were coded with an 11- TO&E prefix for Infantry. By then there was also an Infantry parachute rigger MOS 620 Parachute Rigger and Repairman and specialty for officers; 4820 Parachute Maintenance Officer.

 

In 1950 dedicated echelon above Division parachute rigger units were formed to include TO&E 10-407 Quartermaster Airborne Air Supply and Packaging Company (for example the famous 8081st) and TO&E 10-417 Quartermaster Depot Parachute Repair Company which operated during the Korean War.

[henry2]

for those who spent a lot time around the riggers.. you see a lot of homemade rigger made awol bags with the guys own input on the bag .. my rigger made awol bag was design with a lot of poclets on the both side s and the ends of the bag to hold items and cloths as need for a couple of day trip and still be able to fold down for stowage in my locker i had ..i could get week worth of cloths in the bag and still keep trucking ..that bag was the bag i trook when i came home to the streets and was on leave..