PARATROOPER SONG – WWII U.S. and Canadian
W.W. II VERSION OF THE SONG
The original hand-written copy of this is on 1 CANADIAN PARACHUTE BATTALION letterhead with 1 Canadian parachute badge (‘wings”) printed in colour above the unit name. It was obtained from Sgt. Russell Wyrostok, Platoon Sergeant, Anti-Tank Platoon, Headquarters Company, 1 Canadian Parachute Battalion in W.W. II.
Sung to the tune of the American song: “The Battle Hymn of the Republic” (e.g. “John Brown’s body lies a moldering in the grave… “)
“PARATROOPER”
Is everybody happy? cried the sergeant looking up.
Our hero feebly answered “Yes” and then they stood him up
He dove into the prop blast his static line unhooked
And he ain’t gonna jump no more.
Chorus
He counted long, he counted slow, he waited for the shock
He felt the wind, he saw the clouds, he felt the awful drop.
He jerked the cord the silk spilled out & wrapped around his leg
And he ain’t gonna jump no more.
Chorus
His lines were twisted round his neck, connectors broke his dome [?]
His risers twisted into knots around each tired bone
His canopy became a shroud, as he hurtled to the ground
And he ain’t gonna jump no more.
Chorus
The day he loved & lived and laughed, kept running through his mind
He thought about the medics & wondered what they’d find
He thought about the girl back home, the one he’d left behind
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
Chorus
The ambulance tore round the field, the jeeps were running wild
The medics they did dance with glee rolled up their sleeves & smiled
For it had been a week or more since a paratrooper died
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
Chorus
There was blood upon his risers
There was blood upon his chute
There was blood a ‘tricklin down from off the paratrooper’s boot
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
Chorus
He met the ground, the sound was flat the blood went gushing high
His comrades were heard to say What a helluva way to die
They picked him up still in his chute, then poured him from his boots
He lay there dying in the welter of his gore
And he ain’t gonna jump no more
CHORUS
Glory, glory what a helluva way to die,
Glory, glory what a helluva way to die,
Glory, glory what a helluva way to die,
And he ain’t gonna jump no more.
COMMENTS: The chorus was not on the original letter, but is well known. Some people now like to substitute the word ‘Gory’ for ‘Glory’. The words of the verses have changed over the years, but this is a W.W. II version.
The reference to “pulling the cord” refers to the reserve parachute release on the American T-5 parachute that they trained with at Fort Benning, Georgia and at Camp Shilo, Manitoba. In England and in battle they used the British ‘X’ type parachute which did not have a reserve chute.
Second last verse (shown in italics) was supplied by Pte. Mal Aplin, B Coy, 1 Can Para Bn (WWII) in 2001 January “I would like to add a verse to the “Paratrooper Song” you have shown on the site. The following words were sung by us in Bulford England and I believe they were just before the last chorus shown.“
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1 Commando Company [Now 4 Royal Australian Regiment (Commando)] They had their own version of the Paratrooper’s song, Here is a verse sent by KEVIN HULTON-SMITH who served with them from 1963 till 1978.
They sent him home to mother on a piece of four-by-two,