WWII Paratrooper Song

PARATROOPER SONG – WWII U.S. and Canadian

Canadian training jump from Dakota C-47.
Canadian training jump from Dakota C-47.

 

 

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,

 His parachute they washed and packed and issued it anew
 They stopped his parachutist’s pay ’cause everybody knew
 That he ain’t gonna jump no more.