User:Silver Stars Parachute Display Team

Team History

Freefall parachuting first came to notice in this country in the late 1950’s, although parachuting displays goes back to the barnstorming days of the 1930’s. In the 1960’s display teams were formed to jump at local town shows and not unnaturally most of them were Army teams formed with military parachutists. The predecessors of the Royal Logistic Corps, the Royal Corps of Transport and the Royal Army Service Corps were no exception with members of 63 Parachute Company forming the Royal Army Service Corps parachute club on the 27th of September 1963. Club members started to conduct parachute displays and although at this point in history no name was given to the team they conducted numerous displays each year for civilian and military events. The ‘Silver Stars’ team name was adopted by the Royal Corps Transport in 1975 and is taken from the eight-pointed star depicted in the Corps cap badge. In 1993 on the formation of the Royal Logistic Corps, The Royal Army Ordnance Corps parachute club “The Cannonballs” merged and retained the name “The Silver Stars” again reflecting the Corps badge.

Members of the Silver Stars (get together and perform their displays and) are drawn from the most experienced Corps sports parachutists serving in the United Kingdom. The team members are from all ranks and trades in the Corps, including the Army Reserve. Although supported by Corps Association funds most parachutists have spent a considerable amount of personal funds and off-duty time in order to achieve the expertise needed to become members of the display team.