In 1994 Pathfinder Parachute group was formed by half a dozen military jumpers. It didn’t have a name but it seemed like a good idea at the time.

Pathfinder in those days was a very small group of like minded former British Paratroopers who wanted to jump round parachutes the way they were taught in the military.

When word got around, we had risen to a club of over sixty jumpers in the short space of six months.

Our chosen base of operations was the Island of Texel in the North of Holland and the Dutch version of JSPC Netheravon. Simon Woerlee, the manager, himself a former Reserve Artillery officer and a champion Skydiver, welcomed us with open arms.

 In 1994 using GQ Aero-Conical parachutes rented from Texel Parachute Centre our small group completed 34 jumps and in the following year we were invited to jump with a group of American airborne veterans onto Den Burg, Holland, the home of the Dutch Commandos, for their annual VE Day celebrations. It proved to be a great success and so Pathfinder was born.

In those days we averaged one to two courses a year. Texel was a long way to go to parachute but the attraction was the Dutch B wing which is awarded for five clean fatigue jumps and is designated Parachutists not Paratrooper.

A few years later Simon took over the Dutch National Parachute centre at Teuge and we were invited to move our base of operations there.

1995 we completed 90 jumps, 1996 we completed 250 jumps and so we continued to grow.

One of the veterans had said it was a shame no one jumped in WW2 uniform as he felt it would paint a better picture to the spectators of what it had really looked like WW2. That sounded like a good idea.

Re-enactment was still in its infancy so we there was no reproduction kit to be had. We ended up with Greek Battledress, Canadian battledress, and any others we could get hold of. The end result was more invitations for more anniversaries.

We were keeping the History of the Parachute Regiment and the British Airborne in the public eye when the governments purse strings didn’t allow its own military to do this.

I might add that every anniversary event we have ever done apart from two , the cost has been covered by our own members who believe our forefathers must be remembered at all cost and we are the only club that owns its own Parachutes.

Since our formation Pathfinder and its representatives have jumped on several anniversary events and clocked up an interesting array of jumps that include the following.

1994 First basic para course Texel Parachute Centre Holland.

1995 VE Day den Burg Holland.

1997 Jumped with the Estonian SOG at Tallinn, Estonia..

1999 Ginkle heath DZ Arnhem.

2000 The Merville Gun Battery DZ Normandy for the Invasion Anniversary

2001 India for the Indian Airborne Diamond Jubilee, Dave Mote, former 2 Para and Suez vet and Rob Krott USA SF vet represented Pathfinder.

2002 The Merville Gun Battery DZ Normandy

2002 Jumping with Czech Special Forces in Stribo

2002 Jumped with the Estonian SOG at Tallinn, Estonia

2002 Jumping with the Italian Folgore at Viterbo Italy

2002.Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto Ginkle Heath DZ and the Polish DZ at Driel

2003 Jumping with Special Forces and the King’s Guard in Cambodia and Thailand. Ian Marshall’s former 2 Paras project.

2003 Maamar Ferkoun  represents Pathfinder Asia, jumping with the Peoples Liberation Army of China.

2003 Pathfinder members jumped with the Afghanistan Airborne in Kabul. Dave Mott once again represented Pathfinder.

2003.Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto Ginkle Heath DZ

2004 Normandy Invasion Anniversary onto DZ N Pegasus bridge, alongside 1 Para.

2004 Pathfinder members jump in Cambodia and Thailand.

2004 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary which was filmed for part of the ‘Road to Berlin’ TV series with Al Murray who was trained by us and jumped at Ginkle Heath. His father was Para regiment.

2004 Pathfinder jumped for the John Frost Bridge dedication, Arnhem, Holland

2005. Israel for their ‘Freedom Jump’

2005 Den Burg Holland for the anniversary of VE day.

2005 Semnoz and Vasieux DZ in the French Alps for the anniversary of Peter Churchill’s SOE drops.

2005 Operation Neptune. Water jump off the island of Texel in cooperation with the Dutch Marines.

2005 Operation Suryavarman Thailand. Maamars project

2006 Operation Musketeer in Israel, the anniversary of the Suez Canal drop.

2006 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto Ginkle Heath DZ

2006 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto Ginkle Heath DZ , the Polish DZ at Driel and the American DZ at Groesbeek.

2007 Operation Napier SOE/SAS drop. Holland

2008 Israel for their ‘Freedom Jump’

2008 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto Ginkle Heath DZ and the American DZ at Wolfheze and Groesbeek.

2008 Operation Rummy 3. Brord van der Matt and Ron Vissers Pathfinder Hollands project.

2009 Pathfinder Jump with the Portuguese Airborne. Paddy Rehill former Parachute Regiment was team leader.

2009 65th Anniversary of Operation Weller 7 SOE Operation. Pathfinder Poland.

2009 Battle for Arnhem 65th Anniversary onto Ginkel Heath DZ and the American DZ at Wolfheze

2009 China. Maamar visits the Parachute Brigade of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army

2010 DZ at Wijk bij Duurstede + John Frost Bridge the second time & VE Day Jumps

2010 Anniversary of Operation Weller 7 SOE Operation. Pathfinder Poland. Pawels project. Pawel was former GROM.

2010 Normandy Invasion 65th Anniversary Operation Tonga

2010 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto DZ’s at Renkum Heath & Driel

2010 Arnhem, Tour of Duty. Channel 5, 2 part mini-series shown on Remembrance day. Wayne Monkman former 10 Para was lead.

2010 Anniversary of VE day, Den Burg, Texel, Holland

2011 Battle for Arnhem Anniversary onto DZ’s at Renkum Heath

2011 Sannerville, Operation Tonga, Normandy, (Cancelled due to bad weather)

2011 Fresville, St Mere Eglise

2011 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem.( Paddy Rehill jumped with George Kay’s ashes.)

2011 Polish DZ at Dreil, Arnhem. (Cancelled due to bad weather.)

2012 Bruneval raid, Normandy (cancelled due to bad weather)

2012 Sannerville DZ, Operation Tonga, Normandy. (Izzy Harmen Pathfinder UK jumped with her Granddad Cpl George Moodies ashes)

2012 Bergeijk Air Show Holland.

2012 11th World POPs meet. Opening ceremony display.

2012 2nd International Paratroopers meet Magdeburg, Germany.

2012 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem. (Cancelled due to bad weather)

2012 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem.

2013 Bure, Ardennes.. (Cancelled due to bad weather)

2013 Bruneval raid, Le Poterie DZ, Normandy.

2013 Sannerville, Operation Tonga, Normandy.

2013 East German Para Association Reunion.

2013 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem.

2013 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem.

2013 Polish DZ at Dreil, Arnhem.

2014 Sannerville, Operation Tonga Normandy.

2014 Merville gun battery.

2014 Polish DZ at Dreil, Arnhem

2014 Operation Caliban, SAS mission, Belgium

2014 S.O.E Jumpers Day Poland

2014 Merville battery

2015 Operation Hanuman II, DZ Kanroy Cambodia

2015 NorAtlas jump, Operation Titanic, Octeville airfield Le Havre, France

2015 Operation Gain, SAS mission, Chilleurs-Aux-Bois France.

2015 Pathfinder Australia, First round canopy jump, Bridgwater DZ, Australia.

2015 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem.

2015 Polish DZ at Dreil, Arnhem.

2015 First Basic Para course Alicante Spain. Allan Hewitt former 1 Paras project.

2016 75th Anniversary, Polish SOE Cichociemni ( Silent-Dark jumpers ).

2016 Operation Winter Fest. National Parachute Test Centre in Dunnellon, Florida,

2016 Operation Jumping Rabbit., Stendal, Germany

2016 Pathfinder members learning to spot at the Irish Parachute Association, Ireland.

2016 Sannerville, Operation Tonga, Normandy.

2016 Operation Gain, SAS mission, Chilleurs-Aux-Bois,France

2016 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem

2016 Polish DZ at Driel, Arnhem.

2017 Operation Jumping Rabbit., Stendal, Germany

2017 JU-52 Jump, Operation Adler (Eagle) France

2017 25th Anniversary Volkel in de Wolken, Holland.

2017 Sannerville, Operation Tonga. Normandy.

2017 Operation Titanic, Octeville airfield Le Havre, France

2017 Operation Gain, SAS mission, Chilleurs-Aux-Bois, France

2017 90th Anniversary of Military Parachuting in Poland, Borne Sulinowo DZ Poland.

2017 Operation Dawn Light, National Parachute Test Centre in Dunnellon, Florida,

2017 Operation Flanders Boogie, Moorsele, Belgium.

2017 Renkum Heath DZ X, Arnhem

2017 Polish DZ at Driel, Arnhem.

2017 60th Anniversary of the Polish Abn Bde Krakow DZ. Poland. (Cancelled due to bad weather)

2018 Anniversary of SOE Operation Jacket, Brzozów Stary, Poland

2018 Operation Taino Warrior, National Parachute Test Centre in Dunnellon, Florida

2018 Sannerville, Operation Tonga. Normandy.

2018 Battle of Britain Air show, Headcorn Aerodrome, England.

2019 Operation Jumping Rabbit, Stendal, Pathfinder Poland

2019 75th Anniversary of Normandy Sannerville DZ in cooperation with 16 Air Assault Brigade.

2019 Lee on Solent D-Day show. Double cross-channel drop. No drop UK due to bad weather. Jumped back into Sannerville France.

2019 Battle of Britain Air show, Headcorn UK

2019 Combined Operations show, Headcorn UK, (cancelled due to bad weather).

2019 75th Anniversary SAS Operation Caliban DZ Belgium, Pathfinder Belgium.

2019 The Victory Show – UK Air Display, Cosby UK

2019 10th Bn Parachute Regiment Memorial Unveiling – Somerby UK

2019 75th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Renkum DZ Arnhem

2019 75th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Driel DZ, Arnhem.

2021  Anniversary of the formation of the Polish SOE, Special Forces group known as ‘The Silent but Unseen’.

2022 78th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Renkum DZ, Arnhem

2022 78th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Driel DZ, Arnhem.

2023 79th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Renkum DZ, Arnhem

2023 79th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Driel DZ, Arnhem.

2024 80th Anniversary of Normandy Sannerville DZ in cooperation with 16 Air Assault Brigade.

2024 80th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Renkum DZ, Arnhem cooperation with 16 Air Assault Brigade

2024 80th Anniversary Operation Market Garden. Driel DZ, Arnhem.

2025 81st Anniversary of Normandy Sannerville DZ (Cancelled due to high winds)

To say 2019 was a corner stone and our busiest year would be an understatement. We had many new members joined us, the biggest group coming from SAS Association and put together by Phil Tunnicliffe.

Our newly formed display team pushed in a few displays in the UK, a packing course was run for the enthusiastic parachute packers.

We were been able to increase our parachute stock in both mains and reserves. Finally thanks to a generous donation from Jonathan Ormerod himself former SAS, we were able to book Baz Cox former RAF Regiment and Mike Sherren Dutch civilian Pathfinder member, on a riggers course at Bob Matthews parachute testing centre in Florida. 

So between Herve, former French artillery Regiment, Mike and Baz. we have three riggers. So the final statistics for Pathfinder for the year 2019 was 1235 jumps.

The most we have completed at that time.  It would have been a lot more but we were beaten by the weather on at least two occasions.

Since the 75th anniversary of Normandy when we gave our DZ at Sannerville to 16 Air Assault Brigade we have had closer ties with the brigade.

Lt Col David Lord who was organizing the MOD drop was about to cancel it when we offered up our DZ, supplied them with our after action reports on previous Sannerville drops, photos of the area etc.

The Mayor and DZ owners were very enthusiastic and agreed to our proposal and as a result they have successfully used it several times since.

Ian gave them invaluable information on how to turn the DZ at a 45 degree angle to get a bigger stick from their C-130 aircraft. As a result their anniversary jump was a success with no injuries.

 My wife has been diagnosed with a not so nice illness which will require a lot of support from me in the future. I had already decided to stand back from the leadership role of Pathfinder and this just gave me that shove in the right direction.

I wanted to hand Pathfinder over to Ian Marshall but as he says and to quote Ian ‘I don’t do admin!’. No one can say he is not good at what he does.

An excellent Chief Instructor, brilliant jump master and trusted by all our members. Ian will still stay on as Senior Instructor and jump master for Pathfinder.

So who to step into my shoes. I’m pleased to say that Allan Hewitt of Tom Cruise, Mission Impossible, James Bond, Parachute stunt organiser fame has agreed to take over.

It also means that Pathfinder gains a Master Rigger as well. I always stated that I would only hand Pathfinder over to another Para to keep the same mindset or it would become just another civilian Parachute club.

Allan was in 1 Para (My old battalion) and is keen to keep the anniversary events going. He is also a friend of Ian’s and so Allan and him will make a formidable team. I will of course be in the background for a while.

 So Pathfinder will carry on for the future. To our hard core long standing members and to all the new guys, I wish you all Blue skies and soft landings.

 Roy Mobsby (Sgt,5 Abn Brigade, retired)

Jump/Operations Coordinator

Pathfinder Parachute Group UK