The Red Devils are the British Parachute Regiment's parachute display team. The Red Devils are regular serving paratroopers from the four battalions of the Parachute Regiment who have volunteered to serve on the display team. Like other members of the regiment, they wear the

maroon beret The maroon beret in a military configuration has been an international symbol of airborne forces since the World War II, Second World War. It was first officially introduced by the British Army in 1942, at the direction of Major-general (Uni ...

that designates

airborne forces Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers. The main ...

. As the official parachute display team of the

British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...

, the team regularly perform at

air show An air show (or airshow, air fair, air tattoo) is a public event where aircraft are trade fair, exhibited. They often include aerobatics demonstrations, without which they are called "static air shows" with aircraft parked on the ground. The ...

s and other events.

History

Colonel Edward Gardener created the team in 1964 as the Parachute Regiment Free Fall Team and was their commander in the first year. They became the official parachute display team of the British Army in 1979. Their name derives from the nickname given to members of the Parachute Regiment by German forces in the

North African campaign The North African campaign of World War II took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943, fought between the Allies and the Axis Powers. It included campaigns in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts (Western Desert campaign, Desert Wa ...

of the Second World War; the paratroopers jumped wearing the Denison smock, whose rear flap gave the effect of a tail, and became coated in red earth on landing. In July 2022, two Red Devils team members broke the

Guinness World Record ''Guinness World Records'', known from its inception in 1955 until 1999 as ''The Guinness Book of Records'' and in previous United States editions as ''The Guinness Book of World Records'', is a British reference book published annually, listi ...

for the largest flag down-planed while skydiving, measuring . In 2023, five team members pioneered a new stunt, 'the Pentagram', in which their parachutes are joined at a single point. At Whitehaven Air Show in June 2015, a team member became entangled during a stunt collision, but his partner was able to bring him safely to the ground. In October 2022, a member of the team was killed in an unplanned manoeuvre while off-duty.

Notable members

* Charles "Nish" Bruce (1978–1982).

References

External links

{{Commons category-inline, Red Devils (Parachute Regiment)
Official website
1964 establishments in the United Kingdom Airborne units and formations Military history of Wiltshire Military parachuting in the United Kingdom Military units and formations established in 1964 Organisations based in Wiltshire Parachute display teams Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) Nicknames of military personnel