Airborne Assault open

Photo courtesy of Cpl Rupert Frere RLC

Airborne Assault was formally opened at a private ceremony by HRH The Prince of Wales, Colonel-in-Chief of The Parachute Regiment on Monday, December 8th, 2008.

The event was widely reported in the national and regional press and on local ITV and BBC in Anglia, as well as on national radio and news websites.

Airborne Assault tells the story of men who have gone to war from the air since 1940 and continue to do so today. Airborne soldiers who fought in conflicts from Normandy and Arnhem in 1944 to Afghanistan in 2008 attended the opening .

The Prince of Wales inspected the artefacts and exhibits in the museum with great interest and commented in his speech afterwards that there is 'never enough time to see as much as ne would like'. At a reception in the spectacular AirSpace Hall, against a backdrop of vintage aircraft, he then met veterans, trustees, PRA representatives, donors and sponsors and those who have worked so hard to create the museum, many on a pro bono basis.

The opening was marked by HRH unveiling a commemorative plaque which will be placed at the entrance to the museum hall.

The event also saw the unveiling of ParaData, an online resource that will be the comprehensive living archive of Airborne Forces, and the people who have served with them. As Colonel-in Chief of The Parachute Regiment since 1977, HRH The Prince of Wales, who completed parachute training at Brize Norton in April 1978 was shown details of his own entry on ParaData.