WW2 D DAY RUPERT PARA DUMMY NORMANDY 1944 + COMPLETE PARACHUTE, ROPE, TIES, RARE For Sale

WW2 D DAY RUPERT PARA DUMMY NORMANDY 1944 + COMPLETE PARACHUTE, ROPE, TIES, RARE
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WW2 D DAY RUPERT PARA DUMMY NORMANDY 1944 + COMPLETE PARACHUTE, ROPE, TIES, RARE:
$4438.13

WW2 BRITISH D-DAY Deception "Rupert" Para dummy. Burlap sacking dummy with its original silk parachute. The canopy dated 1943 with maker. Has original ties and is in very good condition.The fine silk canopy sound with just a few storage marks from the metal line of the chute and the dummy basically untouched. A fine complete example of this extremely rare wartime dummy. No markings at all and the parachute permanently affixed to the dummy. Approximately one third lifesize and designed to be filled with sand.
This Rupert is one of approx 50 dummies from the RAF Lyneham stores found in the early 1980's during clearance. Lynham was a wartime Air Despatch unit.They were developed by the Central Landing Establishment .They were first used operationally in September 1942 over Siwa oasis in support of SAS & LRDG operations.
The RAF's 90.159,,138 (SD) & 161 (SD) squadrons dropped approximately 537 of the dummies on the night of 5/6 June 1944 across parts of Northern France to deceive the Germans to move their forces away from the actual Invasion areas on the Normandy drop zones. 34 Stirling & Halifax's each dropped their dummies together with 12 pintail bombs,14 rifle fire simulators, MK11 & 7 MG fire simulators. Some of the dummies had mechanisms attached to their backs with a timed delay which was initiated when the dummy left the aircraft.
After the dummy struck the ground the simulators began to explode sounding like LMG & rifle fire having a duration of 5 minutes.The pintail bombs hit the ground first which illuminated the area and attracted the enemy's attention making it appear there was a reception party signalling the aircraft that had dropped the ''Paras''. Interesting and rare item.
Very few of these "Rupert's" have survived complete with the original parachute.
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