So I was visiting my Dad this weekend while deer hunting and I was showing him my collection on the computer. This morning at breakfast he asked me if I would want my great uncles WWII parachute. Duh, yes. He really didn't know much about it or what or my uncle was so I have nothing to go with from that. He seemed to think he was some sort of controller and if so I would think he would be on the ground. But he did have a pilots license, he gave me my first airplane ride when I was young. It was supposedly in a black garbage bag where it had been for 30 years in a storage room. Couldn't find it. Turns out he put it in a nice box that we ignored for 20 minutes but was right on top of the pile of stuff, even marked Parachute on the sides of the box we couldn't see.
So, I have no idea if this actually is a WWII parachute or not, turns out there are actually two in the box. It's raining so I can't take them outside to open them up and spread them out. I could find no markings on either which seems strange. They could be supply chutes also. I don't know what they are made of, I'm guessing Nylon as I have no idea what silk looks like. The cords are all cut short.
What should I look for when I get a chance to take them outside in daylight? It appears to be white, it's sheer meaning you can easily see through it, it has blue or black stitching. There are 18 cords. It seems too small for a man, maybe 10 feet from the outside edge to the hole in the top so I'm thinking some sort of supply chute.