We have several in our museum collection as you would expect being Parachute Regiment, however, each has its own tale. A clever idea for WW2 and one that did have limited effect at night especially as they cracked on contact with the ground.
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA
Did these pack a fireworks display as the dummy in " The Longest Day " did , or was that also just " Hollywood Fairy Tale " ?
By the way , just a little off subject , but in the above movie they spliced in the scene off actual planes taking off for the drop . Under the nose of the plane was a box with two spinning disks . I thought it was some special radio / radar device to help them drop the men in the right place at night . Well , those turned out to be Paratrooper's Handcarts full of supplies . The middle man in the stick pulled a handle inside the plane releasing the carts ( which had their own chutes ) just before he went out himself . Hopefully the men in the center of the stick would find them while the men at each end worked their way to the center to join up .
'Tonight my men and I have been through hell and back again, but the look on your faces when we let you out of the hall - we'd do it all again tomorrow.' Major Chris Keeble's words to Goose Green villagers on 29th May 1982 - 2 PARA