US Military

May 05, 1961 - Skymen's balloon bursts at 800 feet above the ground: Four Red Devils sat huddled together yesterday in a 6-foot square cage hanging from a barrage balloon 800-ft above the ground. Then suddenly the giant balloon burst and the cage began to fall. In the cage the lives of four men, Territorial Army paratroopers depended on a 38 year old company sergeant Major, a married man with four children. And his split second thinking and courage saved then. The sergeant major, burly Arnhem veteran, Albert Rocky Small of Finchley, London, had gone up in the cage at R.A.F. Hornchurch, Essex, to make a practice parachute jump, accompanied by four other Territorial Army members, C.S.M. Small had just watched the first man jump safely when the balloon burst. The cage lurched and then began to plunge towards the ground. Quickly Mr. Small ordered the second and third man to jump. Quickly Mr. Small ordered the second and third man to jump. Then as No. 4 man, Lane-Corporal Reggie Watts, of Erith, Kent, was moving to the jumping position there was another lurch and the balloon and cage turned over in mid-air. Watts and Small were trapped, but C.S.M. Small shouted hold on to the straps and get your feet off the floor. Seconds later ambulance men were freeing Mr. Small and Corporal Watts from the wreckage of the cage. They were rushed to hospital, but only Corporal Watts was detained with minor injuries. Photo shows the hero of the balloon drama, Company Sergeant-Major Albert Rocky Small, pictured yesterday

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Ambulance Arnhem Barrage Burly Burst Bursts Corporal Courage Depended Detained Devils Erith Finchley Freeing Hornchurch Huddled Injuries Lurch Lurched Mid-air Ordered Parachute Paratroopers Plunge Quickly R.a.f Reggie Rushed Safely Saved Seconds Sergeant-major Shouted Split Straps Suddenly Territorial Trapped Watched Wreckage

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