Hi All, Sorry to resurrect this post so late on. Not sure where the perception that the 82nd jump school at Ashwell didn't exist before D-Day comes from, it did. Morning Reports for the 82nd Parachute Maintenance Company dated as far back as April 1944 list Ashwell at their camp, and there's little to suggest it wasn't established quite early on. The Division used one of the hangars at Cottesmore as a Parachute drying shed, and typically did four of the five qualifying jumps with the 316th Troop Carrier Group into the fields West of the airfield from which the jumpers could be collected and taken straight back for the next jump. The fifth was carried out South of Camp Ashwell. As to where jump-schools were before the Division reached England, I have no idea. Regards Adam
