400 African Paratroops Earn Wings | Portuguese Colonial Army | 18-Year-Old Girl Instructor | Apr1973

Saturday, April 9th 1973.

Footage of 400 African Paratroopers earning their wings after jumping with their 18-year-old female instructor. The event took place before the Governor-General of Mozambique, Pimentel Do Santos, at Dondo Army Barracks, near Beira.

Reuters Text:

"In Mozambique, African paratroopers are joining the Portuguese forces to fight against African nationalist guerrillas. At Dondo Army Barracks, near Beira, lest Saturday, the Mozambique Governor, Mr. Pimental Do Santos, and the Commander of the Armed Forces, General Kaulza De Arriaga, inspected a large group of new paratroopers.

Later, four hundred of the paratroopers who have just completed several months intensive training gave a spectacular display. They are volunteer members of the Special Paratroop Group formed in 1971. Now nearly sixty per cent of the Portuguese Army in Mozambique are African.

If Africanisation continues, three quarters of the sixty thousand strong army will be African by 1974. Portuguese Army authorities say the locally recruited special groups have already had success in the ten year old war against Frelimo.

One of the parachutes was a special colour. It belonged to Carmo Jardin, an eighteen year old Portuguese girl. She is one of the Portuguese Army parachute instructors, and has already made more than four hundred jumps.

When she landed Carmo met the Governor-General and helped to present red berets.

Portuguese Army authorities have recently expressed confidence that the military situation in Mozambique is under control. They say the Frelimo guerrillas have been defeated on three fronts. The Army says that the guerrillas can still make sabotage attacks. But that these have on military significance. General Arriage said last week the tide was likely to turn against the guerrillas within two years.

There was also an award for the girl who helped to train the new paratroopers."

Source: Reuters News Archive.