| Page Created |
| June 19th, 2025 |
| Last Updated |
| June 29th, 2025 |
| Great Britain |
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| History |
The wicker pannier is essentially a large woven basket made of wicker with a plywood base. It is rectangular in shape, measuring approximately 92 centimetres in length, 55 centimetres in width, and 40 centimetres in height.
Wicker panniers are designed specifically for use with C-47 aircraft, which are adapted to accommodate their weight and shape. The panniers rest on transport rollers inside the aircraft to aid dispatch. Each pannier consists of two separate halves. The top half is slightly larger and fits over the bottom half. There are no hinges or latches. Instead, green webbing straps lash the two halves together. This design allows the pannier to expand slightly, making precise packing unnecessary. Each has four braided rope handles for manual handling. The maximum loaded weight of a single pannier is 227 kilograms.
In operational use, panniers are typically paired together. Dispatchers refer to this method as the “daisy chain.” Two panniers are stacked and tied with lightweight cotton ties. Each pannier is equipped with its own parachute, but their static lines are of different lengths. This causes them to deploy at different intervals. The resulting tension breaks the ties, allowing the panniers to separate before landing.
Alternatively, panniers may be grouped in clusters of two, four, or six. When grouped, they are dropped using two Type R Mk1 parachutes. This requires four separate dispatches to fully empty the aircraft.
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| Parachute Types |
Cargo parachutes used during the war are made from silk, rayon, or cotton blends. They are sewn with natural-coloured heavyweight cotton thread. Standardisation begins in 1942 to ensure compatibility across operations.
The Type R Mk1 parachute is made from rayon and intended for light loads. The GQ Irvin Type X is the most common parachute used for canisters. It is made from a cotton blend and comes in various sizes to match different weight categories:
- Up to 18 kilograms: 3.66 metre canopy
- 19 to 36 kilograms: 4.88 metre canopy
- 37 to 54 kilograms: 6.10 metre canopy
- 55 to 72 kilograms: 7.32 metre canopy
- 73 to 91 kilograms: 8.53 metre canopy
For very heavy equipment, the 42F parachute is used. It features a 12.8 metre canopy and is suited for multiple panniers or large items.
| Parachute Colours and Supply Codes |
Parachutes are often colour-coded to indicate the nature of the supplies. Olive drab green is the original colour, but other colours are introduced to distinguish contents. The colour-coding system varies by operation and is not always standardised. Supply canisters are also marked accordingly.
During the D-Day landings, the following colours are reported:
- Red: Ammunition and ordnance
- Yellow: Medical supplies
- Light blue: Food
- White: General supplies
- Green: Signals equipment
For Operation Market Garden (Arnhem), the scheme changes slightly:
- Red: Ammunition and ordnance
- Yellow: Signals equipment
- Light blue: Fuel
- White: Medical supplies
- Green: Rations
During Operation Varsity, black parachutes are used for Special Operations Executive and resistance drops. These are selected for their low visibility.
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