Description:

U.S. WORLD WAR II PARACHUTE PRACTICE DUMMY
US Army or US Navy designed parachute dummy, sometimes referred to as a 'Paradummy'. Heavy weighted dummy manufactured from tan canvas with black rubberized canvas accents and closure seam at top, closure seam being laced with synthetic rope cinched through brass grommets. Completed with two 1.25 in. wide OD canvas suspension straps, which are attached to body of the dummy by sets of nickel rivets. Stenciled in black paint to the front is the designation 'H M'. Dummy is 26 in tall by 8 in. wide, and weighs 5 lbs, with no parachute or rigging being present. The first known operational use of a parachute decoy, or dummy paratroopers occurred during the Nazis' successful assault on Fort Eben-Emael during the 1940 blitzkrieg. The Allies started developing a paratroop decoy of their own in the late 1930s. Although we do not believe this example was made for the successful deception plans by airborne divisions during Operation Overlord during the Allied invasion of Europe, various styles of dummies for that operation have been discovered, with more than one type being recorded in period military literature. In some cases, these less realistic dummies were used in training jumps as wind indicators for assessment by in-air parachute jump masters and supervisors. The origins of this example are unknown, but matches one style encountered in period equipment/training photos. Worthy of further research. In excellent condition with some staining from use or storage.

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March 26, 2026 10:00 AM EDT
Elkton, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $99 $10
$100 $499 $20
$500 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $999,999 $10,000
$1,000,000 $1,999,999 $50,000
$2,000,000 + $100,000