Original British WWII “Rupert” Paradummy Military Deception Device As Used During Operation Titanic – As Seen In “Heroes In Our Midst” Pages 296-297 Original Items

Original Item: Only One Available. This is an excellent example of the simple British “Titanic” or “Rupert” paradummy whichwas made of a burlap or canvas type material and filled with what appears to be straw. It was folded and tied in a bundle that opened when the strings we snapped by the rip cord. A 20 minute maximum adjustable timer with explosives, which was a separate piece, was thrown out the door with each “stick”. For added realism, either type was dressed in castoff uniforms. Only the British type was used in Normandy or Holland, while the American style is known to have been used in Southern France and the Philippines.

A nearly identical example was featured in the fabulous book series  “Heroes In Our Midst” in volume 1 pages 296-297 by Ltc. (Ret.) John R. Angolia.

This example is in wonderful condition and shows no signs of any extensive damage present. There are stains present in the material but there are no signs that can tell if it was actually used and possibly recovered. There is no parachute included.

A paradummy is a military deception device first used in World War II, intended to imitate a drop of paratroop attackers. This can cause the enemy to shift forces or fires unnecessarily, or lure enemy troops into staged ambushes. The dolls used for Operation Titanic were nicknamed Rupert by British troops and Oscar by American. The official name was “Device Camouflage No. 15”. They were made of burlap and filled with straw or green waste. Some were found in a warehouse on an old British airfield in the 1980s. Some of the original dolls from this find are now exhibited in war museums. The dolls are immobile and about 85 cm tall, consequently smaller than a person, but on the ground during twilight it is difficult to tell the difference between real parachutists. In addition, real parachutists let themselves be hung motionless on the ropes during the jump, so that the ground troops could not tell them apart from real jumpers or comrades who had already been shot in the air.