The unit was formed on 3 November 1942 at RAAF Laverton, Victoria and moved to RAAF Station Tocumwal, New South Wales on 16 November 1942 to be co-located with the Army's fledgling parachute unit which later became 1st Parachute Battalion.[1] The unit was under the command of Wing Commander P Glasscock.[2][3] The PTU had a nominal strength of 6 officers and 88 airmen from the RAAF and 7 officers and 90 other ranks from the Army.[3] After the unit moved to Tocumwal it received fifty statichute parachutes in late November.[3][1] In December 1942, the first course with 40 trainees began with the first descents made on 19 January 1943 from a Douglas DC-2.[1][3][4] In March 1943, experimental water descents were made into Swan Hill Lakes.[3] In the same month the 1st Parachute Battalion was formed.[4] Five courses were conducted at Tocumwal which was found to be unsuitable due to its weather conditions and the lack of training facilities.[3] The basic course involved four descents with trainees equipped with a reserve parachute for the first descent.[5]
The PTU relocated to RAAF Base Richmond, New South Wales on 6 April 1943 under the command of Wing Commander W Wetton.[1][3] Richmond provided better facilities and descents were made from a Douglas Dakota C-47.[1] Major Roberts from the British Parachute Regiment and Royal Air Force Parachute Jump Master Squadron Leader Wetton arrived from England to provide advice on parachute training.[1][3] In May 1943, the PTU received permission to use Cataract Reservoir for day and nighttime descents with a parachute drying room built in early 1944.[6] Group 244 RAAF was attached to the unit which included members of the Women's Auxiliary Australian Air Force (WAAAF) for No 1 Mobile Parachute Maintenance Unit formed in August 1943, and a C-47 from No. 36 Squadron together with aircrew.[6][1] Group 244 RAAF had a nominal strength of 20 officers and 157 airmen from the RAAF and 2 officers and 94 airwomen from the WAAAF.[6] The basic course at Richmond involved seven descents after which parachute wings were awarded.[7] After the relocation to Richmond the use of a reserve parachute for the first descent was discontinued.[5] In November 1943, the first jumpmaster course was commenced.[6] The PTU also provided training in supply dropping for members of the Australian Army Service Corps.[6]
Parachute training stopped in August 1945.[8][2] The unit was disbanded on 21 December 1945.[1][2] A total of 19,782 descents, 3,130 dummy drops and 3,622 supply drops had been made at the unit.[1][9]
Lord, Cliff; Tennant, Julian (2000). ANZAC elite : the airborne and special forces insignia of Australia and New Zealand. Wellington, NZ: IPL Books. ISBN0908876106.
O'Connor, John Michael (2005). Australian airborne : the history and insignia of Australian military parachuting. Kingsgrove, NSW: J. O'Connor. ISBN0957942117.