Myrtle the Parachick

Myrtle the Parachick was a chicken that became an unusual figure in the history and folklore of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. She was acquired and named by Lieutenant Pat Glover of the British 1st Airborne Division during the summer of 1944, after Glover and fellow soldiers debated whether a chicken could fly. Rather than treating the question as a matter of speculation, Glover used Myrtle in a series of parachute-training experiments. Myrtle was initially carried in a haversack and released during a training jump from approximately 50 feet. Although her landing was described as safe and disorderly, the experiment encouraged further trials. Glover subsequently established that she could be released safely from heights of as much as 300 feet. After Myrtle had completed six training jumps, she was regarded as having fulfilled the number of deployments needed to qualify as a military parachutist under the account associated with her story. She was then presented with a United Kingdom Parachutist Badge, which Glover attached around her neck. The badge and the training jumps made Myrtle an informal mascot and a symbol of the airborne unit's culture, rather than a conventional military recruit. Myrtle was taken to the Netherlands during Operation Market Garden in September 1944. The operation was an Allied attempt to capture a chain of bridges leading toward the Rhine and into Germany through airborne assaults. Glover's brigade was assigned to Arnhem, the operation's deepest objective and the site of some of the heaviest fighting. Although Myrtle had participated in training jumps, Glover decided not to release her during the combat descent. He kept her in her bag until he reached the ground, then passed her to his batman while he joined the battle. Myrtle was killed during the Battle of Arnhem. According to the historical account, Glover and his men gave her a military burial before Allied forces withdrew from the area. Her story therefore combines an episode of wartime unit humor with the real dangers faced by the airborne troops at Arnhem. The nickname "Parachick" is a pun on parachutist and chick, and it has helped preserve the story as a memorable piece of military folklore. Myrtle's later significance has been commemorative rather than commercial. At the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem in 1994, a plush chicken representing Myrtle was taken to the ceremony. Lieutenant Glover attended the event, while Private Les Locket carried the stuffed replica during a parachute drop associated with the commemoration. The replica allowed the story to be represented publicly even though the original animal had died in 1944. The name was also used for a limited regional beer produced by Everards between 2017 and 2018. The specialty beer was reportedly made available through 178 pubs in Leicestershire, an area connected with the stationing and training of the 1st Airborne Division. This later use gave Myrtle a small place in local commemorative branding, but there is no evidence in the supplied material of an enduring standalone company, broad consumer-goods portfolio, or continuing commercial operation under the name. Myrtle is best understood as a historical mascot and commemorative identity rather than as an operating brand.

Myrtle's story originated in the British 1st Airborne Division during the summer of 1944. Lieutenant Pat Glover and other soldiers debated whether chickens could fly, and Glover obtained a chicken that he named Myrtle to test the proposition. He carried her in a haversack during parachute-training exercises and released her from a low altitude on the first attempt. Myrtle landed safely, although in an uncontrolled and chaotic manner. Glover continued the experiments and found that Myrtle could be released from heights of up to approximately 300 feet without suffering a fatal landing. After six training jumps, she was treated within the story as having completed the required number of deployments for recognition as a qualified military parachutist. Glover fastened a United Kingdom Parachutist Badge around her neck. This did not make Myrtle a conventional member of the armed forces, but it established her identity as a unit mascot and gave the anecdote a formal military detail. In September 1944, Myrtle accompanied Glover's formation to the Netherlands for Operation Market Garden. The Allied operation sought to secure bridges over the route toward the Rhine through a series of airborne attacks. Glover's brigade was assigned to Arnhem, the objective furthest inside German-held territory. Because the combat descent was expected to be dangerous, Glover did not release Myrtle from the aircraft. He kept her in her bag until he landed and then handed her to his batman while he took part in the fighting. Myrtle died during the Battle of Arnhem. The account states that Glover and his men buried her with military honors before Allied forces eventually withdrew from the Arnhem area. Her wartime history consequently ended in 1944, but the story survived as a combination of airborne folklore, animal-mascot history, and a small personal episode within one of the Second World War's best-known airborne operations. The first major postwar commemoration described in the available material occurred in 1994, at the fiftieth anniversary of the Battle of Arnhem. A plush chicken representing Myrtle was brought to the ceremony. Glover attended, although he did not take part in the reenacted parachute drop; Private Les Locket carried the stuffed replica during the drop instead. The replica functioned as a portable memorial and helped connect Myrtle's story with public remembrance of the battle. Myrtle later became the name of a regional specialty beer produced by the British brewing company Everards. The beer was available from 2017 to 2018 in 178 pubs in Leicestershire, the area where the 1st Airborne Division had been stationed during Myrtle's training period. This was a localized heritage-related commercial use rather than evidence of a broad product brand. No continuing company, independent legal entity, current owner, or official website for Myrtle the Parachick is identified in the supplied references.

• 2017

  Everards launches Myrtle specialty beer

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Everards produces a Myrtle-named specialty beer distributed through pubs in Leicestershire.

• 1994

  Plush replica attends Arnhem anniversary

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  A stuffed representation of Myrtle is taken to the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem.

• 1944

  Myrtle is acquired for parachute experiments

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Lieutenant Pat Glover obtains and names Myrtle during a discussion about whether chickens can fly.

• 1944

  Myrtle completes six training jumps

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Myrtle is released during repeated airborne training exercises, including tests from heights of up to about 300 feet, and is associated with qualification as a military parachutist.

• 1944

  Myrtle receives a parachutist badge

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Glover attaches a United Kingdom Parachutist Badge around Myrtle's neck after her training jumps.

• 1944

  Myrtle is taken to Arnhem

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Myrtle accompanies Glover's unit during Operation Market Garden but remains in her bag during the combat descent.

• 1944

  Death and military burial

  [1]Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org

  Myrtle is killed during the Battle of Arnhem and is buried by Glover and his men before the Allied withdrawal.

A wartime military mascot and commemorative identity associated with the British airborne forces, later adapted for heritage merchandise and a regional specialty beer.

• Commemorative plush · 1994

  Myrtle plush replica

  A stuffed chicken representing Myrtle was brought to the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem in 1994. The replica served a memorial and ceremonial role, including participation in an associated parachute drop carried out by Private Les Locket.

• Specialty beer · 2017

  Myrtle specialty beer

  Everards produced a regional specialty beer named after Myrtle between 2017 and 2018. It was reported as available through 178 pubs in Leicestershire, linking the product to the local history of the British 1st Airborne Division and Myrtle's wartime training.

• 2017Myrtle specialty beer

  Leicestershire, United Kingdom

  Everards used Myrtle's name for a specialty beer distributed through 178 local pubs.

  Outcome. The product provided a localized commercial interpretation of a wartime heritage story and was available during 2017 and 2018.

  Source
• 1994Fiftieth Arnhem commemoration

  United Kingdom · Netherlands

  A plush representation of Myrtle was carried to the fiftieth anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem and included in the associated parachute-drop reenactment.

  Outcome. The appearance reinforced Myrtle's role as a commemorative symbol of the British airborne forces.

  Source

• 2017

  Everards introduces a Myrtle-named specialty beerProduct launch

  Background

  Myrtle's story was connected with Leicestershire through the wartime stationing and training of the 1st Airborne Division.

  Action taken

  Everards produced a specialty beer using Myrtle's name and distributed it through 178 pubs in the area.

  Aftermath

  The beer was available during 2017 and 2018; no evidence of continuing production is provided.

  Source

• 1944

  Myrtle is kept in her bag during the combat jumpOther

  Background

  Although Myrtle had completed parachute-training jumps, Operation Market Garden involved a real combat landing at Arnhem under substantially more dangerous conditions.

  Action taken

  Lieutenant Pat Glover chose not to release Myrtle during the descent, keeping her in a bag until he reached the ground and then transferring her to his batman.

  Aftermath

  Myrtle was later killed during the Battle of Arnhem and was given a military burial.

  Source

1. 1Myrtle the Parachicken.wikipedia.org