Step by step guide to creating a profile on ParaData

1. User Account, Your Details screen:  To join, you will need to create a membership. Please enter your name as it appears in your (or relatives) Army documentation and select from the membership types.

Information is saved as you continue. You can return back to alter any incorrect details.

2. User Account, Membership Details screen:  Choose your membership details, including username, your ‘display name’ (as seen with items you added/comment on), your password and e-mail. 

If a member of the PRA, please enter your membership number here.

3. User Account, Service Details Screen:  Enter your Service Number (not displayed – purely for verification purposes), highest rank and date of birth (you can choose not to display this later).

4. Users Account, Confirmation screen:  Shows information you have submitted. Please check for accuracy.

5. User Account, Registered screen:  You have now joined ParaData! You will shortly be able to enter your information once your record has been approved.

You can also make a donation to the website running costs, but membership is completely free.

6. Sign in screen:  Now to enter some information about your Airborne service

You will need to log in when returning to www.paradata.org.uk with your username and password. This can be accessed from the homepage.

Remember to save your changes after each step.

7. My Account, The main biography section screen. Please use this to enter more details. 

You can add a ‘nickname’ and any suffixes (eg. BEM, MBE, OBE etc as appropriate)

Different users have entered varied information for their profile text: Some have explained details in their service history, others have used this to tell a story from their Airborne service, whilst some have combined the two (see some of the real examples later in this album).

In this example, our new member tells a little of his service in 1980s.

Remember to save your changes after each step.

8. My Account, biography photo screen: Option to add a profile photo. Please take the opportunity to upload a profile image. You can also add photo note as necessary.

File types accepted are .jpg, .png and .bmp files. 

Remember to save this. You can change it for another at any time.

9. My Account, Service History screen:  This section can be used to update your full service history (although this is optional) and can include pre-post Airborne service as necessary. 

Choose your rank from the drop down and write your unit in the text box. Please be as accurate as possible. Try to avoid ‘Parachute Regiment’ (if you can identify the specific Battalion), and especially ‘Royal Marines’!

Please use the date items and we encourage users to be as accurate as possible. The year alone will be sufficient (this is all that will be publicly displayed).

If you held an appointment (eg. CSM, Platoon Sergeant), please add this to the text box.

Some people choose to write about their career path in the Main Biography profile section too.

Remember to add each unit, then continue until you are happy with your service history.

10. My Account, Decorations screen:  This includes gallantry and service awards. 

Gallantry or honour awards especially will be checked for verification, so if you cannot remember the specific dates that is not a problem. We may contact you for more details.

You can also link these awards to an Airborne operation as appropriate.

11. My Account, Decorations screen:  Please add each decoration until your record is complete. 

If there is a story to one or more these medals, this would be a good choice to write about it in the Main Biography profile section.

12. My Account, Operations screen:  Please add information about the Airborne operations you have served in. 

Many ParaData members have served elsewhere during Army operations. Please note that ParaData operations section are purely for Airborne operations.

This is another detail which can be mentioned in your Main Biography profile.

12. My Account, Operations screen:  Please add information about the Airborne operations you have served in. 

Many ParaData members have served elsewhere during Army operations. Please note that ParaData operations section are purely for Airborne operations.

This is another detail which can be mentioned in your Main Biography profile.

13. Once your record has been submitted, details will be checked and eventually approved. If you are contacted by the ParaData team to try to help check your record or add to it, please help us approve your record without too much delay.