Middlesex Township near Carlisle in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
Oscar Goes To War
Served: 1939 - 1944
All warfare is based on deception.
Sun Tzu, The Art of War (4th century B.C.)
The development of paratroop forces quickly fostered the idea of using decoys for deception purposes. The first use of paratroop decoy dummies was by the German Army in the assault upon Fort Eben-Emael, Belgium, in May 1940. An American manufacturer, George Freedman, of Ashland, Massachusetts secretly created a decoy for the British in 1939. Codenamed "Rupert" it appeared in Operation Titanic, a major deception ploy used during the June 1944 Normandy Invasion. The U.S. military continued developing the concept, creating the "Navy PD Pack" and later the Army "simulator, decoy paratrooper: self-destructive," codenamed "Oscar." Paratroop decoys were used by the Allies during Operation Dragoon, the August 1944 invasion of southern France. Afterwards, "Berlin Sally", a German radio propagandist, referred to the decoys as the "product of a fiendish Anglo-Saxon mind."
[Captions:]
George Freedman posed with the prototype "Rupert" developed for the British Army.
The Navy developed the PD Pack for Marine airborne operation.
The 48-inch high "Oscar" was rigged with a sound device to simulate gunfire and a TNT block to destroy the figure.
Erected by U.S.
this page online
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • Industry & Commerce • War, World II. A significant historical month for this entry is May 1940.
Location. Marker has been reported missing. It was located near 40° 12.451′ N, 77° 9.603′ W. Marker was near Carlisle, Pennsylvania, in Cumberland County. It was in Middlesex Township. It could be reached from Soldiers Drive south of Army Heritage Drive, on the right when traveling east. Touch for map. Marker was at or near this postal address: 950 Soldiers Dr, Carlisle PA 17013, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker was in South-Central Pennsylvania and in Greater Harrisburg. It was also in the American Northeast, in the Mid-Atlantic, in Appalachia, and specifically in Northern Appalachia. Globally, it was in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it found itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy and also one of the original Thirteen Colonies.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within
Other markers no longer nearby. The Army Introduces a Heavyweight: The 3-Inch Antitank Gun M5/M6 (was here, next to this marker but has been permanently removed); Private First Class Willard Dominick (was a few steps from this marker but has been confirmed missing); Sergeant First Class Randall D. Shughart (was a few steps from this marker but has been confirmed missing).
More about this marker. The wayside was not observed in July 2026. It may have been moved to a new location.
Credits. This page was last revised on August 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on February 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 187 times since then and 22 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 27, 2023, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. This wayside was unobserved in July 2026. It may have been moved elsewhere. • Can you help?
