The British airborne forces, during the Second World War, consisted of the Parachute Regiment, the Glider Pilot Regiment, the airlanding battalions, and from 1944 the Special Air Service Troops. Their formation followed the success of the German airborne operations, during the Battle of France. The British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops.Otway, p.21
On 22 June 1940, No. 2 Commando was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November, re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing.Shott & McBride, p.4Moreman, p.91 It was 38 men of this battalion who on 10 February 1941 took part in Operation Colossus the first British airborne operation.Guard, p.218 In September, the battalion was re-designated the 1st Parachute Battalion. A request for volunteers for parachute duties provided enough men to form the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Parachute Battalions. The volunteers for glider-borne infantry were formed into airlanding battalions from December 1941.
The success of early British airborne operations prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force, setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire in April 1942, and creating the Parachute Regiment.Harclerode, p.218 The fledgling force received another boost following the German success in the Battle of Crete, when the War Office issued a communiqué. The Airborne Forces of the British Army consists of the parachute troops and glider-borne troops of all arms of service. Officers and men in any regiment or corps, may apply for transfer to a parachute or glider-borne unit of the Airborne Forces.Peters, p.5
By the end of the war the British Army had raised seventeen parachute and eight airlanding battalions. These battalions served in seven parachute brigades, three airlanding brigades and three airborne divisions. Some British battalions served in the Far East with Indian Army formations. One Canadian parachute battalion served in a British parachute brigade and a Polish parachute brigade served with a British division.
Almost all the battalions played some part in British airborne operations. The first of which was a platoon sized operation in Italy. The second a company parachute landing in France. Building experience all the time these operations were followed by three battalion sized parachute landings in Tunisia. Parachute and airlanding brigades carried out landings in Sicily and the south of France. But the pinnacle of British airborne operations, were three divisional landings at Normandy, Arnhem and the River Rhine crossing in Germany.
The British airborne forces were easily identified by their distinctive uniform. The maroon beret,r Ferguson, p.16 the airborne forces patch of Bellerophon riding the flying horse Pegasus and parachute wings worn on the right shoulder of trained parachutists.Guard, p.227 On operations, airborne forces wore their own pattern steel helmet instead of the standard British Brodie helmet and after 1942, the camouflaged Denison smock was issued to airborne forces.Guard, p.232
Battalions Battalion Active in role Brigade Division Operations Image 1941–1945 Chant, P.270 Operation TorchHarclerode, p.209Operation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market GardenFerguson, p.22 1941–1945 Guard, p.275 Operation LadbrokeMitcham, p.73Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market GardenOperation DoomsdayOtway, p. 325 1941–1945 6th Airlanding BrigadeFerguson, p.16 6th Airborne Division Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation VarsityChant, p.317 1941–1945Operation TongaOperation MallardPeters, p.15Operation Market GardenOperation Varsity1941–1945Shott & McBride, p.12Operation HoundsworthBowman, p.144Operation BulbasketOperation ArchwayDavies, p. 19 1941–1945 Operation BitingChant, p.7Operation TorchOperation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market Garden 1941–1945 Operation LadbrokeMitcham, p.73Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market GardenOperation Doomsday 1941–1945 6th Airlanding Brigade 6th Airborne Division Operation TongaFerguson, p.17Battle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1945 Participated inChindit operations.Wiest, pp.144–145 1945 Conboy, p.5 Participated inChindit operations. 1941–1945Operation FreshmanPeters, p.10Operation LadbrokePeters, p.11Operation FustianPeters, p.14Operation Market GardenOperation Varsity 1943–1945Operation LoytonOperation ArchwayDavies, p. 19Operation Tombola 1941–1945 Operation TorchOperation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market Garden 1942–1945 Operation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation RugbyRottman, p.15Operation MannaChant, p.158 1942–1945 Operation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation RugbyRottman, p.15Operation MannaChant, p.158 1942–1948 Operation FustianChant, p.58Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation RugbyRottman, p.15Operation MannaChant, p.158 1942–1945 5th Parachute Brigade Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1943–1945 Operation LadbrokeMitcham, p.73Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market GardenFerguson, p.23Operation Doomsday 1942–1945 Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1942–1945 Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1943–1944 Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market Garden 1943–1944 Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market Garden 1940–1941 Operation ColossusHarclerode, p.200 1943–1945 Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1943–1945 Operation TongaOperation Varsity 1943–1945 Operation TongaBattle of the BulgeCole, p.154Operation Varsity 1945 Participated in Chinditoperations beforeconverting to parachuteduties. 1945 Participated in Chinditoperations beforeconverting to parachuteduties. 1945 1942 Conboy, p.3 1942–1944 Operation SlapstickChant, p.254Operation Market Garden
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