British 2nd Parachute Brigade
Encyclopedia
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces
brigade
formed by the British Army during the Second World War.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was the second parachute brigade to be formed by the British Army in 1942; it was initially part of the 1st Airborne Division but in 1943, after the invasion of Italy, became an independent formation. As an independent brigade it was variously assigned at different times, and served under the command of the 2nd New Zealand Division, the 8th Indian Infantry Division, and the 1st Airborne Task Force.
Before the end of the Second World War in Europe the brigade saw active service in Italy, the South of France and Greece. At the end of the European war the brigade returned to the United Kingdom and was intended to join the 44th Indian Airborne Division in the Far East, for service against the Japanese Empire, but the war ended before they sailed. Instead the brigade was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division, which had been named the Imperial Strategic Reserve, and sent to serve in the Mandate of Palestine.
Defence cuts in the British armed forces after the war forced a reduction in the number of parachute brigades. By 1948 the 2nd Parachute Brigade was the last surviving parachute formation dating from the Second World War, all other parachute divisions and brigades having been disbanded. The last three regular army battalions comprised in the brigade returned to the United Kingdom; later in the same year the unit was posted to the British Army of the Rhine
and redesignated the 16th Parachute Brigade.
the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
, directed the War Office
to investigate the possibility of creating a corps
of 5,000 parachute troops. 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. It was these men who took part in the first British airborne operation, Operation Colossus
, on 10 February 1941. The success of the raid 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, as well as converting several infantry battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942. The result was the formation of the 1st Airborne Division with the 1st Parachute Brigade and the 1st Airlanding Brigade. Its commander, Major General
Frederick Boy Browning
, expressed his opinion that the fledgling force must not be sacrificed in "penny packets" and urged the formation of a third brigade.
Permission was granted to form another parachute brigade in July 1942, numbered the 2nd Parachute Brigade, and Brigadier
E.E. Down
was selected to become its first commander. The brigade was assigned the existing 4th Parachute Battalion, transferred from the 1st Parachute Brigade, and two new battalions converted from normal line infantry units to parachute duties: the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
, converted from the 7th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
in May 1942; and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
, converted from the 10th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers
in August 1942.
, preparing for the invasion of Sicily under command of the Eighth Army
. During the invasion the division was to conduct three brigade-scale airborne operations: the Ponte Grande road bridge south of Syracuse was to be captured by the 1st Airlanding Brigade, the port of Augusta was to be seized by 2nd Parachute Brigade, and finally the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto was to be taken and secured by 1st Parachute Brigade. A lack of transport aircraft reduced the number of men that could be deployed, and the 2nd Brigade remained in Tunisia in a reserve role.
Fighting ended in Sicily on 17 August without use of the brigade; they were, however, selected to take part in Operation Slapstick
, an amphibious landing at the port of Taranto
on mainland Italy. The brigade left Bizerta on the 8th of September, the day before the Italian surrender, and landed unopposed. Their only casualties were 58 men from the 6th Parachute Battalion who drowned after their transport ship, HMS Abdiel
, hit a mine in the harbour. While the 4th Parachute Brigade pushed inland, the 2nd Brigade assumed responsibility for securing the port and surrounding area. During fierce fighting around the town and airfield of Gioia del Colle
the divisional commander, Major-General Hopkinson
, was killed and replaced by Brigadier Down. Command of the 2nd Parachute Brigade was given to Brigadier Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard. The 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn to England soon after, leaving the 2nd Brigade in Italy as an independent parachute brigade formation that came under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division. To support an independent role the brigade was assigned its own artillery with nine 6-pounder anti-tank guns
and eight 75mm pack howitzers. They also had their own engineers and other support units were attached, including a pathfinder platoon and a glider
squadron.
. The New Zealanders were relieved by the 8th Indian Infantry Division, and the brigade continued the advance under their command. The brigade temporarily returned to the 2nd New Zealand Division on 16 January, then fought to the Sangro with the 8th Indian Division again, before going into the reserve at Guardia
, from the end of March. The brigade returned to the front line and took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino
on 4 April, once again coming under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
The 2nd Brigade's next parachute operation was Operation Hasty
in June 1944. This was a small diversionary raid carried out by sixty men from the 6th (Welch) Parachute Battalion. They were dropped into the area between Sora and Avezzano
, their objective being to harass the Germans withdrawing to the Gothic Line
. The mission was a success: a German brigade was diverted to hunt the small force, and a German division was retained on rear-area security duties instead of going into the front line. In June 1944, the brigade was released from the Eighth Army and joined the 1st Airborne Task Force for airborne operations in the south of France.
. On 15 August 1944 the brigade's pathfinders landed in the south of France and set up Eureka beacon
s to guide the main brigade force to their drop zone
s. Despite the pathfinders' success at marking the drop zones, only seventy-three planes placed their parachutists in the correct location. The brigade commanding officer
and eighty men were landed near Fayence
, as were the 5th (Scottish) Battalion's commanding officer, with half of battalion headquarters, 'C' Company, and 'D' Company. Other men were landed as far away as Cannes
. The dispersed landings resulted in only about forty percent of the 4th Battalion making it to the brigade forming-up point. Only seventy percent of the 6th (Welch) Battalion and only a single company of the 5th (Scottish) Battalion had arrived. The brigade headquarters was established at Le Mitan with the 5th (Scottish) Battalion company by 04:00, and by 07:30 the 4th Battalion had occupied the heights at Le Muy
. The 6th (Welch) Battalion occupied La Motte
and, when the Germans at Clastron surrendered, moved a company into the village. Le Serres was captured by 'C' Company, 4th Battalion, as was as the bridge over the River Naturby on the road to Lu Muy.
At the drop zone the pathfinders and Royal Engineers
were removing anti-glider poles so that the brigade's glider force could land. The gliders, except for those carrying the anti-tank battery, which were unable to locate the site in the heavy mist and had returned to Italy, landed successfully at 09:20. The other gliders and towing aircraft had circled until the mist cleared. It was the sight of the gliders landing that persuaded the Germans at Clastron to surrender. By 10:15 the brigade had achieved all its objectives apart from capturing Le Muy, which had been allocated to the 5th (Scottish) Battalion. Units of the brigade fought off several counter-attacks supported by the 64th Airlanding Battery's guns. The missing men continued to come into the brigade's area during the morning, and contact was made with American units who had dropped west and south of them.
Men continued to arrive in the brigade area, and by 16:00 the 4th Battalion could muster over two companies while the 6th (Welch) Battalion had over 300 men. Patrols were sent out to ambush German convoys retreating from Le Muy and to reconnoitre the town. At 18:00 the brigade anti-tank battery arrived by glider with two American battalions and other supporting units. Patrolling continued over the night of 15/16 August, and Le Muy was captured by an American battalion at 15:30. At the same time 115 men of the 5th (Scottish) Battalion arrived in the brigade area. On the morning of 18 August units of the American 36th Infantry Division, advancing from the coast, reached Le Muy. The 2nd Brigade then moved to the Frejus
area, on 20 August; Cannes was liberated on the 25 August. The next day the brigade sailed for Naples
arriving on 28 August.
. The Russian advance in the east had forced the Germans to withdraw from Greece or be cut off from support and reinforcements. Over the night of 12/13 October 1944 'C' Company, 4th Parachute Battalion, were parachuted onto Megara
airfield near Athens
to prepare a landing strip for the follow-up waves from the rest of the brigade. The company sustained several casualties while landing in adverse weather conditions that forced the remainder of the brigade to delay their arrival for another two days.
Once the brigade had deployed it advanced towards Athens, entering the city on 15 October, just behind the 2nd Commando Brigade. They fought the retreating Germans for the next three months, advancing from Athens to Salonika, where units of the 2nd Parachute Brigade arrived by landing craft
on 8 November. While in Greece the brigade also participated in the occupation of Athens, maintaining order and providing supplies to the population. Having been moved to Italy, the brigade had to return to Greece immediately after the outbreak of the Greek Civil War
in December, becoming involved in several fights, suffering heavy casualties. They were joined in Greece by the British 3rd and 23rd Armoured Brigades.
During the civil war the brigade was involved in street fighting in Athens until the communist Greek People's Liberation Army fighters were forced out of the capital in January 1945; they also provided food and other supplies to around 20,000 people in Athens every day.
against the Japanese. However, the war ended before they departed, and instead the brigade was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division, which had been sent to Palestine
. Leaving the United Kingdom the brigade arrived in Palestine on 22 October, and were based around Gaza
.
The 6th Airborne Division had been named the Imperial Strategic Reserve and served in Egypt until September 1945, when it moved to Palestine in an internal-security role, to counter the activities of the Jewish paramilitary movements Hagana, Palmach
, Irgun
and the Stern Gang. When the 1st Airborne Division was disbanded in November 1945, the 6th became the only airborne division in the British Army.
While in Palestine in December 1947, the 4th Parachute Battalion was amalgamated with the 6th (Royal Welch) Battalion and renamed the 4th/6th Parachute Battalion. To fill the vacancy created by this amalgamation, the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion
was assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade.
. The 6th Airborne Division was disbanded soon afterwards, leaving the 2nd Parachute Brigade as the only brigade-sized airborne formation in the British Army. In June the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was renumbered the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, the 4th/6th Battalion became the 1st Battalion, and the 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion became the 3rd Battalion. Finally, in July 1948, the brigade was renumbered the 16th Parachute Brigade Group, taking the "1" and "6" from the two wartime divisions.
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
brigade
Brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military formation that is typically composed of two to five battalions, plus supporting elements depending on the era and nationality of a given army and could be perceived as an enlarged/reinforced regiment...
formed by the British Army during the Second World War.
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was the second parachute brigade to be formed by the British Army in 1942; it was initially part of the 1st Airborne Division but in 1943, after the invasion of Italy, became an independent formation. As an independent brigade it was variously assigned at different times, and served under the command of the 2nd New Zealand Division, the 8th Indian Infantry Division, and the 1st Airborne Task Force.
Before the end of the Second World War in Europe the brigade saw active service in Italy, the South of France and Greece. At the end of the European war the brigade returned to the United Kingdom and was intended to join the 44th Indian Airborne Division in the Far East, for service against the Japanese Empire, but the war ended before they sailed. Instead the brigade was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division, which had been named the Imperial Strategic Reserve, and sent to serve in the Mandate of Palestine.
Defence cuts in the British armed forces after the war forced a reduction in the number of parachute brigades. By 1948 the 2nd Parachute Brigade was the last surviving parachute formation dating from the Second World War, all other parachute divisions and brigades having been disbanded. The last three regular army battalions comprised in the brigade returned to the United Kingdom; later in the same year the unit was posted to the British Army of the Rhine
British Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
and redesignated the 16th Parachute Brigade.
Background
Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, directed the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
to investigate the possibility of creating a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of 5,000 parachute troops. On 22 June 1940 No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing. It was these men who took part in the first British airborne operation, Operation Colossus
Operation Colossus
Operation Colossus was the codename given to the first airborne operation undertaken by the British military, which occurred on 10 February 1941 during World War II...
, on 10 February 1941. The success of the raid prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force, setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in April 1942 and creating the Parachute Regiment, as well as converting several infantry battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942. The result was the formation of the 1st Airborne Division with the 1st Parachute Brigade and the 1st Airlanding Brigade. Its commander, Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Frederick Boy Browning
Frederick Browning
Lieutenant-General Sir Frederick Arthur Montague Browning GCVO, KBE, CB, DSO was a British Army officer who has been called the "father of the British airborne forces". He is best known as the commander of the I Airborne Corps and deputy commander of First Allied Airborne Army during Operation...
, expressed his opinion that the fledgling force must not be sacrificed in "penny packets" and urged the formation of a third brigade.
Permission was granted to form another parachute brigade in July 1942, numbered the 2nd Parachute Brigade, and Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
E.E. Down
Ernest Down
Lieutenant-General Sir Ernest Edward Down KBE CB was a British General during World War II.-Military career:Ernest Down was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment in February 1923. He served in World War II being appointed Commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade in North Africa in 1942...
was selected to become its first commander. The brigade was assigned the existing 4th Parachute Battalion, transferred from the 1st Parachute Brigade, and two new battalions converted from normal line infantry units to parachute duties: the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
The 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
, converted from the 7th Battalion Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was an infantry regiment of the British Army formed in 1793. In 1961 it was merged with the Seaforth Highlanders to form the Queen's Own Highlanders...
in May 1942; and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
The 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
, converted from the 10th Battalion Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
in August 1942.
Operations
The 2nd Parachute Brigade trained in the United Kingdom until June 1943, when they left for North Africa with the 1st Airlanding Brigade. On arrival the two brigades were joined by the 1st Parachute Brigade, which had already been carrying out independent operations in the area during the Tunisian Campaign, and by the 4th Parachute Brigade, which had been forming in the Middle East. The 1st Airborne Division, now with one air-landing and three parachute brigades, was based at OranOran
Oran is a major city on the northwestern Mediterranean coast of Algeria, and the second largest city of the country.It is the capital of the Oran Province . The city has a population of 759,645 , while the metropolitan area has a population of approximately 1,500,000, making it the second largest...
, preparing for the invasion of Sicily under command of the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
. During the invasion the division was to conduct three brigade-scale airborne operations: the Ponte Grande road bridge south of Syracuse was to be captured by the 1st Airlanding Brigade, the port of Augusta was to be seized by 2nd Parachute Brigade, and finally the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto was to be taken and secured by 1st Parachute Brigade. A lack of transport aircraft reduced the number of men that could be deployed, and the 2nd Brigade remained in Tunisia in a reserve role.
Fighting ended in Sicily on 17 August without use of the brigade; they were, however, selected to take part in Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. The operation, one of three landings during the Allied invasion of Italy, was undertaken by the British 1st Airborne Division in September 1943.Planned at short...
, an amphibious landing at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
on mainland Italy. The brigade left Bizerta on the 8th of September, the day before the Italian surrender, and landed unopposed. Their only casualties were 58 men from the 6th Parachute Battalion who drowned after their transport ship, HMS Abdiel
HMS Abdiel (M39)
HMS Abdiel was an that served with the Royal Navy during World War II. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet , Eastern Fleet , Home Fleet , and the Mediterranean Fleet . Abdiel was sunk by mines in Taranto harbour in 1943...
, hit a mine in the harbour. While the 4th Parachute Brigade pushed inland, the 2nd Brigade assumed responsibility for securing the port and surrounding area. During fierce fighting around the town and airfield of Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above sea level.- History :...
the divisional commander, Major-General Hopkinson
George F. Hopkinson
Major-General George Frederick Hopkinson OBE MC was a British Army officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War...
, was killed and replaced by Brigadier Down. Command of the 2nd Parachute Brigade was given to Brigadier Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard. The 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn to England soon after, leaving the 2nd Brigade in Italy as an independent parachute brigade formation that came under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division. To support an independent role the brigade was assigned its own artillery with nine 6-pounder anti-tank guns
Ordnance QF 6 pounder
The Ordnance Quick-Firing 6-pounder 7 cwt, or just 6 pounder, was a British 57 mm gun, their primary anti-tank gun during the middle of World War II, as well as the main armament for a number of armoured fighting vehicles...
and eight 75mm pack howitzers. They also had their own engineers and other support units were attached, including a pathfinder platoon and a glider
Military glider
Military gliders have been used by the military of various countries for carrying troops and heavy equipment to a combat zone, mainly during the Second World War. These engineless aircraft were towed into the air and most of the way to their target by military transport planes, e.g...
squadron.
Independent Parachute Brigade
On 2 December 1943 the 2nd Parachute Brigade formed the left flank of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the advance towards OrsognaOrsogna
Orsogna is a comune and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy....
. The New Zealanders were relieved by the 8th Indian Infantry Division, and the brigade continued the advance under their command. The brigade temporarily returned to the 2nd New Zealand Division on 16 January, then fought to the Sangro with the 8th Indian Division again, before going into the reserve at Guardia
Guardia Lombardi
Guardia Lombardi is a town and comune in the province of Avellino, Campania, Italy....
, from the end of March. The brigade returned to the front line and took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
on 4 April, once again coming under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
The 2nd Brigade's next parachute operation was Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty was a mission behind German lines in Italy, during the Second World War. The operation was carried out in June 1944, by a small force of 60 men drawn from the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade....
in June 1944. This was a small diversionary raid carried out by sixty men from the 6th (Welch) Parachute Battalion. They were dropped into the area between Sora and Avezzano
Avezzano
Avezzano is a town and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the Marsica area, with high-tech industries such as a Micron Technology semi-conductor plant, and a large Telespazio satellite farm.-History:There are two...
, their objective being to harass the Germans withdrawing to the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
. The mission was a success: a German brigade was diverted to hunt the small force, and a German division was retained on rear-area security duties instead of going into the front line. In June 1944, the brigade was released from the Eighth Army and joined the 1st Airborne Task Force for airborne operations in the south of France.
France
The 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade carried out a brigade-sized parachute landing during Operation DragoonOperation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
. On 15 August 1944 the brigade's pathfinders landed in the south of France and set up Eureka beacon
Eureka beacon
The Rebecca/Eureka transponding radar was a transponder system used as a radio homing beacon by means of a Eureka ground emitter responding to queries from an airborne Rebecca interrogator.-Operation:...
s to guide the main brigade force to their drop zone
Drop zone
A drop zone is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land under parachutes...
s. Despite the pathfinders' success at marking the drop zones, only seventy-three planes placed their parachutists in the correct location. The brigade commanding officer
Commanding officer
The commanding officer is the officer in command of a military unit. Typically, the commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually given wide latitude to run the unit as he sees fit, within the bounds of military law...
and eighty men were landed near Fayence
Fayence
Fayence is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Fayence is one of a series of "perched villages" overlooking the plain between the southern Alps and the Esterel massif, which borders the sea between Cannes and Saint-Raphaël. Fayence is a...
, as were the 5th (Scottish) Battalion's commanding officer, with half of battalion headquarters, 'C' Company, and 'D' Company. Other men were landed as far away as Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
. The dispersed landings resulted in only about forty percent of the 4th Battalion making it to the brigade forming-up point. Only seventy percent of the 6th (Welch) Battalion and only a single company of the 5th (Scottish) Battalion had arrived. The brigade headquarters was established at Le Mitan with the 5th (Scottish) Battalion company by 04:00, and by 07:30 the 4th Battalion had occupied the heights at Le Muy
Le Muy
Le Muy is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944.It lies near Draguignan and Saint-Tropez....
. The 6th (Welch) Battalion occupied La Motte
La Motte, Var
La Motte is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.-References:*...
and, when the Germans at Clastron surrendered, moved a company into the village. Le Serres was captured by 'C' Company, 4th Battalion, as was as the bridge over the River Naturby on the road to Lu Muy.
At the drop zone the pathfinders and Royal Engineers
Royal Engineers
The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
were removing anti-glider poles so that the brigade's glider force could land. The gliders, except for those carrying the anti-tank battery, which were unable to locate the site in the heavy mist and had returned to Italy, landed successfully at 09:20. The other gliders and towing aircraft had circled until the mist cleared. It was the sight of the gliders landing that persuaded the Germans at Clastron to surrender. By 10:15 the brigade had achieved all its objectives apart from capturing Le Muy, which had been allocated to the 5th (Scottish) Battalion. Units of the brigade fought off several counter-attacks supported by the 64th Airlanding Battery's guns. The missing men continued to come into the brigade's area during the morning, and contact was made with American units who had dropped west and south of them.
Men continued to arrive in the brigade area, and by 16:00 the 4th Battalion could muster over two companies while the 6th (Welch) Battalion had over 300 men. Patrols were sent out to ambush German convoys retreating from Le Muy and to reconnoitre the town. At 18:00 the brigade anti-tank battery arrived by glider with two American battalions and other supporting units. Patrolling continued over the night of 15/16 August, and Le Muy was captured by an American battalion at 15:30. At the same time 115 men of the 5th (Scottish) Battalion arrived in the brigade area. On the morning of 18 August units of the American 36th Infantry Division, advancing from the coast, reached Le Muy. The 2nd Brigade then moved to the Frejus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
area, on 20 August; Cannes was liberated on the 25 August. The next day the brigade sailed for Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
arriving on 28 August.
Greece
On its return to Italy the 2nd Parachute Brigade was sent to Rome on 3 September, and moved again on 8 September to a camp near Taranto to prepare for a possible mission in Greece, Operation MannaOperation Manna
Operations Manna and Chowhound took place from 29 April to the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945. These two operations—Manna by the Royal Air Force and Chowhound by the U.S...
. The Russian advance in the east had forced the Germans to withdraw from Greece or be cut off from support and reinforcements. Over the night of 12/13 October 1944 'C' Company, 4th Parachute Battalion, were parachuted onto Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
airfield near Athens
Athens
Athens , is the capital and largest city of Greece. Athens dominates the Attica region and is one of the world's oldest cities, as its recorded history spans around 3,400 years. Classical Athens was a powerful city-state...
to prepare a landing strip for the follow-up waves from the rest of the brigade. The company sustained several casualties while landing in adverse weather conditions that forced the remainder of the brigade to delay their arrival for another two days.
Once the brigade had deployed it advanced towards Athens, entering the city on 15 October, just behind the 2nd Commando Brigade. They fought the retreating Germans for the next three months, advancing from Athens to Salonika, where units of the 2nd Parachute Brigade arrived by landing craft
Landing craft
Landing craft are boats and seagoing vessels used to convey a landing force from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. Most renowned are those used to storm the beaches of Normandy, the Mediterranean, and many Pacific islands during WWII...
on 8 November. While in Greece the brigade also participated in the occupation of Athens, maintaining order and providing supplies to the population. Having been moved to Italy, the brigade had to return to Greece immediately after the outbreak of the Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
in December, becoming involved in several fights, suffering heavy casualties. They were joined in Greece by the British 3rd and 23rd Armoured Brigades.
During the civil war the brigade was involved in street fighting in Athens until the communist Greek People's Liberation Army fighters were forced out of the capital in January 1945; they also provided food and other supplies to around 20,000 people in Athens every day.
Post war
In January 1945 the 2nd Parachute Brigade was withdrawn from further operations and relocated to Italy. After the war ended in Europe, the brigade returned to the United Kingdom and reformed as a conventional brigade, losing its additional supporting arms. It had been planned for the brigade to go to the Far East and join the 44th Indian Airborne Division, fighting in BurmaBurma Campaign
The Burma Campaign in the South-East Asian Theatre of World War II was fought primarily between British Commonwealth, Chinese and United States forces against the forces of the Empire of Japan, Thailand, and the Indian National Army. British Commonwealth land forces were drawn primarily from...
against the Japanese. However, the war ended before they departed, and instead the brigade was assigned to the 6th Airborne Division, which had been sent to Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
. Leaving the United Kingdom the brigade arrived in Palestine on 22 October, and were based around Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
.
The 6th Airborne Division had been named the Imperial Strategic Reserve and served in Egypt until September 1945, when it moved to Palestine in an internal-security role, to counter the activities of the Jewish paramilitary movements Hagana, Palmach
Palmach
The Palmach was the elite fighting force of the Haganah, the underground army of the Yishuv during the period of the British Mandate of Palestine. The Palmach was established on May 15, 1941...
, Irgun
Irgun
The Irgun , or Irgun Zevai Leumi to give it its full title , was a Zionist paramilitary group that operated in Mandate Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of the earlier and larger Jewish paramilitary organization haHaganah...
and the Stern Gang. When the 1st Airborne Division was disbanded in November 1945, the 6th became the only airborne division in the British Army.
While in Palestine in December 1947, the 4th Parachute Battalion was amalgamated with the 6th (Royal Welch) Battalion and renamed the 4th/6th Parachute Battalion. To fill the vacancy created by this amalgamation, the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion
7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion
The 7th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, formed by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was raised by the conversion of the 10th Somerset Light Infantry to parachute duties...
was assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade.
16th Parachute Brigade
In February 1948 the 2nd Parachute Brigade left the 6th Airborne Division and moved to Germany, becoming part of the British Army of the RhineBritish Army of the Rhine
There have been two formations named British Army of the Rhine . Both were originally occupation forces in Germany, one after the First World War, and the other after the Second World War.-1919–1929:...
. The 6th Airborne Division was disbanded soon afterwards, leaving the 2nd Parachute Brigade as the only brigade-sized airborne formation in the British Army. In June the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was renumbered the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, the 4th/6th Battalion became the 1st Battalion, and the 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion became the 3rd Battalion. Finally, in July 1948, the brigade was renumbered the 16th Parachute Brigade Group, taking the "1" and "6" from the two wartime divisions.
2nd Parachute Brigade
- 4th Parachute Battalion
- 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion5th (Scottish) Parachute BattalionThe 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
- 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion6th (Royal Welch) Parachute BattalionThe 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
2nd Independent Parachute Brigade
- 4th Parachute Battalion
- 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion5th (Scottish) Parachute BattalionThe 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
- 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion6th (Royal Welch) Parachute BattalionThe 6th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War....
- 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance127th (Parachute) Field AmbulanceThe 127th Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War.The 127th Field Ambulance was originally a pre war Territorial Army unit converted to parachute duties, becoming the second parachute field ambulance in the British Army...
- 300th Airlanding Anti-tank Battery Royal ArtilleryRoyal ArtilleryThe Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...
- 64th Airlanding Battery Royal Artillery
- 2nd Parachute Squadron Royal EngineersRoyal EngineersThe Corps of Royal Engineers, usually just called the Royal Engineers , and commonly known as the Sappers, is one of the corps of the British Army....
- 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Signal Company Royal Signals
- 1st Independent Glider Squadron Army Air Corps
- 23rd Independent Platoon Army Air Corps (Pathfinders)
- 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Company Royal Army Service CorpsRoyal Army Service CorpsThe Royal Army Service Corps was a corps of the British Army. It was responsible for land, coastal and lake transport; air despatch; supply of food, water, fuel, and general domestic stores such as clothing, furniture and stationery ; administration of...
- 751st Parachute Brigade Company Royal Army Service Corps
- T Company Royal Army Service Corps
- 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Workshop Royal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersRoyal Electrical and Mechanical EngineersThe Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers is a corps of the British Army that has responsibility for the maintenance, servicing and inspection of almost every electrical and mechanical piece of equipment within the British Army from Challenger II main battle tanks and WAH64 Apache...
- 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Provost Section Royal Military PoliceRoyal Military PoliceThe Royal Military Police is the corps of the British Army responsible for the policing of service personnel, and for providing a military police presence both in the UK, and whilst service personnel are deployed overseas on operations and exercises.Members of the RMP are generally known as...
2nd Parachute Brigade 1948
- 4th/6th Parachute Battalion
- 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
- 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion7th (Light Infantry) Parachute BattalionThe 7th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, formed by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was raised by the conversion of the 10th Somerset Light Infantry to parachute duties...
Renumbered 16th Parachute Brigade
- 1st Parachute Battalion
- 2nd Parachute Battalion
- 3rd Parachute Battalion