The 2nd Parachute Brigade was an

airborne forces Airborne forces are ground combat units carried by aircraft and airdropped into battle zones, typically by parachute drop. Parachute-qualified infantry and support personnel serving in airborne units are also known as paratroopers. The main ...

brigade A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...

formed by the

British Army during the Second World War At the start of 1939, the British Army was, as it traditionally always had been, a small volunteer professional army. At the beginning of the Second World War on 1 September 1939, the British Army was small in comparison with those of its en ...

. The 2nd Parachute Brigade was the second

parachute infantry A parachute is a device designed to slow an object's descent through an atmosphere by creating drag or aerodynamic lift. It is primarily used to safely support people exiting aircraft at height, but also serves various purposes like slowing ...

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 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...

, the 8th Indian Infantry Division, and the

1st Airborne Task Force The 1st Airborne Task Force was a short-lived Allied airborne unit that was active during World War II created for Operation Dragoon–the invasion of Southern France. Formed in July 1944, under the command of Major General Robert T. Frederick ...

. Before the end of the Second World War in Europe the brigade saw active service in

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

, the

South of France Southern France, also known as the south of France or colloquially in French as , is a geographical area consisting of the regions of France that border the Atlantic Ocean south of the Marais Poitevin,Louis Papy, ''Le midi atlantique'', Atlas e ...

and

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

. 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 The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to ...

, but the war ended before they sailed. Instead the brigade was assigned to the

6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who m ...

, 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 battalions of the

Regular Army A regular army is the official army of a state or country (the official armed forces), contrasting with irregular forces, such as volunteer irregular militias, private armies, mercenaries, etc. A regular army usually has the following: * a ...

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 (BAOR) was the name given to British Army occupation forces in the Rhineland, West Germany, after the First and Second World Wars, and during the Cold War, becoming part of NATO's Northern Army Group (NORTHAG) tasked ...

and re-designated as the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group.

Background

Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the

Battle of France The Battle of France (; 10 May – 25 June 1940), also known as the Western Campaign (), the French Campaign (, ) and the Fall of France, during the Second World War was the Nazi Germany, German invasion of the Low Countries (Belgium, Luxembour ...

in May 1940, the

British Prime Minister The prime minister of the United Kingdom is the head of government of the United Kingdom. The prime minister advises the sovereign on the exercise of much of the royal prerogative, chairs the Cabinet, and selects its ministers. Modern pri ...

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

, directed the

War Office The War Office has referred to several British government organisations throughout history, all relating to the army. It was a department of the British Government responsible for the administration of the British Army between 1857 and 1964, at ...

to investigate the possibility of creating a

corps Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...

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 and was later redesignated the 1st Parachute Battalion. 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 Derbyshire ( ) is a ceremonial county in the East Midlands of England. It borders Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, and South Yorkshire to the north, Nottinghamshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south-east, Staffordshire to the south a ...

in April 1942 and creating the Parachute Regiment, as well as converting several

Territorial A territory is an area of land, sea, or space, belonging or connected to a particular country, person, or animal. In international politics, a territory is usually a geographic area which has not been granted the powers of self-government, ...

line infantry Line infantry was the type of infantry that formed the bulk of most European land armies from the mid-17th century to the mid-19th century. Maurice of Nassau and Gustavus Adolphus are generally regarded as its pioneers, while Henri de la Tour d ...

battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942. The result was the formation of the 1st Airborne Division with the 1st Parachute and the 1st Airlanding Brigades under command, together with supporting units. Its

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

(GOC), Major-General Frederick Arthur Montague "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 Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

Ernest 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 battalions to parachute duties: the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, converted from the 7th Battalion,

Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders or 79th (The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders) Regiment of Foot was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, raised in 1793. It amalgamated with the Seaforth Highlanders (the Duke of Albany's) to form ...

in May 1942; and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion, converted from the 10th Battalion,

Royal Welch Fusiliers The Royal Welch Fusiliers () was a line infantry regiment of the British Army, and part of the Prince of Wales's Division, that was founded in 1689, shortly after the Glorious Revolution. In 1702, it was designated a fusilier regiment and becam ...

in August 1942.

Operations

The 2nd Parachute Brigade trained in the United Kingdom until June 1943, when they left for North Africa, alongside 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 The Tunisian campaign (also known as the battle of Tunisia) was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces from 17 November 1942 to 13 May 1943. Th ...

, and by the 4th Parachute Brigade, which had been forming in the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

. The 1st Airborne Division, now commanded by Major General George Frederick "Hoppy" Hopkinson, and with one air-landing and three parachute brigades, was based at

Oran Oran () is a major coastal city located in the northwest of Algeria. It is considered the second most important city of Algeria, after the capital, Algiers, because of its population and commercial, industrial and cultural importance. It is w ...

, preparing for the

Allied invasion of Sicily The Allied invasion of Sicily, also known as the Battle of Sicily and Operation Husky, was a major campaign of World War II in which the Allies of World War II, Allied forces invaded the island of Sicily in July 1943 and took it from the Axis p ...

under the command of the

British Eighth Army The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...

, commanded by

General A general officer is an Officer (armed forces), officer of high rank in the army, armies, and in some nations' air force, air and space forces, marines or naval infantry. In some usages, the term "general officer" refers to a rank above colone ...

Sir Bernard Montgomery.Ferguson, p. 11 During the invasion the 1st Airborne 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 the 2nd Parachute Brigade, and finally the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto was to be taken and secured by the 1st Parachute Brigade. A lack of transport aircraft reduced the number of men that could be deployed, and the 2nd Parachute 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 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 in September 1943, was undertaken by ai ...

, an amphibious landing at the port of

Taranto Taranto (; ; previously called Tarent in English) is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the province of Taranto, serving as an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base. Founded by Spartans ...

on mainland Italy. The brigade left Bizerta on 8 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.Ferguson, p. 13 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 (; Bari dialect, Barese: ) is a town and ''comune'' of the Metropolitan City of Bari, Apulia, southern Italy. The town is located on the Altopiano delle Murge, Murge plateau at above sea level, between the Adriatic and Ionian Sea, ...

the division's

(GOC), Major General Hopkinson, was killed in action and replaced by Brigadier Down. Command of the 2nd Parachute Brigade was given to Brigadier

Charles Pritchard Reverend Charles Pritchard (29 February 1808 – 28 May 1893) was a British astronomer, clergyman, and educational reformer. He founded the Clapham Grammar School in 1834 and included sciences in the curriculum. A chapel was erected in 18 ...

. The British 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn to England soon after, in preparation for

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

, codename for the Allied

invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...

, leaving the 2nd Parachute Brigade in Italy. This was at the request of General Sir Harold Alexander, Commander-in-Chief (C-in-C) of the

Allied Armies in Italy The Allied Armies in Italy (AAI) was the title of the highest Allied field headquarters in Italy, during the middle part of the Italian campaign of World War II. In the early and later stages of the campaign the headquarters was known as the ...

(AAI), who believed that he still needed to retain some airborne forces in Italy for future operations. The brigade thus became an independent parachute brigade group that came under command of the

. 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 Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, build, maintain and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials. They aim to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while consider ...

and other support units were attached, including a

pathfinder platoon The Pathfinder Platoon is a Pathfinders (military), pathfinder unit of the British Army, and an integral part of 16 Air Assault Brigade, 16 Air Assault Brigade Combat Team. The Pathfinder Platoon acts as the brigade's advance force and reconnaissa ...

and a glider squadron.

Independent brigade

On 2 December 1943 the 2nd Parachute Brigade formed the left flank of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the advance towards

Orsogna Orsogna ( Abruzzese: ') is a ''comune'' (municipality) and town in the province of Chieti in the Abruzzo region of Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. I ...

. 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 The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

on 4 April, once again coming under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division.Cole, p. 58 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 Parachute Battalion. They were dropped into the area between Sora and

Avezzano Avezzano ( ; ) is a city and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila, Italy. It is the second most populous municipality in the province and the sixth in the region. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the ...

, their objective being to harass the Germans withdrawing to the

Gothic Line The Gothic Line (; ) was a German and Italian defensive line of the Italian Campaign of World War II. It formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence along the summits of the northern part of the Apennine Mountains du ...

. 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

for airborne operations in the south of France.

France

The 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade carried out a brigade-sized parachute landing during

Operation Dragoon Operation Dragoon (initially Operation Anvil), known as Débarquement de Provence in French ("Provence Landing"), was the code name for the landing operation of the Allies of World War II, Allied invasion of Provence (Southern France) on 15Augu ...

. On 15 August 1944 the brigade's pathfinders landed in the south of France and set up Eureka beacons to guide the main brigade force to their

drop zone A drop zone (DZ) is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers and airborne forces, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land ...

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 The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

and eighty men were landed near

Fayence Fayence (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. Fayence is one of a series of "perched villages" ov ...

, 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 (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...

. The dispersed landings resulted in only about forty per cent of the 4th Battalion making it to the brigade forming-up point. Only seventy per cent 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 the bridge over the River Naturby on the road to Le Muy. At the drop zone the pathfinders and

Royal Engineers The Corps of Royal Engineers, usually called the Royal Engineers (RE), and commonly known as the ''Sappers'', is the engineering arm of the British Army. It provides military engineering and other technical support to the British Armed Forces ...

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 25 August. The next day the brigade sailed for

Naples Naples ( ; ; ) is the Regions of Italy, regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 908,082 within the city's administrative limits as of 2025, while its Metropolitan City of N ...

arriving on 28 August.

Greece

On its return to Italy the 2nd Independent 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

Operation Manna Operation Manna was the Code word (communication), codeword for a Second World War operation by the British and Greek forces in Greece in mid-October 1944, following the gradual withdrawal of the Axis Occupation of Greece, German occupying for ...

. The Russian advance in the east had forced the Germans to withdraw from Greece or be cut off from support and reinforcements.Ferguson, p. 14 Over the night of 12/13 October 1944 'C' Company of the 4th Parachute Battalion, were parachuted onto

Megara Megara (; , ) is a historic town and a municipality in West Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis Island, Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken ...

airfield near

Athens Athens ( ) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Greece, largest city of Greece. A significant coastal urban area in the Mediterranean, Athens is also the capital of the Attica (region), Attica region and is the southe ...

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. The British Army in Greece 1944 NA20049

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 Thessaloniki (; ), also known as Thessalonica (), Saloniki, Salonika, or Salonica (), is the second-largest city in Greece (with slightly over one million inhabitants in its Thessaloniki metropolitan area, metropolitan area) and the capital cit ...

, where elements of the 2nd Para Brigade arrived by

landing craft Landing craft are small and medium seagoing watercraft, such as boats and barges, used to convey a landing force (infantry and vehicles) from the sea to the shore during an amphibious assault. The term excludes landing ships, which are larger. ...

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 The Greek Civil War () took place from 1946 to 1949. The conflict, which erupted shortly after the end of World War II, consisted of a Communism, Communist-led uprising against the established government of the Kingdom of Greece. The rebels decl ...

in December, becoming involved in several fights, suffering heavy casualties. The brigade was joined in Greece by the British 23rd Armoured Brigade.Ferguson, p. 15 During the civil war the brigade was involved in street fighting in Athens until the communist

Greek People's Liberation Army The Greek People's Liberation Army (, ''Ellinikós Laïkós Apeleftherotikós Stratós''; ELAS) was the military arm of the left-wing National Liberation Front (EAM) during the period of the Greek resistance until February 1945, when, followi ...

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 The Far East is the geographical region that encompasses the easternmost portion of the Asian continent, including North Asia, North, East Asia, East and Southeast Asia. South Asia is sometimes also included in the definition of the term. In mod ...

and join the 44th Indian Airborne Division, fighting in

Burma Myanmar, officially the Republic of the Union of Myanmar; and also referred to as Burma (the official English name until 1989), is a country in northwest Southeast Asia. It is the largest country by area in Mainland Southeast Asia and ha ...

against the

Japanese Japanese may refer to: * Something from or related to Japan, an island country in East Asia * Japanese language, spoken mainly in Japan * Japanese people, the ethnic group that identifies with Japan through ancestry or culture ** Japanese diaspor ...

. However, the war ended before they departed, and instead the brigade was assigned to the

, which had been sent to

Palestine Palestine, officially the State of Palestine, is a country in West Asia. Recognized by International recognition of Palestine, 147 of the UN's 193 member states, it encompasses the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and th ...

. 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 The Palmach (Hebrew: , acronym for , ''Plugot Maḥatz'', "Strike Phalanges/Companies") was the elite combined strike forces and sayeret unit of the Haganah, the paramilitary organization of the Yishuv (Jewish community) during the period of th ...

Irgun The Irgun (), officially the National Military Organization in the Land of Israel, often abbreviated as Etzel or IZL (), was a Zionist paramilitary organization that operated in Mandatory Palestine between 1931 and 1948. It was an offshoot of th ...

and the

Stern Gang Lehi (; , sometimes abbreviated "LHI"), officially the Fighters for the Freedom of Israel () and often known pejoratively as the Stern Gang,"This group was known to its friends as LEHI and to its enemies as the Stern Gang." Blumberg, Arnold. ' ...

.Ferguson, p. 34 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.Wilson, p. 152 To fill the vacancy created by this amalgamation, the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion was assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade.

16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group

In February 1948 the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade left the 6th Airborne Division and moved to Germany, becoming part of the

.Watson and Rinaldi, p. 3 The 6th Airborne Division was disbanded soon afterwards, leaving the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade as the only brigade-sized airborne formation in the British Army. Being the only surviving parachute formation, in June its battalions were renumbered: the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion became the

2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment The Second Battalion, Parachute Regiment (2 PARA), is a formation of the Parachute Regiment, part of the British Army, and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade. 2 PARA is an airborne light infantry battalion capable of a wide ran ...

, while the 4th/6th Parachute Battalion became the

1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 1st Battalion, Parachute Regiment (1 PARA), is a special forces battalion of the British Army's Parachute Regiment. Along with various other regiments and corps from across the British Armed Forces, it is part of Special Forces Support G ...

, and the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion became the

3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne light infantry unit, the battalion is capable ...

. On 25 June 1948, the brigade was re-designated the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group, taking the numbers "1" and "6" from the two wartime airborne divisions.

Order of battle

Commanders

Ernest Down *Brigadier Charles Pritchard

2nd Parachute Brigade

* 4th Parachute Battalion * 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion * 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion

2nd Independent Parachute Brigade

* 4th Parachute Battalion * 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion * 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion * 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance *300th Airlanding Anti-tank Battery

Royal Artillery The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery (RA) and colloquially known as "The Gunners", is one of two regiments that make up the artillery arm of the British Army. The Royal Regiment of Artillery comprises t ...

*64th Airlanding Battery Royal Artillery *2nd Parachute Squadron

*2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Signal Company

Royal Signals The Royal Corps of Signals (often simply known as the Royal Signals – abbreviated to R SIGNALS) is one of the combat support arms of the British Army. Signals units are among the first into action, providing the battlefield communications an ...

*1st Independent Glider Squadron Army Air Corps *23rd Independent Platoon Army Air Corps ( Pathfinders) *2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Company

Royal Army Service Corps The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food, water, fuel and do ...

*751st Parachute Brigade Company Royal Army Service Corps *T Company Royal Army Service Corps *2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Workshop

Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers The Corps of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME ) is the maintenance arm of the British Army that maintains the equipment that the Army uses. The corps is described as the "British Army's professional engineers". History Prior t ...

*2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group Provost Section Royal Military PoliceFerguson, p. 46

2nd Parachute Brigade 1948

*4th/6th Parachute Battalion *5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion * 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion

Renumbered 16th Parachute Brigade

* 1st Parachute Battalion * 2nd Parachute Battalion *

3rd Parachute Battalion The 3rd Battalion, Parachute Regiment (3 PARA), is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and is a subordinate unit within 16 Air Assault Brigade. Roled as an Airborne light infantry unit, the battalion is capable ...

Notes

References

* * * * * * * * * * * * {{good article Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom) 2 Parachute UK Parachute Brigade Military units and formations established in 1942 Military units and formations disestablished in 1948 Airborne infantry brigades of the United Kingdom