An airborne holding unit was first established during World War II as a result of the growing number of military parachutists processed through RAF Ringway who had not yet been assigned to active units.
During the Second World War and immediate post war period there were a number of training and holding units for The Parachute Regiment and Army Air Corps including:
Army Air Corps Holding Battalion
No 1 Airborne Forces Holding Unit
Although their primary function was for new recruits, in the latter stages of the war such units also provided a convenient location for the assignment of troops returning from the battlegrounds of North West Europe.
It was common for service personnel nearing the end of their service, or who had suffered in Prisoner of War camps, were wounded or in any way unfit for immediate reassignment to active units to be placed with a holding or reserve battalion. From here, personnel could train and recuperate in order to return to active duty, or alternatively ease their passage towards demobilisation.
After the war, the Parachute Regiment Training and Holding Battalion also served a similar purpose.
