1944 - 1945

Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division in action for the first time.

A mass deception operation had convinced the Germans that the assault would come directly across the channel, but the real target was to be Normandy.

The airborne assault was mounted alongside five US Parachute Battalions and one US Air Landing Brigade. The 51st US Troop Carrier Wing provided the lift for what was essentially an American-heavy operation.

1st Allied Airborne Corps, which included the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, was tasked to secure the main canal and river crossings between Eindhoven and Arnhem. The aim was to provide an ‘airborne carpet’ along which the ground forces spearheaded by 30 Corps would break into the Ruhr and end the war.

The 1st British Airborne Division, which included the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 10th, 11th and 156th battalions of The Parachute Regiment under the command of Major General R E Urquhart was dropped near Arnhem to seize the road bridge over the Neder Rijn. 

One company of the 4th Para Battalion was dropped in high winds at Megara airfield 40 miles from Athens suffering numerous casualties. The remainder of the brigade group under Brig CHV Pritchard followed up having been ordered to secure Athens, maintain law and order and provide necessary relief to the Greek people.

4th Para Bn incurred some casualties in the force harrying the German retreat through Lamio, Larissa and Kosani. 6 Para Bn was engaged on internal security in Athens and Attica and 5th Para Bn arrived at Salonika in November.

The airborne soldiers were well suited to exploit the fluid situation that occurred following the collapse of the Rhine barrier defence. Short fierce actions were fought from the tanks of the 4th Tank Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and whatever transport could be purloined.

They advanced past Osnabrück, Minden, Celle and crossed the Elbe. The 3rd Parachute Brigade reached Wismar on 2nd May, racing just ahead of the Russians. Many soldiers had completed the 350 miles on foot. The Russians were deterred from entering Lubeck. On the 8 May 1945 the war in Europe ended.

After the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advance through France and Belgium, the German Army had succeeded in stalling the Allied offensive along their line of defence at the German border - the ‘Siegfried Line’.

Operation Varsity was the largest single airborne operation in history. On a single day, over 16,000 men were inserted by glider and parachute into western Germany. Around 8000 of those came from the British 6th Airborne Division, flying aboard 243 C47 aircraft and 440 gliders. A slightly larger number of American airborne troops arrived at the same time in what was to be the second test of the First Allied Airborne Army. But unlike Arnhem, British and American soldiers would be landing in the same general area split into two sectors.

Maj Gen Urquhart received his orders in the midst of a Division reorganization. The 1st Parachute Brigade had been despatched to Denmark on 5th May, 1st Polish Brigade was alerted for an overseas move and the Special Air Service Brigade, then in Germany, was attached to the Division to compensate. Despite the chaos attendant within the fluid situation of the German defeat, 1st Airborne Division prepared and launched the Norwegian mission within four days of receiving the Warning Order.

Unknown to Japanese intelligence 50th Indian Brigade battalions were exercising and patrolling with light equipment around Kohima. The Japanese 15th and 31st Divisions found them in their path while conducting an east-west infiltration attack across the jungle covered Naga Hills beyond the River Chindwin, heading towards India.

The 5th Parachute Brigade was sent to the Far East in preparation for a potential invasion of Japan. However, only the advance elements of the Brigade had reached the Far East prior to the Japanese surrender.

The Brigade was subsequently heavily involved were in clearing the Japanese in Northern Malaya and in Internal Security duties in Singapore until December 1945.

The Brigade was then despatched to restore law and order and civil government in Semerang in North Java now torn by civil strife and rival political extremist factions.