11th Parachute Battalion

The 11th Parachute Battalion was raised from volunteers in the Middle East at Kabrit in Egypt, where it became part of the 4th Parachute Brigade.

It completed its training in Palestine during 1942. In September 1943 A Company dropped on the Island of Cos and seized the airfield as a prelude to the later occupation of Rhodes.

On 18 September 1944,  the battalion jumped under fire with the second lift at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden. The 11th Battalion was fought to a stand-still suffering heavy casualties just over 1,000 metres short of relieving Frost’s 2nd Battalion at the Arnhem bridge, before falling back to the 1st Airborne Division perimeter at Oosterbeek. The survivors were evacuated across the Lower Rhine during the night of 25/26 September.

The under-strength battalion was amalgamated with the 3rd Parachute Battalion in November 1944.

Commanding Officers:

1943-4        Lt Col RMC Thomas
1944            Lt Col G Lea, DSO