5th Parachute Brigade

On 1st June 1943 the the 5th Parachute Brigade was formed with the initial nucleus provided by the 7th Parachute Battalion transferred from the 3rd Brigade and became part of the newly created 6th Airborne Division.

The 5th  Brigade jumped over Normandy on 6th June and was responsible for securing ‘Pegasus Bridge’ having been tasked to secure the Benouville and Ranville areas. It subsequently fought in the Ardennes during the winter of 1944-5, participated in the Rhine Crossing in March 1945 and the advance across Germany to the Baltic ending in May 1945.

The Brigade was then assigned to the Far East, arriving after VJ Day, but continued with internal security and relief operations in Singapore and Java until 1946. The Brigade was sent to Palestine in August 1946 where it was disbanded and its men absorbed into the other units of the 6th Airborne Division.

Order of Battle:

• 12th Bn, The Parachute Regt. (from the 10th The Green Howards)
• 13th Bn, The Parachute Regt. (from the 2/4th The South Lancashire Regiment)
• 7th Bn, The Parachute Regt. (from the 10th The Somerset Light Infantry)
• ‘B’ Company 2nd Parachute Battalion

Assigned Units:

• 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron RE
• 225 Parachute Field Ambulance
• 4th Anti-Tank Battery RA

Commanders:

• Brig. E.W.C. Flavell : 1943-4
• Brig. J.H.N. Poett : 1944-6
• Brig. Ken Darling : 16 Feb 1946