2nd united_kingdom 2nd airborne forces brigade formed british_army second world war 2nd second parachute infantry brigade formed british_army initially invasion italy independent formation independent brigade variously assigned different times served command 2nd 8th 1st end second world war europe brigade saw active service italy south france greece end european war brigade returned united_kingdom intended join 44th far_east service war ended sailed instead brigade assigned named sent serve defence cuts british armed forces war forced reduction number parachute brigades 2nd surviving parachute formation dating second world war parachute divisions brigades having disbanded battalions comprised brigade returned united_kingdom later year unit posted british_army rhine redesignated 16th background impressed success german airborne operations british prime minister winston_churchill directed investigate possibility creating corps parachute troops june commando turned parachute duties november designated 11th special air service battalion parachute wing later redesignated 1st men took british airborne operation february success raid prompted expand existing airborne force setting april creating converting infantry battalions airborne battalions august result formation 1st 1st commander expressed opinion fledgling force sacrificed penny urged formation brigade permission granted form parachute brigade july numbered 2nd brigadier selected commander brigade assigned existing transferred 1st new battalions converted normal line infantry units parachute duties 5th scottish parachute battalion converted 7th battalion queen 6th converted 10th battalion august operations 2nd trained united_kingdom june left north_africa 1st arrival brigades joined 1st carrying independent operations area tunisia campaign forming middle_east air landing parachute brigades based preparing allied invasion sicily command commanded general sir invasion division conduct brigade scale airborne operations road bridge south syracuse captured 1st port seized finally taken secured lack transport aircraft reduced number men deployed 2nd brigade remained tunisia reserve role fighting ended sicily august use brigade selected operation amphibious landing port taranto mainland italy brigade left 8th september day italian surrender landed unopposed casualties men 6th drowned transport ship hit harbour 4th pushed inland 2nd brigade assumed responsibility securing port surrounding area fierce fighting town airfield del divisional commander killed replaced brigadier command 2nd given withdrawn england soon leaving 2nd italy independent parachute brigade formation came command 2nd support independent role brigade assigned artillery pounder anti tank guns pack engineers support units attached including platoon squadron december 2nd formed left flank 2nd advance new relieved 8th brigade continued advance command brigade temporarily returned 2nd january fought 8th going reserve end march brigade returned line took april coming command 2nd 2nd brigade parachute operation operation hasty june small raid carried men 6th parachute battalion dropped area objective harass germans withdrawing mission success german brigade diverted hunt small force german division retained rear area security duties instead going line june brigade released joined 1st airborne operations south france france 2nd carried brigade sized parachute landing operation august brigade landed south france set guide main brigade force drop zones despite success marking drop zones seventy planes placed correct location brigade commanding officer eighty men landed near 5th scottish battalion commanding officer half battalion headquarters company company men landed far away cannes dispersed landings resulted percent making brigade forming point seventy percent 6th battalion single company 5th scottish battalion arrived brigade headquarters established 5th scottish battalion company occupied heights 6th battalion occupied germans surrendered moved company village captured company bridge river road drop zone removing anti poles brigade force land carrying anti tank battery unable locate site heavy mist returned italy landed successfully aircraft mist cleared sight landing persuaded germans surrender brigade achieved objectives apart capturing allocated 5th scottish battalion units brigade fought counter attacks supported battery guns missing men continued come brigade area morning contact american units dropped west south men continued arrive brigade area muster companies 6th men patrols sent ambush german convoys retreating town brigade anti tank battery arrived american battalions supporting units patrolling continued night august captured american battalion time men 5th scottish battalion arrived brigade area morning august units advancing coast reached moved area august cannes liberated august day brigade sailed naples arriving august greece return italy 2nd sent rome september moved september camp near taranto prepare possible mission greece russian advance east forced germans withdraw greece cut support reinforcements night october company airfield near athens prepare landing strip follow waves rest brigade company sustained casualties landing adverse weather conditions forced remainder brigade delay arrival days brigade deployed advanced athens entering city october 2nd fought retreating germans months advancing athens units 2nd arrived landing craft november greece brigade participated occupation athens maintaining order providing supplies population having moved italy brigade return greece immediately outbreak december involved fights suffering heavy casualties joined greece british 23rd armoured brigade civil war brigade involved street fighting athens communist fighters forced capital january provided food supplies people athens day post war january 2nd withdrawn operations relocated italy war ended europe brigade returned united_kingdom reformed conventional brigade losing additional supporting arms planned brigade far_east join 44th fighting burma japanese war ended departed instead brigade assigned sent palestine leaving united_kingdom brigade arrived palestine october based named served egypt september moved palestine internal security role counter activities jewish paramilitary movements disbanded november 6th airborne division british_army palestine december 4th amalgamated 6th battalion renamed 4th 6th fill vacancy created amalgamation 7th light infantry assigned 2nd 16th february 2nd left 6th moved germany british_army rhine disbanded soon leaving 2nd brigade sized airborne formation british_army surviving parachute formation june battalions renumbered 5th scottish parachute battalion 2nd battalion 4th 6th 1st battalion parachute regiment 7th light infantry parachute regiment finally july brigade renumbered 16th taking numbers wartime airborne divisions finally july brigade renumbered 16th order battle commanders brigadier brigadier 2nd 4th 5th scottish parachute battalion 6th parachute battalion 2nd 4th 5th scottish parachute battalion 6th parachute battalion parachute field ambulance anti tank battery royal artillery battery royal artillery 2nd parachute squadron royal engineers 2nd 1st independent squadron army air corps 23rd 2nd 2nd section royal military police 2nd 4th 6th parachute battalion 5th scottish parachute battalion 7th light infantry 1st 2nd
2nd Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)