united_kingdom airborne infantry division british_army second world war division formed late world war british prime minister winston_churchill demanded airborne force initially command division airborne divisions raised british_army war created units divisions missions parachute landing france mission norway raids division sent north_africa end fought tunisia campaign allies invaded sicily july division undertook brigade sized landings carried infantry 1st second far completely successful took amphibious landing operation allied invasion italy september december minus 2nd returned england began training preparing allied invasion normandy involved normandy landings june held reserve september took operation market garden division polish 1st temporarily attached landed miles german lines capture crossings fought failing achieve objectives division surrounded took heavy casualties held days survivors evacuated remnants returned england soon division fully recovered losses disbanded end war europe depleted formation took operation norway tasked german occupation army returned england disbanded november background impressed success german airborne operations british prime minister winston_churchill directed investigate possibility creating force parachute troops result june commando assumed parachute duties november designated 11th special air service battalion parachute wing june formed airfield near manchester tasked primarily training parachute troops directed investigate use transport troops battle time contracted general aircraft ltd design produce purpose result capable transporting soldiers assault training purposes success british airborne raid prompted expand airborne force creation develop plans convert infantry battalions parachute battalions joint army air force memorandum approved winston_churchill recommended british airborne forces consist parachute brigades based england middle_east force men created formation history existing 11th renamed 1st newly raised 2nd formed new airborne formations commanded brigadier later command 2nd formed volunteers ages thirty serving infantry units men unit allowed volunteer october promoted named commander parachute ordered form headquarters develop train airborne forces unit formed 1st october conversion mountain warfare trained 31st commanded brigadier brigade comprised battalions 1st border regiment 2nd 2nd oxford 1st royal rifles men unsuitable airborne forces replaced volunteers units end year command headquarters expressed opinion force sacrificed penny urged formation brigade permission finally granted july 2nd commanded formed 2nd assigned existing new battalions converted line infantry units 5th scottish parachute battalion converted 7th queen 6th 10th comprising 7th previously 10th 8th converted 13th previously 10th formed november assigned division soon 1st left division landings north_africa april commander 1st promoted given command division later year division deployed tunisia operations mediterranean theatre battalions 1st brigade 1st royal rifles 2nd oxford remained england forming nucleus newly raised arrival reinforced formed middle_east addition raised british troops stationed india comprised 10th 11th raised troops based egypt palestine division took brigade sized operations sicily amphibious assault taranto italy fighting italy major general divisional commander predecessor died wounds received fighting service mediterranean division returned england december leaving 2nd independent formation division arrived england posted india oversee formation 44th replaced major general september operation market garden netherlands 1st attached division following market garden fewer men sent netherlands returned british lines having suffered severe casualties disbanded surviving men posted 1st division went period reorganisation fully recovered end war acute shortage manpower british_army strength sent norway german army occupation returning britain november disbanded operational history france known raid raid objective german radar installation france extensive coastal defences erected germans protect array thought commando raid sea heavy losses garrison sufficient time radar equipment destroyed decided airborne assault followed sea borne evacuation ideal way surprise garrison seize technology intact night february company 2nd command major france miles installation force proceeded assault villa radar equipment kept killing members german garrison capturing installation brief fire fight technician come force partially dismantled radar array removed key pieces britain raiding force retreated evacuation beach detachment assigned clear beach failed brief fire fight required eliminate germans guarding beach raiding force picked small number landing craft transferred motor gun boats brought britain raid entirely successful airborne troops suffered casualties pieces radar brought german radar technician allowed british scientists understand german advances radar create counter measures advances norway british airborne operation conducted target chemical plant norway produced heavy water nazi germany german atomic weapons programme come close able develop nuclear order function require great deal heavy water source water plant occupied british government learned german nuclear developments decided raid launched destroy plant deny germans heavy water tactics discussed discarded impractical finally decided small force comprising land short distance plant demolish explosives aircraft left scotland night november managed reach norwegian coast able reach objective pair suffered navigational difficulties severe weather resulted tow rope snapping crash landing aircraft returning base airborne troops killed outright severely injured survivors captured shortly crash second pair fared worse aircraft crashing mountain unknown reasons men killed outright survived taken prisoner prisoners survived long poisoned executed result stated personnel killed immediately captured sicily operation turkey known supply mission north_africa took place march august mission undertaken division pilots squadron royal_air_force preparations allied invasion sicily mission involved halifax bombers miles england tunisia needed complement smaller american capacity required planned operations mission german patrol aircraft located shot halifax combination altogether lost arrived tunisia time participate invasion sicily assault 1st near syracuse began july invasion sicily brigade equipped objective land near town syracuse secure ultimately control city strategically important docks way sicily released early aircraft crashed sea drowning men remainder men arrived bridge successfully captured held time relieved finally ammunition expended soldiers remaining surrendered italian forces italians sought demolish bridge regaining control unable airborne forces removed explosive charges troops brigade landed sicily destroyed communications links captured artillery batteries operation division second mission sicily carried 1st objective bridge intention parachute brigade borne forces support land sides river battalion seized bridge battalions establish defensive positions north south hold bridge relieved advance landed south eastern coast days previously start operation disaster aircraft carrying north_africa shot damaged turned friendly fire enemy action action taken pilots scattered brigade large area equivalent companies troops landed correct locations despite defence german italian forces british captured bridge resisting attacks north south held increasing odds nightfall relieving force led 50th short transport found hard going reach parachute brigade mile away halted night time casualties mounting supplies running short brigade commander relinquished control bridge germans following day british units joined forces armour support attempted recapture bridge finally secured days start operation battalion led established northern bank river italy operation amphibious landing italian port taranto allied invasion italy september mission planned short notice following offer italian government open ports taranto heel italy allies selected undertake mission time located north_africa shortage transport aircraft meant division land parachute landing craft area allocated landings western coast instead division transported mediterranean ships royal_navy landing unopposed airborne division successfully captured ports taranto later adriatic coast working order german forces area elements german 1st engaged advancing british fighting withdrawal north end september advanced miles reinforcements infantry divisions 8th indian british landed allowed airborne troops withdrawn taranto despite casualties italy relatively light killed watching assault 10th mortally wounded burst machine gun fire replaced brigadier previously commander england december division returned england begun training operations supervision scheduled normandy landings plan drawn division support invasion beaches delays experienced plan turned required 6th fighting normandy numerous plans parachute france formulated avail june july plans included landing west support seize airfield support intended support capturing operation lucky strike objective seizing bridges operation sword division port brest destroy operation hands intended support army seizing airfield august division waiting deployed plans envisioned larger force operation involved division 52nd 1st polish landing close gap paris operation force seize bridges support force seize assault flying bomb sites near end month units formulated seize crossings drawn early september involved entire landing belgium trap retreating german armies estuary aiming threaten antwerp finally september division brigades land netherlands capture river crossing bridge second bridge bridge planning advanced september mission cancelled instead new operation proposed objectives carried divisions operation market garden airborne assault divisions netherlands september including 1st american secure key bridges towns expected allied axis advance north 1st airborne supported 1st landed secure bridges initially expecting easy advance planned reach airborne force days 1st airborne landed distance objectives quickly hampered unexpected resistance especially elements 9th 10th divisions small force able reach road bridge main body division halted outskirts city unable advance north quickly anticipated failed relieve airborne troops days small british force bridge overwhelmed rest division trapped pocket north river sufficiently reinforced poles arrived southern bank days fighting shattered remains airborne forces eventually withdrawn south rhine 1st airborne lost men battle saw combat norway post war immediately europe day sent strong german occupation army norway division maintained law order arrival remainder force occupation force time norway division tasked supervising surrender german forces norway preventing sabotage important military civilian facilities delivered general commander german forces stationed norway 1st landed near oslo transport aircraft carrying division landed safely crash caused fatalities division encountered little expected german resistance operational duties included welcoming looking allied prisoners war arresting war criminals supervising clearing minefields norway division able investigate happened airborne troops taken division returned britain disbanded august order battle commanders major general major general major general major general units 1st 2nd troops divisional headquarters signal squadron 1st light regiment 1st forward airborne observation unit 21st independent parachute company 1st airborne reconnaissance squadron 9th airborne field company airborne airborne light company field park detachment field security section
1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)