Red Beret, The – The Story of the Parachute Regiment at War 1940-1945

Red Beret, The – The Story of the Parachute Regiment at War 1940-1945 #0921

336 p., [16] p. of plates : ill., maps ; 21 cm. Includes index. Map on inside cover. (No dustjacket). #0921
The Parachute Regiment is Britain’s elite airborne infantry. Formed in 1942, its soldiers are trained to be resilient, disciplined, versatile, aggressive in battle and self-reliant. Since the Second World War, paratroopers have fought in nearly all the wars Britain has undertaken.
Impressed by the performance of Germany’s paratroops in the first two years of the Second World War (1939-45), British Prime Minister Winston Churchill called for the formation of a British equivalent. By the end of 1941, No 2 Commando had been retrained as parachutists.

The first volunteers underwent training designed to encourage a spirit of self-discipline, self-reliance and aggressiveness. Emphasis was given to physical fitness, field craft and skill at arms.

The new unit went through several name changes, ending up as 1st Parachute Battalion in September 1941. Along with three newly-formed battalions of volunteers from other regiments, this made up the 1st Parachute Brigade.

The success of 2nd Battalion in a raid on a coastal radar station at Bruneval in northern France led to further expansion. Several infantry battalions converted to airborne infantry and the existing parachute battalions gathered into a new Parachute Regiment in August 1942.

This new regiment was placed under the authority of the Army Air Corps, alongside the existing Glider Pilot Regiment. Before the end of the year, 1st Parachute Brigade had been in action in French Morocco and Algeria during Operation Torch.

Two of the converted infantry battalions were grouped with the existing 4th Parachute Battalion to form a 2nd Parachute Brigade. This fought in Sicily (1943), Italy (1943-44), southern France (1944) and Greece (1944-45).
By June 1944, there were five parachute brigades consisting of 17 battalions. They fought in most of the major theatres of the war with 1st Airborne Division, 6th Airborne Division and the independent 2nd Parachute Brigade.

Five parachute battalions landed prior to D-Day (1944) to destroy bridges and gun batteries. They helped cut off German reinforcements from the Normandy beachheads. Six battalions fought at Arnhem during Operation Market Garden (1944). Parachute battalions also saw action in the Battle of the Bulge (1945) and the Rhine Crossings (1945).
Great Britain. Army. Parachute Regiment. | World War, 1939-1945 — Regimental histories — Great Britain.