156th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)
151st Parachute Battalion 156th Parachute Battalion | |
---|---|
Active | 1941–1944 |
Country | United Kingdom |
Branch | British Army |
Type | Infantry |
Role | Airborne |
Size | Battalion |
Part of | 50th Indian Parachute Brigade 4th Parachute Brigade |
Nickname(s) | Red Devils[1] |
Commanders | |
Notable commanders | M. C. R. Hose Sir Richard de B. Des Voeux |
Insignia | |
The emblem of the Second World War British Airborne Forces, Bellerophon riding the flying horse Pegasus |
The 156th Parachute Battalion was a battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War.
The battalion was formed in 1941 from volunteers serving in India initially numbered the 151st Parachute Battalion and assigned to the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade. It was then decided they were no longer required in India, so the battalion was renumbered the 156th Parachute Battalion and moved to the Middle East to join the 4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division.
The battalion fought briefly in the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943 and a year later in the Battle of Arnhem, part of Operation Market Garden, where heavy casualties resulted in the disbanding of the battalion, the few surviving men being distributed amongst the battalions of the 1st Parachute Brigade.
Formation
Impressed by the success of German airborne operations, during the Battle of France, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops.[2] On 22 June 1940, No. 2 Commando was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November, re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing.[3][4]
The battalion was raised in October 1941 from volunteers from all of the 27 British infantry battalions in British India and originally numbered the 151st Parachute Battalion, part of the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade.[5] However it was decided in October 1942, that the brigade would only have Indian or Gurkha battalions and the 151st was released and sent to the Middle East.[6] The battalion was redesignated 156th Parachute Battalion for no other reason than to confuse German intelligence.
Arriving in the Middle East, the battalion together with the
In 1942 a parachute battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three
Operations
The 156th Parachute Battalion's first combat experience was during Operation Slapstick in Italy. The operation was carried out by the 1st Airborne Divisions,
Arnhem
The 156th Parachute Battalion and the rest of the 4th Parachute Brigade landed to the west of Arnhem on the second day of the battle 18 September 1944. Their objective was to hold a position on the high ground north of Arnhem at
Casualties had continued to mount including the
On 22 September the bulk of the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade were dropped south of the river. This drew off some of the Germans from around the divisional perimeter to confront the new threat. The defenders now had to cope with over 100 German artillery guns firing onto their positions.[20] By 23 September the battalions position was subjected to constant mortar and artillery fire and incursions by tanks and infantry were becoming more and more frequent. Casualties forced a contraction of the perimeter but first the Germans had to be evicted from the houses behind them which they were to occupy.[21]
On 24 September the decision was made by
Notes
- ^ Otway, p.88
- ^ Otway, p.21
- ^ Shortt & McBride, p.4
- ^ Moreman, p.91
- ^ Conboy and Hannon, p.3
- ^ Conboy and Hannon, p.5
- ^ Mitcham, p.336
- ^ Peters, p.55
- ^ Guard, p.37
- ^ Ferguson, p.13
- ^ Peters, p.168
- ^ Peters, pp.168–169
- ^ a b c Peters, p.173
- ^ Peters, p.174
- ^ Peters, p.185
- ^ a b Peters, p.207
- ^ Peters, p.254
- ^ Peters, pp.204–206
- ^ Peters, p.222
- ^ Peters, p.234
- ^ Peters, pp.247–254
- ^ Peters, p.265
- ^ Peters, pp.279–283
- ^ "156 Parachute Battalion". Market Garden.com. Retrieved 30 April 2011.
- ^ "156 Battalion, Parachute Regiment". Order of Battle. Retrieved 25 March 2011.[permanent dead link]
References
- Conboy, Kenneth; Hannon, Paul (1992). Elite Forces of India and Pakistan. Osprey Military Elite Series, No 41. Oxford, United Kingdom: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-85532-209-9.
- Gregory, Barry; Batchelor, John (1979). Airborne warfare, 1918–1945. Exeter, Devon: Exeter Books. ISBN 978-0-89673-025-0.
- Guard, Julie (2007). Airborne: World War II Paratroopers in Combat. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84603-196-6.
- Harclerode, Peter (2005). Wings of War – Airborne Warfare 1918–1945. London, England: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN 0-304-36730-3.
- Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006). British Commandos 1940–46. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-986-X.
- O'Reilly, John (2009). 156 Parachute Battalion: From Dehli To Arnhem. Nottinghamshire, England: Thoroton Publishing. ISBN 0-9560-4440-9.
- Otway, Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H. (1990). The Second World War 1939–1945 Army – Airborne Forces. Imperial War Museum. ISBN 0-901627-57-7.
- Peters, Mike; Luuk, Buist (2009). Glider Pilots at Arnhem. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Books. ISBN 1-84415-763-6.
- ISBN 0-85045-396-8.
- Yeide, Harry; Stout, Mark (2007). First to the Rhine: The 6th Army Group in World War II. Suresnes, France: Zenith Imprint. ISBN 0-7603-3146-4.