1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)
| 1st Airborne Division | |
|---|---|
 Men from the 1st Airborne Division during Operation Market Garden fighting in the battle of Arnhem, September 1944. | |
| Active | 1941–1945 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Airborne forces |
| Size | Division, 12,148 men[1] |
| Part of | I Airborne Corps |
| Nickname(s) | Red Devils[nb 1] |
| Engagements | Operation Biting Operation Freshman Operation Turkey Buzzard Operation Ladbroke Operation Fustian Operation Slapstick Battle of Arnhem Operation Doomsday |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Sir Frederick A.M. Browning George Hopkinson Roy Urquhart |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol |  |
The 1st Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was formed in late 1941 during the Second World War, after the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, demanded an airborne force, and was initially under command of Major-General Frederick A. M. "Boy" Browning. The division was one of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, with the other being the 6th Airborne Division, created in May 1943, using former units of the 1st Airborne Division.
The division's first two missions—Operation Biting, a parachute landing in France, and Operation Freshman, a glider mission in Norway—were both raids. Part of the division was sent to North Africa at the end of 1942, where it fought in an infantry role during the Tunisian campaign over the next few weeks, and when the Allies invaded Sicily in July 1943, the division undertook two brigade sized landings. The first, Operation Ladbroke, carried out by glider infantry of the 1st Airlanding Brigade and the second, Operation Fustian, by the 1st Parachute Brigade, were far from completely successful. The 1st Airborne Division then took part in a mostly diversionary amphibious landing, codenamed Operation Slapstick, as part of the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943.
In December, most of the 1st Airborne Division (minus the 2nd Parachute Brigade, left behind in Italy) returned to England, and began training and preparing for the Allied invasion of Normandy. It was not involved in the Normandy landings in June 1944, being held in reserve. In September 1944 the 1st Airborne took part in Operation Market Garden. The division, with the Polish 1st Parachute Brigade temporarily attached, landed 60 miles (97 km) behind German lines, to capture crossings on the River Rhine, and fought in the Battle of Arnhem. After failing to achieve its objectives, the division was surrounded and took very heavy casualties, but held out for nine days before the survivors were evacuated.
The remnants of the 1st Airborne Division returned to England soon after. The division never fully recovered from their losses at Arnhem and the 4th Parachute Brigade was disbanded. Just after the end of the war in Europe, the depleted formation took part in Operation Doomsday in Norway in May 1945. They were tasked with the disarmament and repatriation of the German occupation army. The 1st Airborne Division then returned to England and was disbanded in November 1945.
Background
Inspired by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a force of 5,000 parachute troops.[3] As a result, on 22 June 1940, No. 2 Commando assumed parachute duties, and on 21 November was re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing.[4][5]
On 21 June 1940 the
The success of the first British airborne raid, Operation Colossus, prompted the War Office to expand the airborne force through the creation of the Parachute Regiment, and to develop plans to convert several infantry battalions into parachute and glider battalions.[10] On 31 May 1941, a joint army and air force memorandum was approved by the Chiefs-of-Staff and Winston Churchill; it recommended that the British airborne forces should consist of two parachute brigades, one based in England and the other in the Middle East, and that a glider force of 10,000 men should be created.[11]
Formation history
The existing 11th Special Air Service Battalion was renamed the 1st Parachute Battalion and, together with the newly raised 2nd and 3rd Parachute Battalions, formed the first of the new airborne formations, the 1st Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Richard Nelson Gale, who would later command the 6th Airborne Division from 1943 to 1944. The 2nd and 3rd Parachute Battalions were formed from volunteers, between the ages of twenty-two and thirty-two, who were already serving in infantry units. Only ten men from any one unit were allowed to volunteer.
In October 1941, Brigadier
Browning expressed his opinion that the force must not be sacrificed in "penny packets", and urged the formation of a third brigade.[17] Permission was finally granted in July 1942, and the 2nd Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Ernest Down, who would later succeed Hopkinson in command of the division, was formed. The 2nd Parachute Brigade was assigned the existing 4th Parachute Battalion,[17] and two new battalions converted from line infantry units, the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, converted from the 7th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, and the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion, from the 10th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers.
The 3rd Parachute Brigade was formed in November 1942 and assigned to the 1st Airborne Division. The brigade, under Brigadier Alexander Stanier, comprised the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion, previously the 10th Battalion, Somerset Light Infantry, the 8th (Midlands) Parachute Battalion, converted from the 13th Battalion, Royal Warwickshire Regiment, and the 9th (Eastern and Home Counties) Parachute Battalion, formerly the 10th Battalion, Essex Regiment. Soon afterwards, the 1st Parachute Brigade left the division, to take part in Operation Torch, codename for the Allied landings in French North Africa, and ended up participating in numerous operations in North Africa, although fighting in an infantry role.
In April 1943, the commander of the 1st Airlanding Brigade, Hopkinson, was promoted to major general and given command of the division in succession to Browning. Later that year, the division was deployed to Tunisia for operations in the
The division took part in two brigade sized operations in Sicily, and an amphibious assault at Taranto in Italy. During the fighting in Italy, Major General Ernest Down became the divisional commander, after his predecessor, Major General Hopkinson, died of wounds received in the fighting.[18] After brief service in Italy, the division returned to England in December 1943, leaving the 2nd Parachute Brigade behind as an independent formation.[18]
1944–1945
After the division arrived in England, Down was posted to India to oversee the formation of the 44th Indian Airborne Division, and was replaced by Major General Roy Urquhart.[19] In September 1944, for Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands, the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade was attached to the division.[20] Following Market Garden, fewer than 2,200 men from the 10,000 that were sent to the Netherlands returned to the British lines.[21]
Having suffered such severe casualties, the 4th Parachute Brigade was disbanded, with its surviving men being posted to the 1st Parachute Brigade. The division then went through a period of reorganisation, but had still not fully recovered by the end of the war, due to the acute shortage of manpower throughout the British Army in 1944–1945. Still under strength in May 1945 when the war in Europe ended, it was sent to Norway to disarm the German army of occupation; returning to Britain in November 1945 where the 1st Airborne Division was disbanded.[22]
Operational history
France
On the night of 27 February, 'C' Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion, under the command of
Norway
Two aircraft, each towing one glider, left Scotland on the night of 19 November 1942. All managed to reach the Norwegian coast, but none were able to reach their objective. The first pair suffered from navigational difficulties and severe weather, which resulted in the tow rope snapping and the first glider crash-landing, with its towing aircraft returning to base; eight airborne troops were killed outright, four were severely injured and five unhurt. The survivors were captured shortly after the crash.
Sicily
Operation
The mission involved
Operation Ladbroke was a glider assault by the 1st Airlanding Brigade near Syracuse, that began on 9 July 1943 as part of the invasion of Sicily. The brigade were equipped with 144 Waco and six Horsa gliders. Their objective was to land near the town of Syracuse, secure the Ponte Grande Bridge, and ultimately take control of the city itself with its strategically important docks.[34]
On the way to Sicily, 65 gliders were released too early by the towing aircraft and crashed into the sea, drowning around 252 men.[35] Of the remainder, only 87 men arrived at the Pont Grande Bridge, which they successfully captured and held beyond the time they were to be relieved.[36] Finally, with their ammunition expended and only 15 soldiers remaining unwounded, they surrendered to the Italian forces. The Italians sought to demolish the bridge after regaining control of it, but were unable to do so because the airborne forces had removed the explosive charges.[36] Other troops from the airlanding brigade, who had landed elsewhere in Sicily, destroyed communications links and captured artillery batteries.[37]
Operation Fustian, the division's second mission in Sicily, was carried out by the 1st Parachute Brigade. Their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River.[38] The intention was for the parachute brigade, with glider-borne forces in support, to land on both sides of the river.[39] While one battalion seized the bridge, the other two battalions would establish defensive positions to the north and south.[40] They would then hold the bridge until relieved by the advance of XIII Corps, part of the Eighth Army which had landed on the southeastern coast three days previously.[41]
The start of the operation was a disaster. Many of the aircraft carrying the paratroopers from North Africa were shot down, or were damaged and turned back, due to both friendly fire and enemy action.
The relieving force led by the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division, which was short of transport, found it hard going to reach the parachute brigade and were still 1 mile (1.6 km) away when they halted for the night.[44] By this time, with casualties mounting and supplies running short, the brigade commander, Brigadier Gerald Lathbury, had relinquished control of the bridge to the Germans.[45] The following day the British units joined forces, and the 9th Battalion, Durham Light Infantry with armour support attempted to recapture the bridge. It was not finally secured until three days after the start of the operation, when another battalion of the Durham Light Infantry, led by the paratroopers, established a bridgehead on the northern bank of the river.[45]
Italy
Operation Slapstick was an amphibious landing at the Italian port of Taranto, part of the Allied invasion of Italy in September 1943.[46] The mission had been planned at short notice, following an offer by the Italian government to open the ports of Taranto and
The only German forces in the area were elements of the
England
By December 1943 the division had returned to England and begun training for operations in North-West Europe under the supervision of
While the
By August the division was still waiting to be deployed, but now plans envisioned using them as part of a larger force. Operation Transfigure involved the division, the
Finally, in September, there was Operation Comet, in which the division's three brigades were to land in the Netherlands and each capture a river crossing. The first of these was the bridge over the
Arnhem
Operation Market Garden was an airborne assault by three divisions in the Netherlands in September 1944, including the British 1st and the American 82nd and 101st, to secure key bridges and towns along the expected Allied axis of advance. Farthest north, 1st Airborne, supported by the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade, landed at Arnhem to secure bridges across the Nederrijn. Initially expecting an easy advance, XXX Corps, under Lieutenant General Brian Horrocks, to reach the airborne force at Arnhem within two to three days.[20]
1st Airborne landed some distance from its objectives and was quickly hampered by unexpected resistance, especially from elements of the
Norway post-war
In May 1945, immediately after the Allied Victory in Europe Day, the 1st Airborne Division was sent to disarm and repatriate the 350,000-strong German occupation army in Norway.[64] The division maintained law and order until the arrival of the occupation force, Force 134. During its time in Norway, the division was tasked with supervising the surrender of the German forces in Norway, as well as preventing the sabotage of important military and civilian facilities.[65]
The
Order of battle
The division had the following composition:[70]
Commanders
Commanders of the division included;[71]
- 1943—1944 Major General Sir Frederick Arthur Montague BrowningGCVO KBE CB DSO
- 1944—1945 Robert Elliott UrquhartCB DSO
Units
- 1st Airlanding Brigade
- 1st Parachute Brigade
- 1st Airlanding Brigade
- 2nd Parachute Brigade
- 3rd Parachute Brigade
- 4th Parachute Brigade
- Divisional troops
- Divisional headquarters and signal squadron
- 1st Airlanding Light Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
- 204th (Oban) Independent Anti-Tank Battery (later 2nd Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery)
- 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery
- 5th Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery
- 283rd Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Battery(later 1st (City of London Yeomanry) Airlanding LAA Battery) (left 21 February 1944)
- 1st Forward (Airborne) Observation Unit, Royal Artillery
- 21st Independent Parachute Company, Army Air Corps
- 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron
- 9th (Airborne) Field Company, Royal Engineers
- 261st (Airborne) Field Park Company, Royal Engineers
- 591st (Antrim) Airborne Squadron, Royal Engineers(from 1 June 1945)
- 250th (Airborne) Light Company, Royal Army Service Corps
- 93rd Company, Royal Army Service Corps
- Detachment Ordnance Field Park
- Detachment, Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers Workshop
- 89th Field Security Section, Intelligence Corps
- 1st Airborne Division, Provost Company, Royal Military Police[14][72]
See also
- Theirs is the Glory
- List of British divisions in World War II
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ The 1st Parachute Brigade had been called the "Rote Teufel" or "Red Devils" by the German troops they had fought in North Africa. The title was officially confirmed by General Sir Harold Alexander and henceforth applied to all British airborne troops.[2]
- Citations
- ^ Gregory, p.50
- ^ Otway, p.88
- ^ Otway, p.21
- ^ Shortt and McBride, p.4
- ^ Moreman, p.91
- ^ Otway 1990, pp. 28–29
- ^ Smith, p.7
- ^ Flint, p.73
- ^ Lynch, p.31
- ^ Harclerode, p. 218
- ^ Tugwell p.123
- ^ a b Tugwell, p.125
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.7
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.15
- ^ Blockwell and Clifton, p.63
- ^ a b c Tugwell, p.126
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.8
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.13
- ^ Ferguson, p.16
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.21
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.26
- ^ Ferguson. p.46
- ^ Tugwell, pp.126–127
- ^ Tugwell, p.127
- ^ a b c Ferguson, p.9
- ^ Tugwell, p.139
- ^ Tugwell, pp.139–140
- ^ Tugwell, p.140
- ^ Smith, p.153
- ^ a b Peters and Buist, p.12
- ^ Seth, p.77
- ^ "Obituary Tommy Grant". The Daily Telegraph. London. 7 September 2000. Retrieved 21 June 2011.
- ^ Lloyd, pp.43–44
- ^ Harclerode, p.256
- ^ Mitcham, pp.73–74
- ^ a b Mitcham, p.75
- ^ Mrazek, p.79
- ^ Tugwell, p.159
- ^ Mrazek, p.83
- ^ a b Reynolds, p.37
- ^ Mitcham, p.335
- ^ Mrazek, p.84
- ^ a b Mitcham, p.152
- ^ Tugwell, p.165
- ^ a b Quarrie, p.77
- ^ a b Cole, p.51
- ^ Blumenson, p.60
- ^ Tugwell, p.168
- ^ Blumenson, p.26
- ^ Cole, p.52
- ^ Blumenson, p.114
- ^ Molony, p.243
- ^ Cavendish, p.17
- ^ Prasad, p.368
- ^ Peters and Buist, p.10
- ^ Buckley, Monty's Men: The British Army and the Liberation of Europe, pp. 64–65
- ^ Peters and Buist, p.19
- ^ Peters and Buist, p.21
- ^ Peters and Buist, p.26
- ^ Peters and Buist, p.28
- ^ Peters and Buist, pp.40–41
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.22
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.25
- ^ a b "Operation Varsity". Ministry of Defence (United Kingdom). 26 March 2004. Archived from the original on 1 November 2006. Retrieved 12 August 2011.
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.30
- ^ Hart, p.228
- ^ Otway, p.327
- ^ Otway, p.326
- ^ a b Otway, p.328
- ^ Joslen, pp. 104–105.
- OCLC 64670086.
- ^ Urquhart, p.225
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- ISBN 0-901627-57-7.
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- ISBN 1-84176-828-6.
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- OCLC 2927434.
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