6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion | |
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Latin for "Ready for Anything") | |
Insignia | |
Emblem of the British Airborne Forces |
The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War.
The battalion was created in 1942 by the conversion of the
The battalion's first combat action was in 1943, when it participated in an amphibious landing, Operation Slapstick, at the port of Taranto in Italy. When the 1st Airborne Division left Italy, the battalion, still with the 2nd Parachute Brigade, remained behind, where it took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino.
The battalion's first combat parachute jump was during Operation Dragoon the Allied invasion of the south of France. Soon after the invasion, the battalion returned to Italy and took part in a second combat parachute jump, Operation Manna in Greece.
After the Second World War the battalion became part of the 6th Airborne Division and served in Palestine. Post war reductions in the British Armed Forces resulted in the battalion being amalgamated with the 4th Parachute Battalion in 1947.
Background
Impressed by the success of
Additionally, on 22 June 1940, a
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
Under the command of
All members of the battalion had to undergo a twelve-day parachute training course carried out at
Airborne soldiers were expected to fight against superior numbers of the enemy armed with heavy weapons including artillery and tanks, so training was designed to encourage a spirit of self-discipline, self-reliance and aggressiveness. Emphasis was given to physical fitness,
Operations
Italy
The
Both the 1st Airlanding Brigade and
The 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn to England soon after, The 2nd Parachute Brigade, which included the 6th Battalion, remained in Italy as an independent formation, initially under the command of the 2nd New Zealand Division.[21] In June 1944, a small detachment of sixty men commanded by Captain Fitzroy-Smith took part in Operation Hasty, a parachute landing behind German lines near Trasacco. Their objective was to interdict supply lines and the movement of troops as they withdrew from Sora to Avezzano.[20]
France
The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion took part in its first combat parachute drop in Southern France from 04:40 on 15 August 1944. During the landing the brigade was badly dispersed, with only Brigade Headquarters landing intact. The 4th Parachute Battalion could muster between thirty and forty per cent of its strength. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion were in the worst shape with only around a company of men at the drop zone, while around seventy per cent of the 6th Parachute Battalion arrived safely.[22]
The battalion then occupied
At 14:00 17 August two platoons from the battalion engaged Germans retreating from a small battle with the 5th Parachute Battalion, and by now the US 36th Infantry Division and US 45th Infantry Division had advanced from their beach head to link up with the airborne forces.[22] By 20 August the battalion was in the Fréjus area, Cannes was liberated on 25 August and the 2nd Parachute Brigade sailed for Italy landing at Naples on 28 August.[22]
Greece
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was warned for an operation in Greece, Operation Manna, to replace the retreating German Army and ensure law and order was maintained until a government could be formed.[23] The advance party from the 4th Parachute Battalion landed on 12 October on Megara airfield 28 miles (45 km) from Athens. Adverse weather affected the drop and caused a number of casualties, and prevented the remainder of the brigade landing. Plans were formed for a surgical team to travel by glider the next day to support the 4th Battalion's medical officer on the airfield. By 14 October the weather had improved and the majority of the brigade, less the glider force, was able to parachute onto the airfield.[24] High winds caused a number of casualties; from the 1,900 men taking part three were killed and ninety-seven wounded. The 4th and 6th Battalions then set out for Athens.[25]
The brigade became responsible for policing Athens and keeping both sides in the growing
Post war
The battalion returned to Italy but did not see active service again. After the war they returned to England for a short time, before with the complete brigade joined the 6th Airborne Division serving in Palestine. In the post war reduction in the British Army, in December 1947 the battalion was amalgamated with the 4th Parachute Battalion as the 4th/6th Parachute Battalion.[20]
Memorials
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Bn has two memorials: a bronze plaque on the wall of St Mary's Church, Dolgellau,[28] and a carved pew end in the Royal Garrison Church, Aldershot.[29] Both feature a rampant Welsh dragon in addition to the Parachute Regiment cap badge.
Notes
- Footnotes
- ^ Barrage balloons were used to speed up training jumps and meet the target of 5,000 trained parachutists.[13]
- ^ This ability was demonstrated in April 1945. When the 3rd Parachute Brigade advanced 15 miles (24 km) in twenty-four hours, which included eighteen hours of close-quarters fighting.[16] In the same month the 5th Parachute Brigade marched 50 miles (80 km) in seventy-two hours, during which they also carried out two night time assaults.[16]
- Citations
- ^ Otway, p.88
- ^ Otway, p.21
- ^ Reynolds, p.4
- ^ Shortt and McBride, p.4
- ^ Moreman, p.91
- ^ Guard, p.218
- ^ Harclerode, p. 218
- ^ "8th Parachute Battalion". Pegasus Archive. Retrieved 11 May 2011.
- ^ Horn, p.270
- ^ a b Guard, p.37
- ^ Peters, p.55
- ^ a b Guard, p.224
- ^ Reynolds, p.16
- ^ Guard, p.226
- ^ a b c Guard, p.225
- ^ a b Reynolds, p.87
- ^ a b c Reynolds, p.36
- ^ a b Ferguson, p.13
- ^ "2 Parachute Brigade appointments". Order of battle. Retrieved 6 April 2011.[permanent dead link]
- ^ a b c "6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion". Para Data. Archived from the original on 8 March 2016. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Ferguson, p.46
- ^ a b c d e Elphick, Robert. "The Liberation of Fayence — August 1944". Riviera Reporter. Retrieved 17 June 2011.
- ^ Cole, pp.65–66
- ^ Cole, pp.66–67
- ^ Cole, p.67
- ^ Cole, p.73
- ^ "General Farrar-Hockley". Para Data. Archived from the original on 18 March 2012. Retrieved 19 June 2011.
- ^ IWM WMR ref 37402.
- ^ IWM WMR ref 50405.
References
- Cole, Howard N (1963). On Wings of Healing: The Story of the Airborne Medical Services 1940–1960. Edinburgh, United Kingdom: William Blackwood. OCLC 29847628.
- Ferguson, Gregor (1984). The Paras 1940–84, Volume 1 of Elite series. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 978-0-85045-573-1.
- Gregory, Barry; Batchelor, John (1979). Airborne warfare, 1918-1945. Exeter, Devon: Exeter Books. ISBN 0-89673-025-5.
- 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.
- Horn, Bernd; Wyczynski, Michel (2003). Paras versus the Reich: Canada's paratroopers at war, 1942-45. Toronto, Canada: Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-55002-470-8.
- Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006). British Commandos 1940–46. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1-84176-986-X.
- 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.