2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
Encyclopedia
The Second Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (2 PARA) is a battalion
-sized formation of the British Army
's Parachute Regiment and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade whose Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O'Sullivan.
2 PARA is an airborne
light infantry
unit capable of a wide range of operational tasks, based at Merville Barracks, Colchester Garrison
, England
. Personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations and training.
All personnel have completed the Pre Parachute Selection (P Company
) course at Depot PARA at Catterick
, North Yorkshire
(previously Aldershot
, Hampshire
) entitling them to wear the Maroon beret
.
, the raid on Bruneval in France
. On 1 August of the same year the battalion was renamed the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
The battalion was part of the 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division, and fought in the British airborne operations in North Africa
, Operation Fustian
in Sicily, Operation Slapstick
in Italy, the most famously the Battle of Arnhem
in
September 1944.
After the Second World War the battalion was reformed and served with the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine
. It was then amalgamated with the 3rd Parachute Battalion and renamed the 2nd/3rd Battalion and shortly afterwards disbanded. A new 2nd Battalion was formed later the same year by renumbering the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
.
In 1951 the battalion was deployed to Ismaïlia
, Egypt
, after civil unrest in the region and to protect the Suez Canal
. In July 1956, 2 Para went to Cyrus to counter EOKA
insurgency. They then took part in Operation Musketeer
in November of the same year as part of 16 Independent Parachute Brigade, landing by sea and occupying El Cap.
In June 1961, as part of an 8,000 strong battle-group, 2 Para was sent to Kuwait
to forestall a threatened invasion by Iraq
. In early 1965 the battalion was rushed to Singapore
in response to a threat of invasion of Borneo
by Indonesia
. In the following Indonesian Confrontation, B Company repulsed an attack by an Indonesian battalion in the jungle at Plaman Mapu. In March 1969, 2 Para went to the Caribbean
island of Anguilla
to restore the British administration. They landed by boat from three Royal Navy
frigate
s together with 40 police officers, and were later awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace ‘for acts of humanity and kindness overseas’.
In the 1970s the battalion was sent to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner
for the first of many tours.
In 1982 the battalion was part of the force sent to the South Atlantic in Operation Corporate
, as part of 3 Commando Brigade
.
The battalion were the first troops from the main assault body to land on the islands. Landing on the shore at San Carlos Water
(codename: Blue Beach)
Their first battle was the Battle of Goose Green
, on 28 May.
This was followed by the Battle of Wireless Ridge
before they participated in the recapture of Port Stanley.
In August 2001 the battalion was part of the NATO Operation Essential Harvest
in Macedonia. This was followed in 2002 by Operation Fingal, in Afghanistan
.
The battalion took part in Operation Telic
in Iraq
and Operation Herrick
in Afghanistan.
Battalion
A battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
-sized formation of the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Parachute Regiment and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade whose Commanding Officer was Lieutenant Colonel Joseph O'Sullivan.
2 PARA is an airborne
Airborne forces
Airborne forces are military units, usually light infantry, set up to be moved by aircraft and 'dropped' into battle. Thus they can be placed behind enemy lines, and have an ability to deploy almost anywhere with little warning...
light infantry
Light infantry
Traditionally light infantry were soldiers whose job was to provide a skirmishing screen ahead of the main body of infantry, harassing and delaying the enemy advance. Light infantry was distinct from medium, heavy or line infantry. Heavy infantry were dedicated primarily to fighting in tight...
unit capable of a wide range of operational tasks, based at Merville Barracks, Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison
Colchester Garrison is located in Colchester in the county of Essex. It has been an important military base since the Roman era. The first permanent military garrison in Colchester was established by Legio XX Valeria Victrix in 43 AD following the Claudian invasion of Britain. Colchester was an...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Personnel regularly deploy outside the United Kingdom on operations and training.
All personnel have completed the Pre Parachute Selection (P Company
P company
Pegasus Company is the rigorous training and selection organisation based at the Infantry Training Centre, Catterick, North Yorkshire. P Coy run the 'pre-parachute selection' courses for trainee Parachute Regiment soldiers and officers as well as an all-arms course for Regular and Territorial...
) course at Depot PARA at Catterick
Catterick Garrison
Catterick Garrison is a major Army base located in Northern England. It is the largest British Army garrison in the world with a population of around 12,000, plus a large temporary population of soldiers, and is larger than its older neighbour...
, North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire
North Yorkshire is a non-metropolitan or shire county located in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England, and a ceremonial county primarily in that region but partly in North East England. Created in 1974 by the Local Government Act 1972 it covers an area of , making it the largest...
(previously Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
, Hampshire
Hampshire
Hampshire is a county on the southern coast of England in the United Kingdom. The county town of Hampshire is Winchester, a historic cathedral city that was once the capital of England. Hampshire is notable for housing the original birthplaces of the Royal Navy, British Army, and Royal Air Force...
) entitling them to wear the Maroon beret
Maroon beret
The maroon beret is a military beret and has been an international symbol of elite airborne forces since it was chosen for British airborne forces in World War II. This distinctive head dress was officially introduced in 1942, at the direction of General Frederick Browning, commander of the British...
.
History
The 2nd Battalion was formed on 30 September 1941, as the 2nd Parachute Battalion, and later became part of the Army Air Corps. The battalion took part in their first active operation over the night of the 27–28 February 1942, Operation BitingOperation Biting
Operation Biting, also known as the Bruneval Raid, was the codename given to a British Combined Operations raid on a German radar installation in Bruneval, France that occurred between 27–28 February 1942 during World War II...
, the raid on Bruneval in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. On 1 August of the same year the battalion was renamed the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
The battalion was part of the 1st Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division, and fought in the British airborne operations in North Africa
British airborne operations in North Africa
British airborne operations in North Africa were conducted by the British 1st Parachute Brigade as part of the Tunisian Campaign of World War II over the period between November 1942 and April 1943....
, Operation Fustian
Operation Fustian
Operation Fustian was a British airborne forces mission during the Allied invasion of Sicily in the Second World War. The operation was carried out by the 1st Parachute Brigade, part of the 1st Airborne Division. Their objective was the Primosole Bridge across the Simeto River. The intention was...
in Sicily, Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick
Operation Slapstick was the code name for a British landing from the sea at the Italian port of Taranto during the Second World War. The operation, one of three landings during the Allied invasion of Italy, was undertaken by the British 1st Airborne Division in September 1943.Planned at short...
in Italy, the most famously the Battle of Arnhem
Battle of Arnhem
The Battle of Arnhem was a famous Second World War military engagement fought in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Wolfheze, Driel and the surrounding countryside from 17–26 September 1944....
in
September 1944.
After the Second World War the battalion was reformed and served with the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine
6th Airborne Division in Palestine
The 6th Airborne Division in Palestine was initially posted to the region as the Imperial Strategic Reserve. It was envisioned as a mobile peace keeping force, positioned to be able to respond quickly to any area of the British Empire...
. It was then amalgamated with the 3rd Parachute Battalion and renamed the 2nd/3rd Battalion and shortly afterwards disbanded. A new 2nd Battalion was formed later the same year by renumbering the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
The 5th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army in 1942.The four proceeding British parachute battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army...
.
In 1951 the battalion was deployed to Ismaïlia
Ismaïlia
-Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
, after civil unrest in the region and to protect the Suez Canal
Suez Canal
The Suez Canal , also known by the nickname "The Highway to India", is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, connecting the Mediterranean Sea and the Red Sea. Opened in November 1869 after 10 years of construction work, it allows water transportation between Europe and Asia without navigation...
. In July 1956, 2 Para went to Cyrus to counter EOKA
EOKA
EOKA was an anticolonial, antiimperialist nationalist organisation with the ultimate goal of "The liberation of Cyprus from the British yoke". Although not stated in its initial declaration of existence which was printed and distributed on the 1st of April 1955, EOKA also had a target of achieving...
insurgency. They then took part in Operation Musketeer
Operation Musketeer
Operation Musketeer may refer to:* US military plans for the Philippines Campaign * Operation Musketeer , the Anglo-French invasion of Egypt to capture the Suez Canal in 1956....
in November of the same year as part of 16 Independent Parachute Brigade, landing by sea and occupying El Cap.
In June 1961, as part of an 8,000 strong battle-group, 2 Para was sent to Kuwait
Kuwait
The State of Kuwait is a sovereign Arab state situated in the north-east of the Arabian Peninsula in Western Asia. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south at Khafji, and Iraq to the north at Basra. It lies on the north-western shore of the Persian Gulf. The name Kuwait is derived from the...
to forestall a threatened invasion by Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. In early 1965 the battalion was rushed to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
in response to a threat of invasion of Borneo
Borneo
Borneo is the third largest island in the world and is located north of Java Island, Indonesia, at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia....
by Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. In the following Indonesian Confrontation, B Company repulsed an attack by an Indonesian battalion in the jungle at Plaman Mapu. In March 1969, 2 Para went to the Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
island of Anguilla
Anguilla
Anguilla is a British overseas territory and overseas territory of the European Union in the Caribbean. It is one of the most northerly of the Leeward Islands in the Lesser Antilles, lying east of Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and directly north of Saint Martin...
to restore the British administration. They landed by boat from three Royal Navy
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s together with 40 police officers, and were later awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace ‘for acts of humanity and kindness overseas’.
In the 1970s the battalion was sent to Northern Ireland as part of Operation Banner
Operation Banner
Operation Banner was the operational name for the British Armed Forces' operation in Northern Ireland from August 1969 to July 2007. It was initially deployed at the request of the Unionist government of Northern Ireland to support the Royal Ulster Constabulary . After the 1998 Belfast Agreement,...
for the first of many tours.
In 1982 the battalion was part of the force sent to the South Atlantic in Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate
Operation Corporate was the codename given to the 1982 British military involvement in the Falkland Islands during the Falklands War. The commander of task force operations was Admiral Sir John Fieldhouse. Operations lasted from 1 April 1982 to 20 June 1982....
, as part of 3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade
3 Commando Brigade is a commando formation of the British Armed Forces and the main manoeuvre formation of the Royal Marines. Its personnel are predominantly Royal Marines, supported by units of Royal Engineers, Royal Artillery, The Rifles, and the Fleet Air Arm, together with other Commando...
.
The battalion were the first troops from the main assault body to land on the islands. Landing on the shore at San Carlos Water
San Carlos Water
Not to be confused with the San Carlos River.San Carlos Water is a bay/fjord on the west coast of East Falkland, facing onto the Falkland Sound.-Name:...
(codename: Blue Beach)
Their first battle was the Battle of Goose Green
Battle of Goose Green
The Battle of Goose Green was an engagement of the Falklands War between British and Argentine forces. Goose Green and its neighbour Darwin are settlements on East Falkland in the Falkland Islands. They lie on Choiseul Sound on the east side of the island's central isthmus...
, on 28 May.
This was followed by the Battle of Wireless Ridge
Battle of Wireless Ridge
The Battle of Wireless Ridge was an engagement of the Falklands War which took place on the night of 13 June and 14 June 1982, between British and Argentine forces during the advance towards the Argentine-occupied capital of the Falklands Stanley. Wireless Ridge was one of seven strategic hills...
before they participated in the recapture of Port Stanley.
In August 2001 the battalion was part of the NATO Operation Essential Harvest
Operation Essential Harvest
Operation Essential Harvest was a deployment mission in the Republic of Macedonia by NATO, officially launched on August 22, 2001 and effectively started on August 27...
in Macedonia. This was followed in 2002 by Operation Fingal, in Afghanistan
Afghanistan
Afghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
The battalion took part in Operation Telic
Operation Telic
Operation TELIC was the codename under which all British military operations in Iraq were conducted between the start of the Invasion of Iraq on 19 March 2003 and the withdrawal of the last remaining British forces on 22 May 2011...
in Iraq
Iraq
Iraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
and Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick
Operation Herrick is the codename under which all British operations in the war in Afghanistan have been conducted since 2002. It consists of the British contribution to the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force and support to the US-led Operation Enduring Freedom...
in Afghanistan.
See also
- Red Devils (Parachute Regiment)Red Devils (Parachute Regiment)The Red Devils are the Parachute Regiment's parachute display team. The team wears the distinctive maroon beret. The Red Devils are regular serving paratroopers from the three battalions of the Parachute Regiment who have volunteered to serve on the display team.The team was formed on 1 January...
- List of battalions of the Parachute Regiment
- Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces MuseumParachute Regiment and Airborne Forces MuseumThe Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum is now located at Imperial War Museum Duxford. Prior to 2008 it was based at Browning Barracks in the Aldershot Military Town area near Aldershot in Hampshire...
- List of Second World War British airborne battalions