6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
Encyclopedia
The 6th 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 by the conversion of the 10th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
, to parachute duties. It was then assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade, at that time serving in the 1st Airborne Division in England.
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 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.
, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
, Winston Churchill
, directed the War Office
to investigate the possibility of creating a corps
of 5,000 parachute troops. The standards set for British airborne troops
was extremely high, and from the first group of 3,500 volunteers only 500 men were accepted to go forward to parachute training.
Additionally on 22 June 1940, a British Commando unit, No. 2 Commando
was converted to parachute duties. On 21 November, it was re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing. These men took part in the first British airborne operation, Operation Colossus
, on 10 February 1941. The success of the raid prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force, setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire
in April 1942, and creating the Parachute Regiment. In August 1942, a number of infantry battalions were converted into airborne battalions. In most conversions, the majority of the original battalion either did not wish to become paratroopers, or failed medical or other tests. The spaces in the battalion were filled with volunteers from other units.
was converted to the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion in August 1942. It was then assigned to the newly raised 2nd Parachute Brigade, alongside the 4th Parachute Battalion and the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
. On formation, the battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three rifle companies. The companies were divided into a small headquarters and three platoon
s. The platoons had three Bren machine guns and three 2-inch mortars, one of each per section
. The only heavy weapons in the battalion were a 3 inch mortar
platoon and a Vickers machine gun
platoon. By 1944 a headquarters or support company, was added to the battalion. This consisted of five platoons: motor transport, signals, mortar (with eight 3 inch mortars), machine-gun (with four Vickers machine guns) and anti-tank (with ten PIAT
anti-tank projectors).
All members of the battalion had to undergo a twelve day parachute training course carried out at No. 1 Parachute Training School, RAF Ringway
. The course began with parachute jumps from a converted barrage balloon
and finished with five parachute jumps from an aircraft. Anyone failing to complete a descent was returned to his old unit. Those men who successfully completed the parachute course were presented with their maroon beret
and parachute wings
.
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, marksman
ship and fieldcraft
. A large part of the training regime consisted of assault course
s and route marching. Military exercise
s included capturing and holding airborne bridgeheads, road or rail bridges and coastal fortifications. At the end of most exercises, the battalion would march back to their barracks. An ability to cover long distances at speed was expected: airborne platoons were required to cover a distance of 50 miles (80.5 km) in 24 hours, and battalions to cover 32 miles (51.5 km).
plans were formed for three brigade-sized operations over successive days. The first British landing, Operation Ladbroke
, was carried out by the 1st Airlanding Brigade over the night of 9–10 July. The second operation should have been Operation Glutton, to be carried by the 2nd Parachute Brigade on the night of 10–11 July. It was intended that the brigade were to capture a bridge near Augusta, but circumstances changed and the operation was cancelled. The 1st Parachute Brigade were given the third mission Operation Fustian
at Primosole Bridge on the night of 13-14 July.
Both the 1st Airlanding Brigade and 1st Parachute Brigade suffered heavy casualties in Sicily, so when it was proposed that the division take part in Operation Slapstick
, only the 2nd Parachute Brigade and 4th Parachute Brigade were up to strength. Operation Slapstick was an amphibious landing at the port of Taranto
on mainland Italy. The 2nd Parachute Brigade left Bizerta on 8 September, the day before the Italian surrender, and landed unopposed. The only casualties incurred during the operation were fifty-eight men from the 6th Parachute Battalion who drowned after their transport ship HMS Abdiel
hit a mine in the harbour. While the 4th Parachute Brigade pushed inland the 2nd Brigade assumed responsibility for securing the port and surrounding area. During fighting around the town and airfield of Gioia del Colle
the divisional commander, Major-General Hopkinson
, was killed and replaced by Brigadier
Ernest Down
. Lieutenant-Colonel Pritchard was promoted to Brigadier and given command of the brigade. He was replaced as commanding officer of the 6th Battalion by Lieutenant-Colonel J. R. Goodwin.
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. 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 Torricella
. Their objective was to interdict supply lines and the movement of troops as they withdrew from Sora to Avezzano
.
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.
The battalion then occupied La Motte
and Clastron following the surrender of the German garrison. While the villages were being secured patrols were sent out to make contact with the American 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
in the area of La Motte. By 16:00 more men from the battalion had arrived at the drop zone, and now numbered seventeen officers and 300 other ranks. The men of ‘C’ Company were sent out to patrol the road between Le Muy
and Le Luc
to ambush any retreating Germans, but returned to the drop zone at 22:00, without having come into contact with any Germans. The night of 15/16 August was quiet and a patrol sent to Le Muy returned with eleven German prisoners. Later that day an American battalion captured Lu Muy, and seventy Germans, with six anti-tank guns, surrendered to a four man patrol from the battalion.
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 American 36th Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division had advanced from their beach head to link up with the airborne forces. By 20 August the battalion was in the Frejus
area, Cannes
was liberated on 25 August and the 2nd Parachute Brigade sailed for Italy landing at Naples
on 28 August.
, to replace the retreating German Army and ensure law and order was maintained until a government could be formed. The advance party from the 4th Parachute Battalion landed on 12 October on Megara
airfield 28 miles (45.1 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. 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.
The brigade became responsible for policing Athens and keeping both sides in the growing Greek Civil War
apart. Then on 4 November the 6th Battalion moved to Thebes, while the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion with brigade headquarters and 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
moved to Salonika. It had been intended to withdraw the brigade but the situation deteriorated and they were sent back to Athens. The 2nd Parachute Brigade and 2nd Armoured Brigade moved into the city, holding the Acropolis of Athens
and strategic junctions. In the sporadic fighting casualties were light but constant. The 6th Battalion had 130 casualties during the fighting in Greece.
. 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.
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...
infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion
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...
of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War.
The battalion was created by the conversion of the 10th Battalion, Royal Welch Fusiliers
Royal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
, to parachute duties. It was then assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade, at that time serving in the 1st Airborne Division in England.
The battalion's first combat action was in 1943, when it participated in an amphibious landing, 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...
, at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
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 Cassino.
The battalion's first combat parachute jump was during Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon
Operation Dragoon was the Allied invasion of southern France on August 15, 1944, during World War II. The invasion was initiated via a parachute drop by the 1st Airborne Task Force, followed by an amphibious assault by elements of the U.S. Seventh Army, followed a day later by a force made up...
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
Operation Manna
Operations Manna and Chowhound took place from 29 April to the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945. These two operations—Manna by the Royal Air Force and Chowhound by the U.S...
in Greece.
After the Second World War the battalion became part of the 6th Airborne Division and served in Palestine
Mandate Palestine
Mandate Palestine existed while the British Mandate for Palestine, which formally began in September 1923 and terminated in May 1948, was in effect...
. 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 German airborne operations during the Battle of FranceBattle of France
In the Second World War, the Battle of France was the German invasion of France and the Low Countries, beginning on 10 May 1940, which ended the Phoney War. The battle consisted of two main operations. In the first, Fall Gelb , German armoured units pushed through the Ardennes, to cut off and...
, the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom
The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the Head of Her Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom. The Prime Minister and Cabinet are collectively accountable for their policies and actions to the Sovereign, to Parliament, to their political party and...
, Winston Churchill
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer-Churchill, was a predominantly Conservative British politician and statesman known for his leadership of the United Kingdom during the Second World War. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest wartime leaders of the century and served as Prime Minister twice...
, directed the War Office
War Office
The War Office was a department of the British Government, responsible for the administration of the British Army between the 17th century and 1964, when its functions were transferred to the Ministry of Defence...
to investigate the possibility of creating a corps
Corps
A corps is either a large formation, or an administrative grouping of troops within an armed force with a common function such as Artillery or Signals representing an arm of service...
of 5,000 parachute troops. The standards set for British airborne troops
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...
was extremely high, and from the first group of 3,500 volunteers only 500 men were accepted to go forward to parachute training.
Additionally on 22 June 1940, a British Commando unit, No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando
No. 2 Commando was a battalion-sized British Commando unit of the British Army during the Second World War. The No. 2 Commando unit was reformed three times during the Second World War. The original No. 2 Commando, unlike the other commando units, was formed from volunteers from across the United...
was converted to parachute duties. On 21 November, it was re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing. These men took part in the first British airborne operation, Operation Colossus
Operation Colossus
Operation Colossus was the codename given to the first airborne operation undertaken by the British military, which occurred on 10 February 1941 during World War II...
, on 10 February 1941. The success of the raid prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force, setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
in April 1942, and creating the Parachute Regiment. In August 1942, a number of infantry battalions were converted into airborne battalions. In most conversions, the majority of the original battalion either did not wish to become paratroopers, or failed medical or other tests. The spaces in the battalion were filled with volunteers from other units.
6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion
Under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard, the 10th Battalion, Royal Welch FusiliersRoyal Welch Fusiliers
The Royal Welch Fusiliers was an infantry regiment of the British Army, part of the Prince of Wales' Division. It was founded in 1689 to oppose James II and the imminent war with France...
was converted to the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion in August 1942. It was then assigned to the newly raised 2nd Parachute Brigade, alongside the 4th Parachute Battalion and 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...
. On formation, the battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three rifle companies. The companies were divided into a small headquarters and three platoon
Platoon
A platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
s. The platoons had three Bren machine guns and three 2-inch mortars, one of each per section
Section (military unit)
A section is a small military unit in some armies. In many armies, it is a squad of seven to twelve soldiers. However in France and armies based on the French model, it is the sub-division of a company .-Australian Army:...
. The only heavy weapons in the battalion were a 3 inch mortar
Ordnance ML 3 inch Mortar
The Ordnance ML 3-inch mortar was the United Kingdom's standard mortar used by the British Army from the late 1920s to the late 1960s, superseding the Stokes Mortar.-History:...
platoon and a Vickers machine gun
Vickers machine gun
Not to be confused with the Vickers light machine gunThe Vickers machine gun or Vickers gun is a name primarily used to refer to the water-cooled .303 inch machine gun produced by Vickers Limited, originally for the British Army...
platoon. By 1944 a headquarters or support company, was added to the battalion. This consisted of five platoons: motor transport, signals, mortar (with eight 3 inch mortars), machine-gun (with four Vickers machine guns) and anti-tank (with ten PIAT
PIAT
The Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank was a British hand-held anti-tank weapon developed during the Second World War. The PIAT was designed in 1942 in response to the British Army's need for a more effective infantry anti-tank weapon, and entered service in 1943.The PIAT was based on the spigot...
anti-tank projectors).
All members of the battalion had to undergo a twelve day parachute training course carried out at No. 1 Parachute Training School, RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway
RAF Ringway, was a Royal Air Force station near Manchester, UK, in the parish of Ringway, then in Cheshire. It was operational from 1939 until 1957.-Prewar years:...
. The course began with parachute jumps from a converted barrage balloon
Barrage balloon
A barrage balloon is a large balloon tethered with metal cables, used to defend against low-level aircraft attack by damaging the aircraft on collision with the cables, or at least making the attacker's approach more difficult. Some versions carried small explosive charges that would be pulled up...
and finished with five parachute jumps from an aircraft. Anyone failing to complete a descent was returned to his old unit. Those men who successfully completed the parachute course were presented with their 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...
and parachute wings
Parachutist Badge
The Parachutist Badge or Parachutist Brevet is a military badge awarded by the Armed Forces of most countries in the world to soldiers who receive the proper parachute training and accomplish the required number of jumps. It is difficult to assess which country was the first to introduce such award...
.
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, marksman
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
ship and fieldcraft
Fieldcraft
Fieldcraft is a term used especially in American, Canadian and British military circles to describe the basic military skills required to operate stealthily and the methods used to do so, which can differ during day or night and due to weather or terrain...
. A large part of the training regime consisted of assault course
Assault course
An assault course is a special sort of trail that combines running and exercising. It was more popular in the 1970s than it is now. It is heavily used in military training...
s and route marching. Military exercise
Military exercise
A military exercise is the employment of military resources in training for military operations, either exploring the effects of warfare or testing strategies without actual combat...
s included capturing and holding airborne bridgeheads, road or rail bridges and coastal fortifications. At the end of most exercises, the battalion would march back to their barracks. An ability to cover long distances at speed was expected: airborne platoons were required to cover a distance of 50 miles (80.5 km) in 24 hours, and battalions to cover 32 miles (51.5 km).
Italy
The 1st Airborne Division, including the 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion, was sent to Tunisia in 1943, to prepare for operations in Sicily and Italy. During the Allied invasion of SicilyAllied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
plans were formed for three brigade-sized operations over successive days. The first British landing, Operation Ladbroke
Operation Ladbroke
Operation Ladbroke was a glider landing of British airborne forces near Syracuse, Sicily, that began on 9 July 1943 as part of the Allied invasion of Sicily. The first Allied mission using large numbers of the aircraft, the operation was carried out from Tunisia by the 1st Airlanding...
, was carried out by the 1st Airlanding Brigade over the night of 9–10 July. The second operation should have been Operation Glutton, to be carried by the 2nd Parachute Brigade on the night of 10–11 July. It was intended that the brigade were to capture a bridge near Augusta, but circumstances changed and the operation was cancelled. The 1st Parachute Brigade were given the third mission 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...
at Primosole Bridge on the night of 13-14 July.
Both the 1st Airlanding Brigade and 1st Parachute Brigade suffered heavy casualties in Sicily, so when it was proposed that the division take part in 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...
, only the 2nd Parachute Brigade and 4th Parachute Brigade were up to strength. Operation Slapstick was an amphibious landing at the port of Taranto
Taranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
on mainland Italy. The 2nd Parachute Brigade left Bizerta on 8 September, the day before the Italian surrender, and landed unopposed. The only casualties incurred during the operation were fifty-eight men from the 6th Parachute Battalion who drowned after their transport ship HMS Abdiel
HMS Abdiel (M39)
HMS Abdiel was an that served with the Royal Navy during World War II. She served with the Mediterranean Fleet , Eastern Fleet , Home Fleet , and the Mediterranean Fleet . Abdiel was sunk by mines in Taranto harbour in 1943...
hit a mine in the harbour. While the 4th Parachute Brigade pushed inland the 2nd Brigade assumed responsibility for securing the port and surrounding area. During fighting around the town and airfield of Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle
Gioia del Colle is a town and comune in the province of Bari, Apulia, Italy. The town is located on the Murge plateau at 360 metres above sea level.- History :...
the divisional commander, Major-General Hopkinson
George F. Hopkinson
Major-General George Frederick Hopkinson OBE MC was a British Army officer who commanded the 1st Airborne Division during the Second World War...
, was killed and replaced by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Ernest Down
Ernest Down
Lieutenant-General Sir Ernest Edward Down KBE CB was a British General during World War II.-Military career:Ernest Down was commissioned into the Dorset Regiment in February 1923. He served in World War II being appointed Commander of the 2nd Parachute Brigade in North Africa in 1942...
. Lieutenant-Colonel Pritchard was promoted to Brigadier and given command of the brigade. He was replaced as commanding officer of the 6th Battalion by Lieutenant-Colonel J. R. Goodwin.
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. In June 1944, a small detachment of sixty men commanded by Captain Fitzroy-Smith took part in Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty
Operation Hasty was a mission behind German lines in Italy, during the Second World War. The operation was carried out in June 1944, by a small force of 60 men drawn from the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade....
, a parachute landing behind German lines near Torricella
Torricella
Torricella can refer to the following places in Italy:*Torricella-Taverne*Torricella Sicura*Torricella Verzate*Torricella Peligna*Torricella *Torricella del Pizzo*Torricella in Sabina...
. Their objective was to interdict supply lines and the movement of troops as they withdrew from Sora to Avezzano
Avezzano
Avezzano is a town and comune in the Abruzzo region, province of L'Aquila. It is the main commercial, industrial and agricultural centre of the Marsica area, with high-tech industries such as a Micron Technology semi-conductor plant, and a large Telespazio satellite farm.-History:There are two...
.
France
The 6th (Royal Welch) Parachute Battalion took part in its first combat parachute drop in Southern France2nd Parachute Brigade in Southern France
The British 2nd Parachute Brigade was part of the Operation Rugby airborne landings in August 1944. The operation was carried out by an ad-hoc airborne formation called the 1st Airborne Task Force. Operation Rugby was itself part of the Operation Dragoon invasion of Southern France by the American...
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
Drop zone
A drop zone is a place where parachutists or parachuted supplies land. It can be an area targeted for landing by paratroopers, or a base from which recreational parachutists and skydivers take off in aircraft and land under parachutes...
, while around seventy per cent of the 6th Parachute Battalion arrived safely.
The battalion then occupied La Motte
La Motte
-France:La Motte, Lamotte, La Mothe or Lamothe is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:* La Motte, Côtes-d'Armor, in the Côtes-d'Armor département* La Motte, Var, in the Var département...
and Clastron following the surrender of the German garrison. While the villages were being secured patrols were sent out to make contact with the American 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team
The 517th Parachute Regimental Combat Team , one of the U.S. Army's first elite combat units, began its existence in March 1943, training at Camp Toccoa in the backwoods of Georgia...
in the area of La Motte. By 16:00 more men from the battalion had arrived at the drop zone, and now numbered seventeen officers and 300 other ranks. The men of ‘C’ Company were sent out to patrol the road between Le Muy
Le Muy
Le Muy is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It was one of the first places to be liberated in the Allied invasion of Southern France in August 1944.It lies near Draguignan and Saint-Tropez....
and Le Luc
Le Luc
Le Luc is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.Le Luc is the capital of its own canton Canton of Luc.Residents of Luc are called the Lucois....
to ambush any retreating Germans, but returned to the drop zone at 22:00, without having come into contact with any Germans. The night of 15/16 August was quiet and a patrol sent to Le Muy returned with eleven German prisoners. Later that day an American battalion captured Lu Muy, and seventy Germans, with six anti-tank guns, surrendered to a four man patrol from the battalion.
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 American 36th Infantry Division and 45th Infantry Division had advanced from their beach head to link up with the airborne forces. By 20 August the battalion was in the Frejus
Fréjus
Fréjus is a commune in the Var department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France.It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, effectively forming one town...
area, Cannes
Cannes
Cannes is one of the best-known cities of the French Riviera, a busy tourist destination and host of the annual Cannes Film Festival. It is a Commune of France in the Alpes-Maritimes department....
was liberated on 25 August and the 2nd Parachute Brigade sailed for Italy landing at Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
on 28 August.
Greece
The 2nd Parachute Brigade was warned for an operation in Greece, Operation MannaOperation Manna
Operations Manna and Chowhound took place from 29 April to the end of World War II in Europe on 8 May 1945. These two operations—Manna by the Royal Air Force and Chowhound by the U.S...
, to replace the retreating German Army and ensure law and order was maintained until a government could be formed. The advance party from the 4th Parachute Battalion landed on 12 October on Megara
Megara
Megara is an ancient city in Attica, Greece. It lies in the northern section of the Isthmus of Corinth opposite the island of Salamis, which belonged to Megara in archaic times, before being taken by Athens. Megara was one of the four districts of Attica, embodied in the four mythic sons of King...
airfield 28 miles (45.1 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. 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.
The brigade became responsible for policing Athens and keeping both sides in the growing Greek Civil War
Greek Civil War
The Greek Civil War was fought from 1946 to 1949 between the Greek governmental army, backed by the United Kingdom and United States, and the Democratic Army of Greece , the military branch of the Greek Communist Party , backed by Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Albania...
apart. Then on 4 November the 6th Battalion moved to Thebes, while the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion with brigade headquarters and 127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
The 127th Field Ambulance was a Royal Army Medical Corps unit of the British airborne forces during the Second World War.The 127th Field Ambulance was originally a pre war Territorial Army unit converted to parachute duties, becoming the second parachute field ambulance in the British Army...
moved to Salonika. It had been intended to withdraw the brigade but the situation deteriorated and they were sent back to Athens. The 2nd Parachute Brigade and 2nd Armoured Brigade moved into the city, holding the Acropolis of Athens
Acropolis of Athens
The Acropolis of Athens or Citadel of Athens is the best known acropolis in the world. Although there are many other acropoleis in Greece, the significance of the Acropolis of Athens is such that it is commonly known as The Acropolis without qualification...
and strategic junctions. In the sporadic fighting casualties were light but constant. The 6th Battalion had 130 casualties during the fighting in Greece.
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 Palestine6th 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...
. 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.