Formation Of Airborne Troops

My uncle joined the Parachute Regiment when it was formed in North Africa. I have very few other details.

Why were there airborne forces fomed in N Africa? Where and when were they formed? And from what units were the volunteers (if they were indeed volunteers) obtained?

 

I think the 156th Battalion's origins are rooted in North Africa and the Indian Army, but I'm not certain. Of course, the Special Air Service got started in North Africa. Something I have to look up.

 

Thanks for that, we know that he was involved in long range patrols in the desert before that, even if he wasn't actually LRDG. Very little else including what unit he was in before that. He ended up at Arnhem (11 Bn I believe) and he loved the desert so much he headed out to Egypt after the war as a NAAFI Manager for a while.

I don't know if there is any connection between 156 Bn and 11 Bn or whether there may just have been a re-adjustment or movement via postings at some point. Needs a deeper dig and I'm not placed or really qualified to do it.

 

a lot of battialions from divisions in north afria went to form the indian paracute regiment , 44th indian airborne division which later went on to fight in burma , english regiments would have been used too . here are the formations of it :
01-Nov-44 Orders for the formation of the division were given by
Supreme Allied Commander, SEAC in Oct-44, confirmed by the War
Office in Nov-44. Headquarters formed from 44 Indian Armoured
Division HQ, taking the place of the planned 9 Indian Airborne Division.

01-Nov-45 Redesignated 2 Indian Airborne Division

Commanders

01-Nov-45 Maj Gen EE Down

Divisional Troops

Artillery

Field Regiments

123rd Parachute Field Regiment, RA

LAA/Anti-Tank Regiments

23rd Parachute Light Antiaircraft/Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery

Light Anti-aircraft Regiments

23rd Light Antiaircraft Regiment, RA Re-designated 23rd Para LAA/Atk Regt

Light Regiments

159th Parachute Light Regiment RA

Engineers

Field Companies

12th Field Company, RE Re-designated 12th Para Sqn

Parachute Field Park Squadrons

40th Indian Field Park Squadron, IE

Parachute Squadrons

12th Parachute Field Squadron, RE

33rd Parachute Squadron, IE

411st (Royal Bombay) Parachute Squadron, Indian Engineers

Recce

44th Indian Airborne Division Reconnaissance Squadron
(Governor General's Bodyguard)

Brigades

14 Airlanding Brigade

2nd Battalion, The King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster)

2nd Battalion, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment)

4th Battalion (Outram's), 6th Rajputana Rifles (4/6th Raj Rif)

6th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment (6/16th Punjab)

50 Indian Parachute Brigade 01-Nov-44 01-Nov-45

1st (Indian) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment

152nd (Indian) Parachute Battalion

153rd (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion

2nd (Gurkha) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment
Re-designated from 153rd (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion 154th (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion Re-designated from 3/7th Gurkhas

3rd Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment Re-designated from 154th (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion

411st (Royal Bombay) Parachute Squadron, Indian Engineers

50th Medium Machine Gun Company

77 Indian Parachute Brigade

15th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment formed as 15th (Kings) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment

16th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment formed as 16th (Staffords) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment

2nd (Gurkha) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment

4th (Indian) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment

44th Independent Pathfinder Company


50 Indian Parachute Brigade

01-Oct-41 Formed at Delhi in October 1941

Units

16th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment

151st Parachute Battalion

1st (Indian) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment Re-designated from151st Parachute Battalion 152nd (Indian) Parachute Battalion

153rd (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion

2nd (Gurkha) Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment Re-designated from 153rd (Gurkha)

Parachute Battalion

3rd Battalion, 7th Gurkha Rifles (3/7th Gurkha Rifles)

154th (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion Re-designated from 3/7th Gurkhas

3rd Battalion, The Indian Parachute Regiment Re-designated from 154th (Gurkha)

Parachute Battalion

411st (Royal Bombay) Parachute Squadron, Indian Engineers

50th Independent Parachute Platoon (Brigade Defence Platoon)

50th Medium Machine Gun Company






The Badge of this unit was



The same Badge was used by this unit as that of the British Airborne Division, the well known Pegasus with the addition of the word India in Blue under it's hooves.

History

As the 50th (Indian) Parachute Brigade, it was raised in 1941 and consisted of:-

The 151st British Parachute Battalion
This unit was formed in Delhi in 1941 from volunteers from twenty three British infantry battalions serving in India. In October the Battalion was transfered to the Middle East where it joined 4th Parachute Brigade and was reumbers the 156th Parachute Battalion.

The 152nd (Indian) Parachute Battalion
This unit was formed from nineteen Indian infantry regiments

The 153rd (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion
This unit was formed from volunteers from nine Gurkha regiments.

The 154th (Gurkha) Parachute Battalion
This unit was formed from the 3rd Btn of the 7th Gurkha Rifles: it joined the Brigade in October 1943

By the summer of 1945, the 50th Parachute Brigade had been expended to full divisional strength and was renamed the 44th Indian Infantry Division.

The 50th Parachute Brigade of this Division was in Action at Imphal (Sangshak) in 1944 & again in May 1945 when it made an Airborne Landing South of Rangoon in support of the26th Indian Division.

The 44th Indian Airborne Division consisted of:-

50th Indian Parachute Brigade made up of:
16th (British) Parachute Btn
1st (Indian) Parachute Btn
3rd (Gurkha) Parachute Btn

77th (Indian) Parachute Brigade made up of:
15th (British) Parachute Btn
4th (Indian) Parachute Btn
2nd (Gurkha) Parachute Btn
44th (British) Independent Pathfinder Company

14th Air Landing Brigade made up of:
2nd Btn The Black Watch
4th Btn Rajputana Rifles
6th/16th Punjab Regiment
4th Btn 5th Mahratta Light Infantry Regt

The Division was renumbered 2nd Indian Airborne Division in January 1947


They were COMMANDED by

Maj/Gen Hope-Thomson


hope its not all usless information .

 

Thanks for that. Very interesting and informative.

But my uncle joined the Airborne Forces in the Middle East and eventually ended up at Arnhem with the 1st Airborne Div. The Indian Airborn troops headed East and took part in operations in the Far East.

Was there much inter-posting between Airborne Divisions or between Theaters of other ranks? I would have thought that unit level posting would have been more likley than individuals.

I am quite happy to be corrected and would love to know how the divisions interacted. Did they have standard training? Standard operating proceedure? Or were they left to figure things out for themselves in the new airborne environment?

 

I think I'm right in saying that the 10th and 11th Para Battalions were raised from volunteers in the Middle East in 1943 and then joined 1st Airborne Division the same year. They both served at Arnhem and I think one of the battalions actually saw some action in Italy or the Aegean in late 1943. There is some more information about all this in Martin Middlebrook's book about Arnhem.

 

Originally posted by Warren@Aug 25 2005, 08:57 AM
I think I'm right in saying that the 10th and 11th Para Battalions were raised from volunteers in the Middle East in 1943 and then joined 1st Airborne Division the same year. They both served at Arnhem and I think one of the battalions actually saw some action in Italy or the Aegean in late 1943. There is some more information about all this in Martin Middlebrook's book about Arnhem.
[post=38108]Quoted post[/post]


Yes, Middlebrook covers it. I'm pretty sure the 4th Parachute Brigade's roots are in the Middle East, like its CO, Shan Hackett's, were.

 

4th Para Brigade was raised in the Middle East in November 1942 near Kabrit. Due to the unsuitability of Kabrit they then moved to the Ramat David area in Northern Palastine.

151 Para Btn moved from India to form its 1st Btn and the 2nd Btn Royal Sussex were earmarked for conversion to its second para btn.

151 was later re-numbered 156, and it was this number that it bore during the battle for Arnhem.

I would recommend Harry Bankhead's book, 'Salute to the Steadfast', as it is a narrative history of 151/156 btn.

There was a fair amount of moving and adjusting of the battalions during the divisional formations and probably personnel. Indeed some battalions had companies serving in different theatres of the war! Also several battalions were re-numbered from their original regimental numbering to new para numbers.

 

british paras in india were formed mainly from ex chindits

 

plant-pilot PM send

 

Anyone could be transferred to the Airborne,,, It happens just like any other army transfer between regiments..If they need you, they send you.

As an example. We were paraded in a field in Normandy, where the officer said "Any one want to join the airborne" ? My mate, a pipe smoking Scot joined, and they took him and few others there and then.
The airborne are made up of a wide ranging collection of regiments they retain their regiment under the airborne!
Sapper

 

Perhaps I am showing how nieve I am with airborne history.
The Paras as I recall were formed in 1941 along with the Reconnaissance corps at the instigation of Winston Churchill.

Two questions are on my mind.

With regards to Glider troops, is it they that are called "Airborne".

Where they trained also in Parachute dropping as well as being dropped by glider?

I have great respect for both Parachute Brigades and Glider borne troops and would just like to know the definitions.

Regards
Tom

 

plant-pilot PM send



Me too!

 

My Grandad joined the 11th Parachute Battalion in Palestine in 1943, from the 10th Royal Berkshires.

He had been training with them in Iraq, and they were then moved to Egypt to prepare for the invasion of sicily. He came down with malaria just before they sailed, so was left behind. After he recovered he was left in a convalescence depot without a unit, and was transferred into the Parachute Regiment as they were short of recruits. He went up to join the 11th Battalion in Palestine.

Airborne Forces units were formed in North Africa to give the allies an airborne capability in the Mediterranean theatre. Originally this was to have been the 4th Parachute Brigade acting as an independent Brigade, who had been formed in the Middle East, but they eventually went back to the UK to join the 1st Airborne Division. Their place was taken by the 2nd Brigade.

Hope that helps answers some questions!

 

Perhaps I am showing how nieve I am with airborne history.
The Paras as I recall were formed in 1941 along with the Reconnaissance corps at the instigation of Winston Churchill.

Two questions are on my mind.

With regards to Glider troops, is it they that are called "Airborne".

Where they trained also in Parachute dropping as well as being dropped by glider?

I have great respect for both Parachute Brigades and Glider borne troops and would just like to know the definitions.

Regards
Tom

Hello Tom,

Both paratroops and glider borne troops were referred to as 'Airborne'. The glider borne battalions eg 1st Battalion, The Border Regt., 2nd Battalion South Staffords, were formed into 'Airlanding Brigades' and they weren't trained to jump by parachute. The guys that jumped from planes eg 1st, 2nd, 3rd Battalions, The Parachute Regiment were formed into 'Parachute Brigades'. They wore the familiar 'wings' on their shoulder whilst the glider lads wore a 'glider' badge on their sleeves (see pics). Hope this helps.

Paul..............

 

Paul,
Thanks for clearing that up.

Last question (honest)

Are there any instances of paratroops ever end up being deployed by glider?

Regards
Tom

 

Paul,
Thanks for clearing that up.

Last question (honest)

Are there any instances of paratroops ever end up being deployed by glider?

Regards
Tom

Not that I can recall mate. I'm not saying it NEVER happened, I just can't think of any instances of it, not with the 1st Airborne anyway. Part of the 1st Airborne were deployed by ship though, into Italy.
Paul..............

 

In 6 Abn, there was the gliderborne element of 9 Para Bn that was to land on/in the Merville Battery on D-Day.

 

Paul,
Thanks for clearing that up.

Last question (honest)

Are there any instances of paratroops ever end up being deployed by glider?

Regards
Tom

Tom,

As well as in Normandy....quite a number of 'paratroopers' went to war by glider at Arnhem....they drew the short straw and were mainly drivers who drove jeeps or the two Bren Gun carriers allocated to each Battalion.....
Mainly in Horsas but the BGC went in the Hamilcars.....
Also trained para medics from 16 and 133 went by Horsa with jeeps and medical supplies.....

 

Hi,

2810 Squadron RAF Regiment converted to the Light Anti Aircraft role in May 1943 and was transferred to ACSEA in October 1944, arriving in Bombay in January 1945.

Initially deployed to Agartala, it then moved to Chaklala, where it underwent Parachute training and moved to Calcutta.

It moved into Singapore after its liberation and was allocated to Operation 'Mastiff'.


Regards, Mick D.