Skinner Rebecca - British Paratrooper 1940-45

WARRIOR 174

BRITISH PARATROOPER 194045

Series editor Marcus Cowper

On 22 June 1940 Prime Minister Winston Churchill wrote an instruction to his Chief of Staff: We ought to have a corps of at least five thousand parachute troops. I hear something is being done already to form such a corps but only, I believe on a very small scale. Advantage must be taken of the summer to train these forces, who can none the less play their part meanwhile as shock troops in home defence.

This simple instruction would lead to the formation of a new British Airborne Force with The Parachute Regiment as its core. Its men would fight some of the most iconic battles of World War II, earning the respect of their enemy for their skill and commitment.

Churchill had observed the growth of German airborne capability and sought to copy the idea for the British Army. The Germans were not the first to come up with the idea: the Russians and Italians had both started trials in the 1920s to consider how airborne troops could be utilized before each began the process of building up a force of their own. Western military attachs reported back to their respective governments on this, having watched demonstrations of their capability. The Germans in particular took note, for they were then still bound by the terms of the Treaty of Versailles that restricted the reconstruction of an air force. However, with the rise of Adolf Hitler, the Fallschirmjger began to take form; and it was this force that Churchill watched being used so effectively against British forces in April and May 1940 that led to the small note being written to his Chief of Staff.

Two Paras board an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber in clean fatigues, i.e. without kit, in 1940. The Whitley was the first aircraft used by British paratroopers, carrying men for both the Tragino Aqueduct and Bruneval raids, before being superseded by the Armstrong Whitworth Albemarle and Douglas Dakota.

Two days after the note was written, Maj. John F. Rock of the Royal Engineers was summoned to the War Office and given the order to begin the formation of British Airborne Forces. By the following month, men from No. 2 Commando were beginning their parachute training at RAF Ringway. This unit of men formed the core of what was to become The Parachute Regiment, which was officially founded on 1 August 1942 and grew to 17 battalions by August 1945.

This photo of the 2nd Parachute Battalion officers mess was taken shortly before Operation Market-Garden in 1944. This small group contains man after man who became renowned for their character and bravery. Men like these formed the identity of The Parachute Regiment.

The period 194045 is arguably the most significant in the history of The Parachute Regiment. It not only established itself as a unit, but also saw the evolution of the distinct character and ethos of the regiment that continues to the present day. Many of the men from this era became legendary figures whose stories have been long remembered following their deaths. A simple photo of the 2nd Parachute Battalions officers mess taken shortly before Arnhem reveals a wealth of famous faces: Lt. Col. John Frost who held Arnhem Bridge for four nights; Lt. John Jack Grayburn who was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross; Maj. Digby Tatham-Warter who took out an armoured vehicle with an umbrella; Maj. John Timothy who won three Military Crosses in the space of 18 months; the list goes on.

Battle was a regular experience for the soldier in The Parachute Regiment during World War II, and over the course of the war the regiment earned 29 battle honours. The first of these came at Bruneval on the northern coast of France in February 1942, with a company-sized attack on a radar station. This early success was essential in proving critics of The Parachute Regiment wrong by showcasing the capability this new force offered. By November 1942, the 1st Parachute Brigade was in action as part of Operation Torch, the invasion on North Africa, where it earned a fearsome reputation from the Germans who endured relentless attacks from this new force.

As Airborne Forces grew, so did the size of the battles they were involved in. From brigade attacks during the North African campaign, they progressed to operating at division strength in Sicily in July 1943. Having fought through Italy, the majority returned to the United Kingdom before returning to the Continent and earning battle honours at Normandy, Arnhem, the Ardennes and the Rhine Crossing.

At the heart of the two airborne divisions that were formed by the end of the war were the men. They had to have the ability to think and act for themselves during battle as there was no guarantee that, having jumped into enemy territory, they would land with their officers and NCOs. They therefore had to have the capability not only to find the rendezvous point and see the mission through, but to deal with any situation they might encounter en route.