HISTORY OF 5 AIRBORNE BRIGADE

On the 22nd June 1940 Winston Churchill sent a note to the War Office asking them to raise a Corps of at least 5000 parachutists.  By the end of 1942 the 1st Airborne Division  had been formed with a compliment of Supporting Arms and services, trained to land by parachute or glider.  It was commanded by Major General FAM (Boy) Browning DSO, who had previously commanded 24th Guards Brigade.  

During the winter of 1942 the 1st Parachute Brigade fought in the Tunisian hills earning their reputation within the Army as ‘High Class Infantry’ and from their German opponents as ‘The Red Devils’. In 1943 6th Airborne Division was created, based on the 3rd Battalion and two air landing battalions.  The 6th Airborne Division took part in the famous airborne assault into Normandy to seize the important bridgeheads. This successful operation was followed in September 1944 by the largest airborne operation of World War Two, when 1st Airborne Division, together with a Polish Brigade, carried out a surprise landing at Arnhem with the objective of seizing the road bridge over the Rhine and holding out until relieved by the 2nd Army advancing from the south.After the War, British Airborne Forces were reduced to the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade, which was involved in maintaining security of the Suez Canal area.  It also conducted an airborne intervention operation to capture the airfield at Port Said in 1956.  

In 1977 the Brigade was disbanded, although the Parachute Regiment itself was maintained.  In 1981 5th Infantry Brigade was deployed to Op CORPORATE, the highly successful capture of The Falkland Islands.  In 1983 5th Infantry Brigade was enlarged and redesignated 5th Airborne Brigade.