Please note that the official war establishment (staffing and organisation) for an airborne unit was a guide for officers.
In practice these were varied according to the prevailing tactical requirements and aircraft and logistics capacity for operations. There may therefore be discrepancies between the actual Order of Battle and the authorised war establishment.
Headquarters Official war establishment 15 all ranks personnel including CO, Adjutant, RSM, Signallers and Drivers. Commanding Officer: 90173 Lt Col Desmond ‘Pigmy’ Smallman-Tew (KIA 22 July 1944) Second in Command: 85848 Major G Bruce Donald (WIA 09 June 1944) Adjutant: 179503 Captain Anthony ‘Tony’ H Windrum Security Officer: 229998 Captain David A Pinnell Regimental Sergeant Major: 2319216 WO1 Harold ‘Jack’ Carr
Headquarters Company Official war establishment 42 all ranks personnel and included quarter-master (Q) and technical maintenance (M) sections. M section maintained the unit's vehicles, wireless equipment and other electrical instruments Officer Commanding: 243490 Captain SC McMaster (Seaborne Tail) Q Section Commander: 188188 Captain RG Curtis (Seaborne Tail) M Section Commander: 199865 Lt JK Aitchison (Seaborne Tail)
No 1 Company
Official war establishment 222 all ranks personnel and included a company HQ and 5 sections:
A - The advanced section which deployed with the division on operations
B - The base section provided the Rear Divisional Signal Office and an Airfield Signal Office
E - Supported 53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment Royal Artillery
F - Supported 6th Airborne Division Commander Royal Artillery
P - Supported 22nd Independent Parachute Company (6th AB Div Pathfinders)
No 2 Company Official war establishment 261 all ranks personnel and included sections which maintained and operated the communication links for the three brigade headquarters with their battalions and divisional headquarters. J - Supported 3rd Parachute Brigade K - Supported 5th Parachute Brigade L - Supported 6th Airlanding Brigade Officer Commanding: 105549 A/Major? Richard G Westwood (Seaborne Tail, took over as Div Sigs 2 i/c) J Section Commander: 150339 Captain John A Wilkes (POW 06 June 1944) J Section Second in Command: 229999 Lt DWA Smith (WIA: 29 June 1944) K Section Commander: 85775 Captain Guy Townsend Radmore K Section Second in Command: 281285 Lt Gordon Royle (KIA 6 June 1944) L Section Commander: 217295 Captain Geoffrey Proudman L Section Second in Command: Lt Gilbert
Compiled by Bob Hilton and Harvey Grenville
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