The equivalent of a British and American airborne two-division corps parachutes into Normandy on D-Day. Allied Airborne Armies conduct parachute and air-land operations in North West Europe between 1944-5.
One company of the 4th Para Battalion was dropped in high winds at Megara airfield 40 miles from Athens suffering numerous casualties. The remainder of the brigade group under Brig CHV Pritchard followed up having been ordered to secure Athens, mai...
The airborne assault was mounted alongside five US Parachute Battalions and one US Air Landing Brigade. The 51st US Troop Carrier Wing provided the lift for what was essentially an American-heavy operation. The British brigade flew from airfields nea...
Operation Overlord, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division in action for the first time. A mass deception operation had convinced the Germans that the assault would come directly across the chann...
1st Allied Airborne Corps, which included the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions, was tasked to secure the main canal and river crossings between Eindhoven and Arnhem. The aim was to provide an ‘airborne carpet’ along which the ground forces...
After the Allied landings in Normandy and subsequent advance through France and Belgium, the German Army had succeeded in stalling the Allied offensive along their line of defence at the German border - the ‘Siegfried Line’. The German objective ...
Operation Varsity was the largest single airborne operation in history. On a single day, over 16,000 men were inserted by glider and parachute into western Germany. Around 8000 of those came from the British 6th Airborne Division, flying aboard 243 C47 ...
The airborne soldiers were well suited to exploit the fluid situation that occurred following the collapse of the Rhine barrier defence. Short fierce actions were fought from the tanks of the 4th Tank Battalion of the Grenadier Guards and whatever trans...
Maj Gen Urquhart received his orders in the midst of a Division reorganization. The 1st Parachute Brigade had been despatched to Denmark on 5th May, 1st Polish Brigade was alerted for an overseas move and the Special Air Service Brigade, then in Germany...
The 5th Parachute Brigade was sent to the Far East in preparation for a potential invasion of Japan. However, only the advance elements of the Brigade had reached the Far East prior to the Japanese surrender. The Brigade was subsequently heavily invo...
Unknown to Japanese intelligence 50th Indian Brigade battalions were exercising and patrolling with light equipment around Kohima. The Japanese 15th and 31st Divisions found them in their path while conducting an east-west infiltration attack across the...
Airborne Assault Museum