5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion

Background during exercises, 23 June 1941 Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France, the then British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops. The standards set for British airborne troops were extremely high, and from the first group of 3,500 volunteers only 500 men were accepted to go forward to parachute training. Additionally on 22 June 1940, a Commando unit, No. 2 Commando was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November, re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion (later the 1st Parachute Battalion), with a parachute and glider wing. It was these men who took part in the first British airborne operation, Operation Colossus, on 10 February 1941. The success of the raid prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force, setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire in April 1942, and creating the Parachute Regiment as well as converting a number of infantry battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942. Battalion In 1942 the 7th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders was part of the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade, in the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division. On 24 March 1942 they were redesignated as the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion. Those men that were deemed unsuitable for parachute duties were transferred to other units and were replaced by volunteers from other Scottish regiments. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion became the second unit assigned to the fledgling 2nd Parachute Brigade, at the time part of the 1st Airborne Division. Upon formation the battalion and had an establishment of 556 men in three rifle companies. The companies were divided into a small headquarters and three platoons. The platoons had three Bren machine guns and three 2-inch mortars, one of each per section. By 1944 a headquarters, or support, company was added to the battalion. It comprised five platoons: motor transport, signals, mortar, machine-gun and anti-tank and was equipped with eight mortars, four Vickers machine guns and ten PIAT anti-tank projectors. near Windsor in England. During training, all members of the battalion had to undergo a twelve-day parachute training course, which was carried out at No. 1 Parachute Training School, RAF Ringway. Initial training consisted of parachute jumps from a converted barrage balloon before progressing to five parachute jumps from an aircraft. Initially the 5th Battalion wore a Balmoral bonnet instead of the beret, with the cap badge backed by a Hunting Stewart tartan patch. Airborne soldiers were expected to fight against superior numbers of the enemy, armed with heavy weapons, including artillery and tanks. As a result, training was designed to encourage a spirit of self-discipline, self-reliance and aggressiveness. Emphasis was given to physical fitness, marksmanship and fieldcraft. A large part of the training regime consisted of assault courses and route marching. Military exercises included capturing and holding airborne bridgeheads, road or rail bridges and coastal fortifications. At the end of most exercises the battalion would march back to their barracks. An ability to cover long distances at speed was expected: airborne platoons were required to cover a distance of in 24 hours, and battalions . ==Operational history==

Italy The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, as part of the 2nd Parachute Brigade, did not see any combat until 1943, when they were sent to the Mediterranean. The war in North Africa was over and it was planned to parachute the battalion into Sicily during the invasion. However, a shortage of transport aircraft and then the speed of the Allied advance, made their deployment unnecessary. On 9 July 1943 the battalion took part in Operation Slapstick as part a diversionary landing at the Italian port of Taranto. The battalion was the last unit of the brigade to land but quickly seized their objective, a small town to the east of Taranto. The battalion, along with the rest of the 2nd Parachute Brigade, were then paraded for the Pope in Rome, and carried out training in the Naples area in preparation for the invasion of the south of France. Greece s and troops from the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, 2nd Parachute Brigade, during operations against members of ELAS in Athens, Greece, 6 December 1944. In October 1944, the battalion was part of Operation Manna: a British force sent to secure the Greek capital of Athens following the German withdrawal from the Balkans. In December 1944, fighting broke out in Athens between the British-backed Greek government and the country's communist-led resistance movement, EAM-ELAS. The 2nd Parachute Brigade returned to the capital and became involved in intense street fighting against EAM-ELAS in December and early January 1945. During this time the battalion suffered over 100 casualties. In February 1948 the 2nd Parachute Brigade left the 6th Airborne Division and moved to Germany where it became part of the British Army on the Rhine. The 6th Airborne Division was disbanded soon afterwards, leaving the 2nd Parachute Brigade as the only airborne formation in the British Army. In (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was renumbered as the 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment. ==Notes==