66:
48:
196:
434:
enough for us then, and they're bloody well not good enough for us now. They're up against the finest soldiers in the world. An hour from now you will take up defensive positions north of the road outside. Make certain you dig in well and that your weapons and ammo are in good order. We are getting short of ammo, so when you shoot you shoot to kill. Good luck to you all.
28:
396:
which had captured the northern end of the Arnhem road bridge. The two battalions were located in the town about 1,100 yards (1,000 m) short of the bridge. They were just about to start another attempt to break through to the 2nd
Parachute Battalion. With no appreciation of the ground the 11th
495:
and the 64th Medium regiment, XXX Corps dropping their shells on the battalions positions. The remnants of the battalion were evacuated with help from the 43rd (Wessex) Reconnaissance
Regiment on the night of 25/26 September. The casualties sustained by the battalion were never replaced and it was
433:
You know as well as I do there are a lot of bloody
Germans coming at us. Well, all we can do is to stay here and hang on in the hope that somebody catches us up. We must fight for our lives and stick together. We've fought the Germans before — in North Africa, Sicily, Italy. They weren't good
408:
personally intervened, forbidding the battalion to take part in what he now considered a futile attack. The 2nd South
Staffords had been decimated with only their 'C' Company surviving as a unit. The 1st Parachute Battalion were in an even worse state and only numbered about 40 men.
412:
The battalion was gradually worn down withdrawing through the city and casualties mounted. A move to gain some high ground to the north was discovered and the battalion was caught in the open and decimated, with only around 150 men left. One of the casualties being the
361:
and captured the airfield. The
Italian garrison numbered around 4,000 men did not put up any resistance. The company was withdrawn soon after and rejoined the battalion. In December 1943 the battalion rejoined the 4th Parachute Brigade who by this time were in England.
345:
platoon. By 1944 a support company to command the battalions heavy weapons was added. It comprised three platoons: Mortar
Platoon with eight 3-inch (76 mm) mortars, Machine Gun Platoon with four Vickers machine guns and an Anti-tank Platoon with ten
248:. One company later parachuted onto the island of Kos taking prisoner the large Italian garrison. The battalion rejoined the rest of the 1st Airborne Division, then in England. The only battle in which the battalion participated was the
456:
were dropped south of the river. This drew off some of the
Germans from around the divisional perimeter to confront the new threat. The defenders now had to cope with over 100 German artillery guns firing onto their positions.
424:
now took command of the battalion and the remnants of the 1st, 3rd
Parachute and 2nd South Staffords battalions. Forming them into an ad hoc force which became known as Lonsdale Force. They were withdrawn to
397:
Battalion was held in reserve playing no part in the attack. Under heavy fire the attempt stalled and to relieve the pressure on the assaulting troops, the 11th
Battalion was asked to carry out a
1103:
1310:
1302:
429:
where the division was forming a defensive perimeter, digging in on the south eastern side with their right flank on the river. Lonsdale addressed the men before the
Germans arrived;
1096:
303:, 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
1388:
353:
The only combat seen by the battalion in the Mediterranean, was in September 1943. 'A' Company and the mortar and machine gun platoons parachuted onto the island of
295:
was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November, re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing, and later became the
1279:
1089:
233:
1491:
1483:
438:
The defenders were involved in a number of desperate actions, and hand-to-hand fighting keeping the Germans out of the divisions perimeter. One of the men
256:, in September 1944. The battalion sustained very heavy casualties and was disbanded following the battle and the men were used as replacements elsewhere.
1174:
1124:
307:
in April 1942, and creating the Parachute Regiment as well as converting a number of infantry battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942.
1512:
1249:
1034:
1442:
786:
1292:
808:
834:
1219:
453:
1214:
1179:
1259:
1164:
226:
1427:
1402:
1060:
1455:
1450:
1422:
1417:
1412:
1407:
1397:
512:
was reformed following the war in 1947, a new 11th Battalion was raised. It was formed by the conversion of the 8th Battalion,
497:
319:
315:
241:
237:
111:
1465:
1199:
1159:
1005:
449:. By 21 September pressure from the German attacks had squeezed the perimeter to less than 1,000 yards (910 m) across.
1209:
1204:
1194:
276:
472:
461:
222:
33:
1350:
1345:
1189:
1169:
1154:
380:
When the battalion landed outside Arnhem on 18 September they were detached from the brigade and sent to reinforce the
475:
attacked the battalion in force, attempting to cut the division off from the river. The initial attack was stopped by
1473:
1360:
1355:
1340:
1335:
1149:
1144:
1139:
1134:
1072:
1050:
1024:
986:
967:
948:
929:
910:
891:
872:
393:
381:
296:
1330:
1264:
402:
1287:
509:
488:
260:
1254:
389:
471:
to withdraw what was left of the division south of the Rhine. On the morning of 25 September units of the
401:
attack on the German positions. Orders were being issued for the assault, when the divisional commander
1432:
468:
338:
524:. Following defence cuts if reverted to being the 8th Battalion, Middlesex Regiment in August 1956.
323:
322:
the battalion was still in training when the rest of the brigade left to join the division for the
245:
1081:
375:
330:
253:
812:
521:
418:
838:
1378:
1370:
244:. As it was still training it was left behind when the rest of the brigade took part in the
1229:
1112:
626:
8:
1269:
1239:
342:
1039:
513:
414:
300:
1068:
1046:
1020:
1001:
982:
963:
944:
925:
906:
887:
868:
280:
1116:
442:
421:
371:
272:
249:
172:
151:
1320:
1244:
492:
385:
311:
212:
91:
464:
446:
439:
292:
136:
53:
27:
1506:
480:
398:
354:
147:
517:
405:
71:
299:. It was these men who took part in the first British airborne operation,
484:
195:
185:
867:. Osprey military campaign series. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing.
426:
358:
329:
In 1942 a parachute battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three
304:
284:
168:
259:
After the Second World War a reserve 11th Battalion was formed by the
218:
101:
445:
of the South Staffords anti-tank platoon, was awarded a posthumous
271:
Impressed by the success of German airborne operations, during the
215:
81:
1111:
998:
Arnhem Their Final Battle: The 11th Parachute Battalion 1943-1944
476:
334:
189:
496:
disbanded after the battle of Arnhem and the men sent to the
288:
184:
The emblem of the Second World War British Airborne Forces,
347:
960:
The Second World War 1939–1945 Army – Airborne Forces
417:
Lieutenant Colonel George Lea. The second in command
263:(TA) in 1947, but it was disbanded nine years later.
520:
as its honorary colonel. It was part of the reserve
1293:
53rd (Worcester Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment
1250:2nd Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
1038:
1065:Ready for Anything: The Parachute Regiment at War
1017:The devil's birthday: the bridges to Arnhem, 1944
1504:
1000:. Renkum, Netherlands: R.N. Sigmond Publishing.
995:
881:
924:. London, England: Weidenfeld & Nicolson.
922:Wings Of War – Airborne Warfare 1918-1945
1311:6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment
1097:
1033:
903:Airborne: World War II Paratroopers in Combat
287:to investigate the possibility of creating a
981:. Barnsley, England: Pen & Sword Books.
655:
653:
291:of 5,000 parachute troops. On 22 June 1940,
310:The 11th Parachute Battalion was raised in
1104:
1090:
996:Pijpers, Gerrit; Truesdale, David (2012).
976:
919:
1019:. London, England: Buchan & Enright.
650:
621:
619:
617:
460:On 24 September the decision was made by
1059:
882:Gregory, Barry; Batchelor, John (1979).
938:
569:
483:. Following attacks were driven off by
1505:
1045:. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing.
1014:
943:. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing.
905:. Oxford, England: Osprey Publishing.
862:
835:"B (Queen's Regiment) Company History"
614:
605:
1513:British Parachute Regiment Battalions
1085:
957:
900:
837:. Ministry of Defence. Archived from
314:Egypt in March 1943. Assigned to the
865:Arnhem 1944: Operation Market Garden
503:
13:
1351:195th (Airlanding) Field Ambulance
1346:181st (Airlanding) Field Ambulance
977:Peters, Mike; Luuk, Buist (2009).
787:"11 Battalion, Parachute Regiment"
14:
1524:
1361:225th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1356:224th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1341:133rd (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1336:127th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1265:7th King's Own Scottish Borderers
392:, trying to fight through to the
1331:16th (Parachute) Field Ambulance
1255:2nd South Staffordshire Regiment
1067:. Fontana, California: Fontana.
939:Moreman, Timothy Robert (2006).
452:On 22 September the bulk of the
232:The battalion was formed in the
194:
64:
46:
26:
1175:9th (Eastern and Home Counties)
886:. Exeter, Devon: Exeter Books.
827:
801:
779:
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560:
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1:
1288:1st Airlanding Light Regiment
1260:2nd King's Own Royal Regiment
856:
489:1st Airlanding Light Regiment
454:1st Polish Parachute Brigade
266:
227:British Army in World War II
7:
884:Airborne warfare, 1918-1945
10:
1529:
1433:Special Air Service Troops
920:Harclerode, Peter (2005).
811:. Paradata. Archived from
809:"11th Parachute Battalion"
627:"11th Parachute Battalion"
369:
339:3-inch (76 mm) mortar
1482:
1464:
1441:
1387:
1369:
1319:
1301:
1278:
1228:
1123:
1037:; McBride, Angus (1981).
1015:Powell, Geoffrey (1984).
941:British Commandos 1940–46
557:Shortt & McBride, p.4
365:
183:
178:
162:
157:
143:
139:for "Ready for Anything")
127:
117:
107:
97:
87:
77:
59:
41:
25:
20:
1270:12th Devonshire Regiment
1190:11th Special Air Service
863:Badsey, Stephen (1993).
527:
324:Allied invasion of Italy
236:and was assigned to the
209:11th Parachute Battalion
188:riding the flying horse
21:11th Parachute Battalion
1240:1st Royal Ulster Rifles
1041:The Special Air Service
979:Glider Pilots at Arnhem
962:. Imperial War Museum.
394:2nd Parachute Battalion
382:1st Parachute Battalion
376:Operation Market Garden
297:1st Parachute Battalion
254:Operation Market Garden
1428:6th Airlanding Brigade
1403:1st Airlanding Brigade
1115:airborne units of the
958:Otway, T.B.H. (1990).
522:16th Airborne Division
473:9th SS Panzer Division
436:
350:anti-tank projectors.
277:British Prime Minister
1456:6th Airborne Division
1451:1st Airborne Division
1423:5th Parachute Brigade
1418:4th Parachute Brigade
1413:3rd Parachute Brigade
1408:2nd Parachute Brigade
1398:1st Parachute Brigade
1379:Glider Pilot Regiment
901:Guard, Julie (2007).
498:1st Parachute Brigade
487:from the guns of the
431:
386:glider-borne infantry
370:Further information:
337:each) supported by a
320:1st Airborne Division
316:4th Parachute Brigade
242:1st Airborne Division
238:4th Parachute Brigade
112:4th Parachute Brigade
1492:Deception formations
1165:7th (Light Infantry)
1245:1st Border Regiment
841:on 4 September 2011
343:Vickers machine gun
1474:1st Airborne Corps
776:Peters, pp.279–283
758:Peters, pp.269–270
722:Peters, pp.209–210
584:Harclerode, p. 218
514:Middlesex Regiment
462:Lieutenant-General
415:commanding officer
301:Operation Colossus
223:Parachute Regiment
34:Parachute Regiment
1500:
1499:
1200:13th (Lancashire)
1160:6th (Royal Welch)
1007:978-90-812703-0-4
789:. Order of Battle
686:Peters, p.204 209
629:. Pegasus archive
281:Winston Churchill
246:invasion of Italy
202:
201:
32:Cap badge of the
1520:
1210:16th (Staffords)
1195:12th (Yorkshire)
1117:Second World War
1106:
1099:
1092:
1083:
1082:
1078:
1061:Thompson, Julian
1056:
1044:
1030:
1011:
992:
973:
954:
935:
916:
897:
878:
851:
850:
848:
846:
831:
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822:
820:
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783:
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774:
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756:
750:
747:
741:
738:
732:
729:
723:
720:
714:
711:
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669:
666:
660:
657:
648:
645:
639:
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634:
623:
612:
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594:
591:
585:
582:
576:
573:
567:
564:
558:
555:
549:
546:
540:
537:
510:Territorial Army
504:Territorial Army
443:John Baskeyfield
422:Richard Lonsdale
372:Battle of Arnhem
273:Battle of France
261:Territorial Army
250:Battle of Arnhem
225:, raised by the
198:
173:Richard Lonsdale
152:Battle of Arnhem
132:Utrinque Paratus
70:
68:
67:
52:
50:
49:
30:
18:
17:
1528:
1527:
1523:
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1501:
1496:
1478:
1460:
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1391:
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1297:
1274:
1231:
1224:
1126:
1119:
1110:
1075:
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1027:
1008:
989:
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951:
932:
913:
894:
875:
859:
854:
844:
842:
833:
832:
828:
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816:
815:on 25 July 2011
807:
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493:Royal Artillery
390:South Staffords
378:
368:
283:, directed the
269:
205:
171:
164:
150:
134:
92:Airborne forces
65:
63:
47:
45:
37:
12:
11:
5:
1526:
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1515:
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1325:
1317:
1316:
1314:
1313:
1307:
1305:
1303:Reconnaissance
1299:
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1296:
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1290:
1284:
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1276:
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1273:
1272:
1267:
1262:
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1223:
1222:
1217:
1212:
1207:
1202:
1197:
1192:
1187:
1182:
1177:
1172:
1170:8th (Midlands)
1167:
1162:
1157:
1155:5th (Scottish)
1152:
1147:
1142:
1137:
1131:
1129:
1121:
1120:
1109:
1108:
1101:
1094:
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1073:
1057:
1051:
1031:
1025:
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987:
974:
968:
955:
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936:
930:
917:
911:
898:
892:
879:
873:
858:
855:
853:
852:
826:
800:
778:
769:
760:
751:
742:
733:
724:
715:
706:
697:
688:
679:
670:
661:
649:
640:
613:
604:
595:
586:
577:
568:
559:
550:
541:
531:
529:
526:
505:
502:
447:Victoria Cross
440:Lance-Sergeant
367:
364:
293:No. 2 Commando
268:
265:
203:
200:
199:
192:
181:
180:
176:
175:
169:Sir George Lea
166:
160:
159:
155:
154:
145:
141:
140:
129:
125:
124:
119:
115:
114:
109:
105:
104:
99:
95:
94:
89:
85:
84:
79:
75:
74:
61:
57:
56:
54:United Kingdom
43:
39:
38:
31:
23:
22:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
1525:
1514:
1511:
1510:
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1401:
1399:
1396:
1395:
1393:
1390:
1386:
1380:
1377:
1376:
1374:
1372:
1371:Glider Pilots
1368:
1362:
1359:
1357:
1354:
1352:
1349:
1347:
1344:
1342:
1339:
1337:
1334:
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1329:
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1318:
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1237:
1235:
1233:
1227:
1221:
1218:
1216:
1213:
1211:
1208:
1206:
1205:15th (King's)
1203:
1201:
1198:
1196:
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
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1156:
1153:
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1138:
1136:
1133:
1132:
1130:
1128:
1122:
1118:
1114:
1107:
1102:
1100:
1095:
1093:
1088:
1087:
1084:
1076:
1074:0-00-637505-7
1070:
1066:
1062:
1058:
1054:
1052:0-85045-396-8
1048:
1043:
1042:
1036:
1035:Shortt, James
1032:
1028:
1026:0-907675-25-5
1022:
1018:
1013:
1009:
1003:
999:
994:
990:
988:1-84415-763-6
984:
980:
975:
971:
969:0-901627-57-7
965:
961:
956:
952:
950:1-84176-986-X
946:
942:
937:
933:
931:0-304-36730-3
927:
923:
918:
914:
912:1-84603-196-6
908:
904:
899:
895:
893:0-89673-025-5
889:
885:
880:
876:
874:1-85532-302-8
870:
866:
861:
860:
840:
836:
830:
814:
810:
804:
788:
782:
773:
767:Peters, p.270
764:
755:
749:Peters, p.265
746:
740:Peters, p.234
737:
731:Peters, p.222
728:
719:
713:Peters, p.209
710:
701:
695:Peters, p.204
692:
683:
674:
668:Peters, p.165
665:
659:Peters, p.164
656:
654:
647:Peters, p.154
644:
628:
622:
620:
618:
608:
599:
593:Powell, p.107
590:
581:
572:
566:Moreman, p.91
563:
554:
545:
536:
532:
525:
523:
519:
515:
511:
501:
499:
494:
490:
486:
482:
481:hand grenades
478:
474:
470:
466:
463:
458:
455:
450:
448:
444:
441:
435:
430:
428:
423:
420:
416:
410:
407:
404:
403:Major-General
400:
399:left flanking
395:
391:
387:
383:
377:
373:
363:
360:
356:
351:
349:
344:
340:
336:
332:
327:
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308:
306:
302:
298:
294:
290:
286:
282:
278:
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548:Otway, p.21
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485:direct fire
252:, part of
234:Middle East
186:Bellerophon
144:Engagements
118:Nickname(s)
1323:Ambulances
1232:Battalions
1230:Airlanding
1127:Battalions
857:References
516:, and had
467:commander
427:Oosterbeek
359:Dodecanese
305:Derbyshire
285:War Office
165:commanders
158:Commanders
122:Red Devils
1484:Deception
1443:Divisions
1280:Artillery
1125:Parachute
508:When the
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331:companies
267:Formation
219:battalion
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1507:Category
1389:Brigades
1063:(1990).
845:30 April
819:25 March
793:25 March
633:25 March
477:bayonets
465:Horrocks
384:and the
335:platoons
216:infantry
213:airborne
179:Insignia
128:Motto(s)
82:Infantry
1113:British
388:of 2nd
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