1st Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom)
The 1st Airlanding Brigade was an airborne brigade of the British Army during the Second World War and the only glider infantry formation assigned to the 1st Airborne Division.
The brigade was formed in 1941 through the conversion of an existing infantry brigade previously stationed in India. Two of the initial four infantry battalions left in May 1943 to form the 6th Airlanding Brigade and were replaced by a single new battalion, thereby reducing the brigade's strength by one quarter.
The brigade only saw action on two occasions during the Second World War, in Sicily in 1943 and later in the Netherlands in late 1944. During the second operation, in the fighting around Arnhem, 1st Airlanding Brigade along with the rest of 1st Airborne Division held out against overwhelming German odds. Only around 20 percent of the brigade were evacuated south of the River Rhine. The rest had either been killed, were missing or became prisoners of war.
Following the German surrender in mid-1945, 1st Airlanding Brigade were sent to Norway to disarm the German garrison. Later the same year the brigade was disbanded.
Read more about 1st Airlanding Brigade (United Kingdom): Background
Famous quotes containing the word brigade:
“Rational free spirits are the light brigade who go on ahead and reconnoitre the ground which the heavy brigade of the orthodox will eventually occupy.”
—G.C. (Georg Christoph)