29th Ranger Battalion (United States)

29th Ranger Battalion (United States)

The 29th Provisional Ranger Battalion was a United States Army unit in World War II. Formed in December 1942 in England as a detachment of volunteers from the 29th Infantry Division, the battalion underwent commando training under British supervision and participated in raids on German installations, mostly in concert with No. 4 Commando. The battalion was disbanded in October 1943 and its men returned to their parent units.

However, during the 1970s a single company, B Company, 1/29th Infantry, was stationed at Kelly Hill at Fort Benning, Georgia. The company, on jump status, provided aggressor support for the United States Army's Ranger Department at all three Ranger Training camps (Darby, Dalonega and Camp Rudder in Florida). The unit's personnel wore the distinctive ranger "black beret" and those who graduated from Ranger School were authorized to sew a Ranger dress tab above the 1/29th Infantry teal blue "flash" on the beret.

The company would be integrated by the Ranger Department in the early 1980s. A story on the unit appeared in an issue of "Gung Ho Magazine" written by former B Company ranger Greg Walker.