1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)

1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom)

The 1st Airborne Division was a division of the British airborne forces during the Second World War. The division was formed in 1941, after British Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded an airborne force. Its first two missions were raids; Operation Biting, a parachute landing in France, and Operation Freshman, a glider mission in Norway.

The division was sent to North Africa at the end of 1942, and during the Allied invasion of Sicily undertook two brigade sized landings. The first, Operation Ladbroke, carried out by a glider brigade, and the second, Operation Fustian, by a parachute brigade, were far from successful. The division then took part in a mostly diversionary amphibious landing, Operation Slapstick, part of the Allied invasion of Italy.

In December 1943, the division returned to England, and prepared for the invasion of North-West Europe. It was not involved in the Normandy landings, being held in reserve. In September 1944 it took part in Operation Market Garden. The division landed 60 miles (97 km) behind German lines, to capture crossings on the River Rhine, and fought in the Battle of Arnhem. After failing to achieve its objectives, the division was surrounded and took heavy casualties, but held out for nine days before the survivors were evacuated.

The 1st Airborne Division never fully recovered from their losses at Arnhem. Just after the end of the war, the depleted formation took part in Operation Doomsday in Norway. They were tasked with the disarmament and repatriation of the German occupation army. The division then returned to England and was disbanded in November 1945.