Operations
The 2nd Parachute Brigade trained in the United Kingdom until June 1943, when they left for North Africa with the 1st Airlanding Brigade. On arrival the two brigades were joined by the 1st Parachute Brigade, which had already been carrying out independent operations in the area during the Tunisian Campaign, and by the 4th Parachute Brigade, which had been forming in the Middle East. The 1st Airborne Division, now with one air-landing and three parachute brigades, was based at Oran, preparing for the invasion of Sicily under command of the Eighth Army. During the invasion the division was to conduct three brigade-scale airborne operations: the Ponte Grande road bridge south of Syracuse was to be captured by the 1st Airlanding Brigade, the port of Augusta was to be seized by 2nd Parachute Brigade, and finally the Primasole Bridge over the River Simeto was to be taken and secured by 1st Parachute Brigade. A lack of transport aircraft reduced the number of men that could be deployed, and the 2nd Brigade remained in Tunisia in a reserve role.
Fighting ended in Sicily on 17 August without use of the brigade; they were, however, selected to take part in Operation Slapstick, an amphibious landing at the port of Taranto on mainland Italy. The brigade left Bizerta on the 8th of September, the day before the Italian surrender, and landed unopposed. Their only casualties were 58 men from the 6th Parachute Battalion who drowned after their transport ship, HMS Abdiel, hit a mine in the harbour. While the 4th Parachute Brigade pushed inland, the 2nd Brigade assumed responsibility for securing the port and surrounding area. During fierce fighting around the town and airfield of Gioia del Colle the divisional commander, Major-General Hopkinson, was killed and replaced by Brigadier Down. Command of the 2nd Parachute Brigade was given to Brigadier Charles Hilary Vaughan Pritchard. The 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn to England soon after, leaving the 2nd Brigade in Italy as an independent parachute brigade formation that came under command of the 2nd New Zealand Division. To support an independent role the brigade was assigned its own artillery with nine 6-pounder anti-tank guns and eight 75mm pack howitzers. They also had their own engineers and other support units were attached, including a pathfinder platoon and a glider squadron.
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