1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment

Infobox Military Unit
unit_name=First Battalion, The Parachute Regiment


caption=
dates=1941–2006
country=United Kingdom
allegiance=
branch=Army
type=Versatile Airborne Infantry
role=
size= 650 men
command_structure=
current_commander=
garrison=RAF St Athan
ceremonial_chief=
ceremonial_chief_label=
colonel_of_the_regiment=
colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Colonel Commandant
nickname="Sporting First"
patron=
motto="Utrinque Paratus"
(Latin: "Ready for Anything")
colours=
identification_symbol=
identification_symbol_label=
identification_symbol_3=
identification_symbol_3_label=Abbreviation
march=
mascot=
battles=
notable_commanders=
anniversaries=

The First Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (1 PARA) is a battalion sized formation of the British Army's Parachute Regiment and subordinate unit within 16th Air Assault Brigade.

An airborne light infantry unit, the battalion has since 2006 been the main contributor of manpower to the Special Forces Support Group and is capable of a wide range of operations. Based at RAF St Athan, their barracks in South Wales, personnel regularly deploy outside of the United Kingdom on operations and training.

All personnel will have completed the Pre Parachute Selection (P Company) course at Depot PARA at Catterick Garrison, North Yorkshire (previously it was at Aldershot, Hampshire) entitling them to wear the Maroon beret.

History

1940-1949

* 1940
No. 2 Independent Company, Commando Forces. Trained as parachutists
No. 11 Special Air Service Battalion, Commando Forces organised in Parachute and Glider Wings
*1941
September 15: Assigned to the 1st Parachute Brigade
October 31 :1st Parachute Brigade assigned to the 1st Airborne Division
*1942
August 1: 1st Battalion, The Parachute Regiment
*1944
September 17 - September 25: Holland: Operation Market Garden
*1946
Reconstituted and affiliated to Brigade of Guards
*1948
Disbanded
July: Lübbecke, Germany: Re-formed at from 4th/6th Battalion
*1949
October: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)

1950-1959

* 1950
July 19: King George VI presents the Regiment with their first Kings and Regimental colours. Aldershot.
* 1951
June: Egypt
* 1954
Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
* 1956
January: Cyprus (16 Parachute Brigade)
October 31: Operation Musketeer, Suez, Egypt (16 Parachute Brigade)
November: Cyprus (16 Parachute Brigade)
* 1959
March: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)

1960-1969

*1962
May: Bahrain
*1963
April : Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
*1964
January: Cyprus
May: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
*1965
October: Bahrain
*1967
January: Aden (Aden Bde)
November 27: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)

1970-1979

*1970
October: Operation Banner, Holywood Barracks, Belfast, Northern Ireland 39 Infantry Brigade
*1972
January 30: Bloody Sunday, Derry, Northern Ireland
May: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
July: Operation Motorman, Northern Ireland
November: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
*1974
August: Berlin, Germany: (Berlin Brigade)
*1976
August: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Parachute Brigade)
*1976
December: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (6 Field Force)
*1978
April: Operation Banner, South Armagh, Northern Ireland
July: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (6 Field Force)

1980-1989

*1981
March: Public duties Edinburgh, Scotland
November: Operation Banner, Northern Ireland
*1982
January: Public duties Edinburgh, Scotland
May: Operation Banner, Fermanagh, Northern Ireland
October: Edinburgh, Scotland
*1983
June: Tidworth, England (ACE MF(L))
*1985
January: Aldershot, England (5 Airborne Brigade)
*1988
July: Operation Banner, South Armagh, Northern Ireland
November: Aldershot, England (5 Airborne Brigade)

1990-1999

*1991
February: Residential Tour. Operation Banner, Holywood Barracks, Belfast, Northern Ireland (39 Inf Bde)
*1993
June: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (5 Airborne Brigade)
*1994
May: Operation Banner, Belfast, Northern Ireland (39 Inf Bde)
November: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (5 Airborne Brigade)
*1999
April: Operation Agricola, Kosovo (5 Airborne Brigade)
September: Montgomary Lines, Aldershot, England (16 Air Assault Brigade)

2000-Present

*2000
May: Sierra Leone: Operation Palliser (16 Air Assault Brigade)
August: Connaught Barracks, Dover, England (ACE MF'L')
*2001
July: Northern Ireland: Operation Banner (39 Inf Brigade)
*2002
February: Connaught Barracks, Dover, England (ACE MF(L))
April: Connaught Barracks, Dover, England (16 Air Assault Brigade)
*2003
February: Persian Gulf (16 Air Assault Brigade)
March: Operation Telic, Iraq (16 Air Assault Brigade)
July: Connaught Barracks, Dover, England (16 Air Assault Brigade)
*2006
April: RAF St Athan, St Athan, Wales. Assigned to the Special Forces Support Group (United Kingdom Special Forces)

Commanding Officers

* No 2 Commando/11th Special Air Service Battalion
* 1940 ..........Lieutenant Colonel C I A Jackson
* 1941 ..........Lieutenant Colonel E E Down
* 1st Parachute Battalion
* 1941-1942 Lieutenant Colonel E E Down
* 1942 .........Lieutenant Colonel Stanley Hill, MC
* 1942-1943 Lieutenant Colonel Alastair Pearson, DSO and Bar, MC [http://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/james_hill.htm]
* 1943-1944 Lieutenant Colonel P Cleasby-Thompson, MBE, MC
* 1944 .........Lieutenant Colonel Kenneth Darling, DSO [http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4158/is_19981112/ai_n14189586]
* 1944-1945 Lieutenant Colonel David Dobie, DSO [http://www.holum.net/gen/dobie.htm]
* 1945 .........Lieutenant Colonel T C H Pearson, DSO
* Disbanded 1945
* 1st Battalion The Parachute Regiment
* Formed in July 1948 from 4th/6th Parachute Battalion*
* 1948-1950 Lieutenant Colonel John Cubbon, OBE
* 1950-1951 Lieutenant Colonel C H P Harrington, DSO, MC
* 1951-1952 Lieutenant Colonel D W Jackson
* 1952-1954 Lieutenant Colonel Henry Leask, DSO, MC [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/1452324/Lt-Gen-Sir-Henry-Leask.html Leask Bio]
* 1954-1956 Lieutenant Colonel J S S Gratton
* 1957-1959 Lieutenant Colonel G G Reinhold, MC
* 1959-1961 Lieutenant Colonel J Awdry
* 1961-1962 Lieutenant Colonel T Pine-Coffin, DSO
* 1962-1964 Lieutenant Colonel P D F Thursby, OBE
* 1964-1966 Lieutenant Colonel J D C Graham, OBE
* 1966-1969 Lieutenant Colonel M J H Walsh, DSO
* 1969-1971 Lieutenant Colonel M S Gray, OBE
* 1971-1973 Lieutenant Colonel D Wilford, OBE
* 1973-1976 Lieutenant Colonel P S Field, MC
* 1976-1979 Lieutenant Colonel J B Brierley, OBE
* 1979-1981 Lieutenant Colonel D M G Charles
* 1981-1984 Lieutenant Colonel Ian McLeod, OBE, MC
* 1984-1986 Lieutenant Colonel Mike Jackson, MBE
* 1986-1988 Lieutenant Colonel John Reith, OBE
* 1988-1990 Lieutenant Colonel R W Trigger, MBE
* 1990-1993 Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Kennett, MBE CBE [http://www.mod.uk/NR/rdonlyres/5FC81AAB-025D-463E-A4B2-BD4D1AAC2F4B/0/guide_appointments_april08.pdf]
* 1993-1995 Lieutenant Colonel G J J McFall, MID OBE [http://www.erinysinternational.com/CompanyOverview-ManagementProfiles.asp McFall Bio]
* 1995-1998 Lieutenant Colonel J G James, MBE
* 1998- 2000 Lieutenant Colonel Paul Gibson DSO

ee Also

* 2 PARA
* 3 PARA
* 4 PARA

References

External Links

* [http://www2.army.mod.uk/para/1bn.htm 1 PARA's official website]
* [http://www.army.mod.uk/infantry/regiments/4629.aspx 1 PARA at Army.mod.uk]
* [http://www.genuki.org.uk/big/paras/index.html Parachute Regiment War Dead]
* [http://www.palacebarracksmemorialgarden.org/ Palace Barracks Memorial Garden]
* [http://www.exairborneforces.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5528&sid=7c48a06e052ddaf890d49cffb1ba1799 Exairborne Forces history page]