page_title: 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion
section_title: Greece
hierarchical_section_title: 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion / Operational history / Greece
caption_attribution_description: English: The British Army in Greece 1944 Sherman tanks and troops from 5th (Scots) Parachute Battalion, 2nd Parachute Brigade, during operations against members of ELAS in Athens, 6 December 1944.
context_page_description: The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army during the Second World War.
  The four proceeding British parachute infantry battalions had been raised by volunteers from all ranks of the army. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was formed by the conversion of the 7th Battalion, Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders together with volunteers from other Scottish regiments for parachute duties. The 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was assigned to the 2nd Parachute Brigade, which at the time, was part of the 1st Airborne Division.
  The battalion fought in a number of actions in Italy, Greece and the south of France, where they carried out their only parachute assault of the war, during Operation Dragoon. At the end of the war, now attached to the 6th Airborne Division, the battalion was posted to Palestine, in an internal security role.
  By 1948 the battalion was one of only three Regular Army parachute battalions remaining in the British Army. In June these battalions were renumbered and the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion became the present day 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment.
context_section_description: In October 1944, the battalion was part of Operation Manna: a British force sent to secure the Greek capital of Athens following the German withdrawal from the Balkans. The battalion landed at Megara airfield, 40 miles (64 km) from Athens. The battalion first moved on Athens and then, following up the retreating German forces, took part in an amphibious landing at Salonika in November.
  In December 1944, fighting broke out in Athens between the British-backed Greek government and the country's communist-led resistance movement, EAM-ELAS. The 2nd Parachute Brigade returned to the capital and became involved in intense street fighting against EAM-ELAS in December and early January 1945. During this time the battalion suffered over 100 casualties.
  On 1 February 1945 the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade returned to Italy where it remained until the end of the war.
caption: Sherman tanks and troops from the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion, 2nd Parachute Brigade, during operations against members of ELAS in Athens, Greece, 6 December 1944.
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