4th Battalion , Parachute Regiment The 4th Battalion , Parachute Regiment ( 4 PARA ) , is a Territorial Army ( TA ) unit of the British Army . It is based across the U . K . Originally the Battalion covered the North of England with its Headquarters located in Pudsey , West Yorkshire . Following the Options for Change review in 1993 , 4 PARA amalgamated with the 15th ( Scottish ) Battalion of the Parachute Regiment ( XV PARA ) which was downsized and became 15 ( Scottish ) Company of 4 PARA . As part of further changes in 1999 ( Strategic Defence Review ) the Battalion also merged with the 10th ( Volunteer ) Battalion which then became 10 ( London ) Company . Under the Army 2020 plan , it will form as a reserve air assault infantry battalion of 16th Air Assault Brigade . History . The present day Battalion is the successor to several T . A . Parachute Battalions which were all raised in 1947 , although it can trace its history back to units raised during the Second World War . The original 4th Parachute Battalion was formed in 1942 and saw service in ; In 1943 Operation Avalanche ( Invasion of Italy ) was launched and the Battalion was in action at Taranto and Cassino . In August 1944 , the battalion was part of Operation Rugby in Southern France . In October 1944 the Battalion seized by airborne assault ( Operation Manna ) the airfield at Megara near Athens in Greece . The battalion spent the rest of the war supporting the 2nd New Zealand Division . Then from 1945 served with the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine . The original 10th Parachute Battalion was a war - formed unit which as part of the British 1st Airborne Division fought at the Battle of Arnhem ( Operation Market Garden ) . During this action Captain Lionel Ernest Queripel was awarded a posthumous Victoria Cross . A new 10th Battalion was raised in 1947 as part of the T . A . based in London . The 12th ( Yorkshire ) Parachute Battalion and 13th ( Lancashire ) Parachute Battalion were dropped at Normandy as part of the 6th Airborne Division during the ' D ' Day landings ( Operation Overlord ) and on 12 June took part in the action at Breville . In 1945 as part of the 6th Airborne Division both battalions took part in Operation Varsity ( the Rhine Crossing ) . Both battalions were re - raised in 1947 in the TA , although with no official lineage to their wartime namesakes . The 15th ( Scottish ) Parachute Battalion was raised in 1947 with HQ in Glasgow whilst 17th ( Durham Light Infantry ) Parachute Battalion was raised the same year in North East England by converting the 9th Battalion , Durham Light Infantry . One of 15 PARA ' s past members is the well known Scottish comedian , musician and actor , William " Billy " Connolly , CBE . He served in the Glasgow HQ during the early 1960s and later commemorated his TA experiences in the song , " Weekend Soldier " . On the right sleeve of the smock worn by XV PARA soldiers just below the wings was a tartan DZ flash . This was similar to that used by the Lowland Scottish Regiments being a section of the Hunting Stewart Tartan . It was also worn on the beret behind the parachute regiment capbadge . 4 PARA was re - formed on 1 April 1967 as a Territorial Army Battalion from a merger of the 12th / 13th ( Yorkshire and Lancashire ) Battalion ( this had been formed in 1956 from an amalgamation of the 12th and 13th Battalions ) and the 17th ( 9 DLI ) Battalions of the Parachute Regiment . All of the TA Parachute Battalions formed part of the 44th Parachute Brigade ( V ) which was disbanded on 31 March 1978 . After this 4 PARA came under the administrative command of North - East District with an operational role to reinforce an armoured division in the British Army of the Rhine ( BAOR ) . In 1982 , 4 PARA became part of 15 Infantry Brigade . In 1999 , 4 PARA ( Merseyside ) was disbanded therefore moving to Pudsey in Leeds , however it moved back to Merseyside ( Jubilee Barracks , St Helens ) in 2006 . Training . The level of fitness required for joining 4 Para is far higher than the level mandated for other TA Infantry units . 4 Para conduct their own recruit training programme independent of Regional Training Centres . The 2 week TA Combat Infantry Course ( CIC ) for 4 Para is run by the P Coy staff at ITC Catterick . These high standards are carried on once in Battalion , and are maintained by the regular staff posted there for that purpose . Training evenings ( Tuesday night ) will usually include a combination of fitness , military skills and admin . One or two weekend exercises per months of ranges , tactics , military skills etc . Annual camps ( one per year , 2 weeks duration ) are for longer exercises , parachuting and more advanced range work . Current operations and exercises . Recent overseas annual camps have been held in the Czech Republic 1999 ( Ex Czech Mate ) ; France 2001 ( Ex Gaulish 1 ) ; Germany 2002 ( Ex Paperchase ) ; Ukraine 2003 ( Ex Cossack Steppe ) ; Wyoming , USA 2005 ( Ex Stoney Run ) and Albania 2006 . In addition the Battalion has a number of regular exercises and unit exchanges which it takes part in , these include Ex Paperchase ( exchange with German 272 Falschirmjager Battalion ) ; Ex Anthropoid ( Patrol competition with Slovak Special Forces ) ; Ex Pathfinder ( Exchange with Czech airborne forces ) and Ex Market Garden ( annual commemoration and jump into Arnhem ) . The Battalion also regularly sends teams to the annual Exercise Cambrian Patrol competition held at the Sennybridge Training Area . A total of 104 soldiers from the Battalion were mobilised to reinforce the 1st and 3rd Battalions during the invasion of Iraq in 2003 Operation Telic . The Battalion provided a Platoon for Force Protection duties on Op Telic 3 in 2004 and a Company for Op Telic 7 in 2005 - 2006 . Most recently the Battalion mobilised soldiers in support of the 2nd and 3rd Battalions in Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 4 in 2006 , Op Herrick 8 in 2008 and Op Herrick 13 in 2010 - 2011 . The Battalion has also provided soldiers for operations in Northern Ireland and the Balkans .