12th ( Yorkshire ) Parachute Battalion The 12th ( Yorkshire ) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment , raised by the British Army during the Second World War . The battalion was formed by the conversion of the 10th ( East Riding Yeomanry ) Battalion , Green Howards to parachute duties in May 1943 . They were then assigned to the 5th Parachute Brigade , which was part of the 6th Airborne Division . They battalion took part in Operation Tonga during the Normandy invasion , capturing Ranville and held it against several German counter - attacks . It later fought in the Battle of Breville , and played a part in the 6th Airborne Division advance to the River Seine , after which it was returned to England . Its final mission in Europe was Operation Varsity the River Rhine crossing . They then advanced further into Germany , and had reached the Baltic Sea , when Germany surrendered . After the war in Europe the battalion was sent to the Far East , taking part in operations in Malaya and Java . In 1946 the battalion rejoined the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine , where it was disbanded in July . In 1947 a new 12th Battalion was raised as part of the 16th Airborne Division in the reformed Territorial Army . Background . Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France , the British Prime Minister , Winston Churchill , directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a force of 5 , 000 parachute troops . As a result , on 22 June 1940 , No . 2 Commando assumed parachute duties , and on 21 November was re - designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion , with a parachute and glider wing . On 21 June 1940 the Central Landing Establishment was formed at Ringway airfield near Manchester . Although tasked primarily with training parachute troops , it was also directed to investigate the use of gliders to transport troops into battle . At the same time , the Ministry of Aircraft Production contracted General Aircraft Ltd to design and produce a glider for this purpose . The result was the General Aircraft Hotspur , an aircraft capable of transporting eight soldiers , that was used for both assault and training purposes . The success of the first British airborne raid , Operation Colossus , prompted the War Office to expand the airborne force through the creation of the Parachute Regiment , and to develop plans to convert several infantry battalions into parachute and glider battalions . On 31 May 1941 , a joint army and air force memorandum was approved by the Chiefs - of - Staff and Winston Churchill ; it recommended that the British airborne forces should consist of two parachute brigades , one based in England and the other in the Middle East , and that a glider force of 10 , 000 men should be created . Formation . In May 1943 , the 10th ( East Riding Yeomanry ) Battalion , Green Howards was converted to parachute duties becoming the 12th ( Yorkshire ) Parachute Battalion , under the command of Lieutenant - Colonel R . G . Parker . The battalion was then assigned to the 5th Parachute Brigade , part of the 6th Airborne Division . Upon formation , the battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three rifle companies . The companies were divided into a small headquarters and three platoon s . The platoons had three Bren machine gun s and three 2 - inch mortar s , one of each per section . The only heavy weapons in the battalion were a 3 inch mortar and a Vickers machine gun platoon . By 1944 a headquarters or support company , was added to the battalion comprising five platoons : motor transport , signals , mortar , machine - gun and anti - tank . With eight 3 inch mortars , four Vickers machine guns and ten PIAT anti - tank projectors . All members of the battalion had to undergo a twelve - day parachute training course carried out at No . 1 Parachute Training School , RAF Ringway . Initial parachute jumps were from a converted barrage balloon and finished with five parachute jumps from an aircraft . Anyone failing to complete a descent was returned to his old unit . Those men who successfully completed the parachute course , were presented with their maroon beret and parachute wings . Airborne soldiers were expected to fight against superior numbers of the enemy , armed with heavy weapons , including artillery and tanks . So training was designed to encourage a spirit of self - discipline , self - reliance and aggressiveness . Emphasis was given to physical fitness , marksman ship and fieldcraft . A large part of the training regime consisted of assault course s and route marching . Military exercise s included capturing and holding airborne bridgeheads , road or rail bridges and coastal fortifications . At the end of most exercises , the battalion would march back to their barracks . An ability to cover long distances at speed was expected : airborne platoon ' s were required to cover a distance of in 24 hours , and battalion ' s . Territorial Army . When the Territorial Army was reformed after the war , a new 12th Battalion , The Parachute Regiment ( TA ) was formed in 1947 . The battalion was re - designated 12 PARA ( TA ) in 1948 , and became part of the 16th Airborne Division ( TA ) . In October 1956 , the 12th Battalion was amalgamated with the 13th Battalion as the 12 / 13 PARA ( TA ) . A further amalgamation with 17 Para in 1967 , formed the present day 4th Battalion , The Parachute Regiment .