13th ( Lancashire ) Parachute Battalion The 13th ( Lancashire ) 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 in May 1943 by the conversion of the 2 / 4th Battalion , South Lancashire Regiment to parachute duties and was assigned to the 5th Parachute Brigade in the 6th Airborne Division . In mid - 1944 , the battalion took part in the Normandy invasion and the 6th Airborne Division ' s advance to the River Seine , before being withdrawn back to England . Three months later they were sent to Belgium to help counter the surprise German Ardennes offensive , which became known as the Battle of the Bulge . Later , in March 1945 , the battalion took part in the last airborne operation of the war : the River Rhine crossing in Germany . After the war in Europe ended , they were sent to India to conduct operations against the Japanese Empire , however , the war ended before they could begin . As a result , the battalion was sent to British Malaya , Singapore and Java to help disarm the Japanese occupiers and restore law and order . While in the Far East 252 men of the battalion were convicted of mutiny and soon afterwards , in May 1946 , the battalion was disbanded . A new 13th Parachute Battalion ( TA ) was raised when the Territorial Army was reformed in 1947 . Over the years , as a result of a number of amalgamations , this battalion eventually became part of the present day 4th Battalion . Formation history . Background . Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France , the then Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Winston Churchill , directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5 , 000 parachute troops . The standards set for British airborne troops were extremely high , and from the first group of 3 , 500 volunteers only 500 men were accepted to go forward to parachute training . Additionally on 22 June 1940 , a British Commando unit , No . 2 Commando , was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November re - designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion , with a parachute and glider wing . It was these men who took part in the first British airborne operation , Operation Colossus , on 10 February 1941 . The success of the raid prompted the War Office to expand the existing airborne force , setting up the Airborne Forces Depot and Battle School in Derbyshire in April 1942 , and creating the Parachute Regiment as well as converting a number of infantry battalions into airborne battalions in August 1942 . Battalion . The 13th ( Lancashire ) Parachute Battalion was formed in May 1943 , by the conversion of the 2 / 4th Battalion , South Lancashire Regiment to parachute duties . This was the last British parachute battalion formed before the invasion of France , and was assigned to the 5th Parachute Brigade , part of the 6th Airborne Division . The first commanding officer ( CO ) was Lieutenant - Colonel Russell , who was succeeded by Lieutenant - Colonel Peter Luard . Upon formation , the battalion was based at Larkhill and 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 . It comprised five platoons — motor transport , signals , mortar , machine - gun and anti - tank — and was equipped with eight mortars , four Vickers machine guns and ten PIAT anti - tank projectors . All members of the battalion had to undergo a 12 - day parachute training course which was carried out at No . 1 Parachute Training School , RAF Ringway . Training consisted of an initial parachute jump from a converted barrage balloon and finished with five jumps from an aircraft . Anyone failing to complete a descent was returned to his old unit , while 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 . As a result , 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 platoons were required to cover a distance of in 24 hours , and battalions . Operational history . Normandy . At 00 : 50 on 6 June 1944 , as part of Operation Tonga , the 13th Parachute Battalion landed in Normandy . The battalions drop was scattered over a large area and only around sixty percent of the battalions men were at the forming up point when they headed off towards their objectives . The battalion had been tasked with securing the area around Drop Zone ' N ' and the River Orne and Caen canal bridges that had been captured in a coup - de - main by a glider - borne force from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry . The battalion also had to secure the town of Ranville , which it achieved at around 04 : 00 against heavy resistance from the Germans . One company from the battalion remained at the landing - zone to provide protection for a company of Royal Engineer s , who were to demolish poles and explosives positioned to prevent a glider landing , so that the divisional headquarters could land safely . By midnight the battalion , less 62 men who were missing , was occupying Ranville . Dug in around Ranville the battalion was subjected to artillery and mortar bombardments , and sporadic infantry assaults . This lasted until 17 June when they were relieved by the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and move to Le Mesnil . On 25 June the battalion was sent to rest in the Benourville area . On 3 July , 100 infantry reinforcements arrived , and on 5 July the battalion returned to the front line taking over their original positions from the Canadians . By now German activity had lessened , while in the front line the battalion kept up a programme of patrols . Around half of July was spent in the rear areas training as the divisional assault battalion or resting . The battalion returned to the front on 7 August taking over the positions of the No . 46 ( Royal Marine ) Commando near Sallenelles . German activity was light and the Battalion was employed in carrying out patrols until 13 August when it was once again relieved and went into reserve . While in reserve it practised manoeuvre warfare in anticipation of the expected advance . The 6th Airborne Division ' s advance started 17 August 1944 . The 13th Battalion followed up the leading elements on 18 August when it crossed the River Dives at Troarn and attacked Putot en Auge . On 19 August , the battalion was involved in the battle of Hill 13 , which cost them 70 dead and wounded . On 22 August , they had reached Pont L ' Eveque . By 1415 the whole battalion had entered the town , in the face of heavy resistance which included fire from anti - aircraft guns that were being used in a ground role . Supported by a troop of Cromwell tank s from the 6th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment , the town was secured up to the bridge . The following day at 06 : 00 ' B ' Company assaulted the bridge securing a bridgehead on the far bank . The rest of the battalion soon followed , but by 1330 following fierce German resistance , the battalion was forced to withdraw covered by the 7th Parachute Battalion . The next day , 24 August , the Germans withdrew from the bridge followed by the battalion which established a blocking position at Les Authieux sur Calonne to cut of the German retreat . Remaining in position until 26 August they resumed the advance , passing through Saint Maclou to Pont Audemer , and eventually reached Genneville where the advance was stopped . On 3 September the battalion ' s remaining 16 Officers and 270 men left France for Southampton . Ardennes . In December 1944 , the battalion was still reforming after the Normandy battles when they were moved to Belgium to help counter the German advance in the Ardennes , known as the Battle of the Bulge . By 29 December the 6th Airborne Division was established along the River Meuse . The 13th Parachute Battalion was attached to the 29th Armoured Brigade . On 2 January 1945 , they were ordered to capture the villages of Bure and Grupont supported by the Sherman tanks of the Fife and Forfar Yeomanry . Once these had been captured a crossing over the River Homme would be seized to stop the German breakthrough . The following day the battalion left Resteigne on foot and at 13 : 00 started the attack on Bure . ' A ' Company was to secure the village , while ' B ' Company secured the high ground and ' C ' Company was in reserve . The village was defended in force and the assault was met with sustained and heavy mortar and machine gun fire , supported by armoured vehicles . Despite the heavy fire both ' A ' and ' B ' Companies managed to capture half the village . At 17 : 00 ' C ' Company was sent in to reinforce them , supported by tank and artillery fire . The battalion formed a number of strong points in their half of the village , carried out fighting patrols and fought off four German counterattacks . One attack on ' A ' Company , was only defeated when they called down artillery fire on their own positions . In the closeness of the fighting , the paratroopers used their fighting knives to avoid giving away their locations and casualties could not be evacuated or supplies brought forward . On 4 January the battalion was subjected to a continuous artillery barrage , and fought off another five German counterattacks . Later that day they were reinforced by a company from the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry . In the early hours of 5 January the battalion started another attack and had successfully captured the rest of the village by 21 : 00 . During the same time the 7th ( Light Infantry ) Parachute Battalion had captured Grupont and at 22 : 00 the battalion became the brigade reserve . The battle for Bure had cost the Battalion 68 killed and 121 wounded . Germany . The battalion was next in action during Operation Varsity the airborne assault crossing of the River Rhine . The 5th Parachute Brigade arrived around ten minutes after the 3rd Parachute Brigade had already landed and as a result the German defenders were already alert and waiting . The brigade was designated to land on Drop Zone B and achieved this , although not as accurately as 3rd Parachute Brigade due to poor visibility around the drop zone , which also made it more difficult for paratroopers of the brigade to rally . The drop zone came under heavy fire from German troops stationed nearby , and was subjected to shellfire and mortaring which inflicted casualties in the battalion rendezvous areas . However , 7th Parachute Battalion soon cleared the DZ of German troops , many of whom were situated in farms and houses , and the 12th and 13th Parachute Battalions rapidly secured the rest of the brigade ' s objectives . The brigade was then ordered to move due east and clear an area near Schnappenberg , as well as to engage German forces gathered to the west of the farmhouse where the 6th Airborne Division Headquarters was established . By 15 : 30 Brigadier Poett reported that the brigade had secured all of its objectives and linked up with other British airborne units . The 13th Battalion ' s advance out of the bridgehead began the next day on 27 March , reaching Brunen without any opposition . Until then the 7th Parachute Battalion had been leading the brigade but the 13th Battalion then took over and secured the high ground overlooking the village of Erle , which was captured that night by the 12th Parachute Battalion . By the beginning of April , the brigade was supported by tanks from the 6th Guards Tank Brigade and heading towards Osnabruck , which was reached with the battalion leading on the night 4 April . After a short rest the brigade ' s advance began again on 8 April with orders to head for Neustadt and Bordenau to secure crossings over the River Leine . The battalion was in reserve as the 7th and 12th battalions headed towards the two towns , securing the bridge at Bordenau intact . The 13th Battalion continued the advance into Germany behind the 15th ( Scottish ) Infantry Division until 30 April when they were ordered to head towards Wismar on the Baltic Sea , arriving just before the lead units of the Red Army . Far East . When the war in Europe ended , it was intended to send the 6th Airborne Division to the Far East to take part in operations against the Japanese Empire alongside the 44th Indian Airborne Division . However , only the advance party of the 5th Parachute Brigade had reached India by the time that the war ended and , as a result , the battalion took no active part in the fighting against the Japanese . Nevertheless , the brigade landed from the sea in northern Malaya and then moved to Singapore to re - establish British control . The 13th Battalion , still with 5th Parachute Brigade , were initially deployed to Batavia in Java , where they were placed under the command of the 23rd Indian Division . It was soon moved to Semarang on the northern coast , however , arriving there on 9 January 1946 . Upon arrival the 13th Battalion assumed responsibility for the docks and the town centre . They also carried out patrols around local villages to deter extremists and guerrilla groups infiltrating into the town . In April a Dutch brigade arrived and the battalion returned to Singapore . On 13 May 1946 , while stationed at Muar Camp Malaya , 255 men refused to obey the commanding officer ' s orders and were later charged with mutiny . Of the 255 men , three were acquitted , and eight were sentenced to five years ' penal servitude and to be discharged from the army . The rest were given two years imprisonment with hard labour and discharged . Two days after sentencing , after a review by the Judge Advocate - General the sentences were quashed . Commenting " there was a number of irregularities of a substantial nature which may well have prejudiced the accused individually . These irregularities in his opinion rendered the trial as a whole so unsatisfactory that the convictions ought not to be allowed to stand . " The 5th Parachute Brigade then left the Far East to rejoin the 6th Airborne Division now serving in Palestine . The 13th Parachute Battalion , however , was disbanded just before leaving Malaya . Territorial Army . In 1947 when the Territorial Army was reformed , a new 13th ( Lancashire ) Parachute Battalion ( TA ) was raised . The battalion served in the 44th Independent Parachute Brigade Group ( TA ) alongside the 10th ( City of London ) Parachute Battalion , 12th ( Yorkshire ) Parachute Battalion , 15th ( Scottish ) Parachute Battalion and the 17th ( Durham Light Infantry ) Parachute Battalion . In October 1956 following defence cuts , the 13th Battalion was amalgamated with the 12th Battalion to form 12 / 13 PARA ( TA ) . The 12 / 13 Battalion was itself amalgamated with the 17th Battalion in 1967 , forming the 4th Battalion , The Parachute Regiment . References . 13 - Lucky For Some : The History of the 13th ( Lancashire ) Parachute Battalion by Andrew Woolhouse , Amazon .