9th ( Eastern and Home Counties ) Parachute Battalion The 9th ( Eastern and Home Counties ) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment , raised by the British Army during the Second World War . Formed by the conversion of the 10th Battalion , Essex Regiment to parachute duties . The battalion was assigned to the 3rd Parachute Brigade , then part of the 1st Airborne Division but was later transferred to the 6th Airborne Division . The 9th ( Eastern and Home Counties ) Parachute Battalion took part in two major parachute landings in the Normandy invasion , and the River Rhine crossing in Germany . In Normandy they were responsible for the destruction of the Merville Gun Battery , which if not eliminated was a danger to the landing beaches . After the war the battalion was sent to Palestine on internal security operations with the 6th Airborne Division . Post - war army reductions in 1948 saw the battalion being amalgamated with the 8th Parachute Battalion as the 8th / 9th Parachute Battalion , but by the end of the year the new battalion had been disbanded . Formation history . 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 corps of 5 , 000 parachute troops . On 22 June 1940 , 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 . Based at Kiwi Barracks , Bulford Camp , Salisbury , the 9th ( Eastern and Home Counties ) Parachute Battalion was formed in November 1942 , by the conversion of the 10th Battalion , Essex Regiment to parachute duties . 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 . The first Commanding officer was Lieutenant - Colonel James Hill . His first order on being appointed was to send the entire battalion on a forced march , at the end of which he announced that the battalion would " work a six and a half day week " with Sunday afternoons off , until it was well - trained and fit . The battalion was assigned to the 3rd Parachute Brigade , which was initially attached to the 1st Airborne Division , but in April 1943 the 1st Airborne Division departed for the Mediterranean and the Allied invasion of Sicily without the 3rd Parachute Brigade . On the 23 April the 9th Parachute Battalion and the brigade were transferred to the newly formed 6th Airborne Division . At the same time Hill was promoted to take over as the brigade commander and he was replaced as commanding officer by Lieutenant - Colonel Terence Otway . 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 . With eight 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 . Hence , 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 . The ability to cover long distances at speed was expected : airborne platoons were required to cover a distance of in 24 hours , and battalions . The 3rd Parachute Brigade was disbanded in October 1947 , and the 9th and 8th Parachute Battalion ' s were amalgamated as the 8th / 9th Parachute Battalion . The new battalion was assigned to the 1st Parachute Brigade , however further post war reductions in the British Army saw this battalion disbanded in June 1948 . Operational history . France . The first combat action by the 9th ( Eastern and Home Counties ) Parachute Battalion , was in the Operation Tonga part of the Normandy landings . The battalion ' s primary objective was the Merville Gun Battery , which was in a position to threaten the British Sword beach . Although seriously understrength after a disastrous parachute drop , the battalion destroyed the battery but was reduced in strength to 65 men . The battalion then attacked Le Plein capturing the Chateau St Côme . Being too weak to attempt their last objective the battalions dug in around le Plein . One of the battalion ' s casualties on 6 June was Paratroop dog Glen . The dog had been parachuted into Normandy with his handler and both were killed during the day ' s fighting . They are buried together in the Ranville War Cemetery . Over the following days the 9th Parachute Battalion fought off a number of attacks by the 346th Infantry Division . On 8 June Otway was wounded by an artillery shell and evacuated , he never returned to active service . For his command during the attack on the Merville battery he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . Otway was replaced as commanding officer by the Brigade Major of the 6th Airlanding Brigade , Napier Crookenden who was promoted in the field to Lieutenant - Colonel . On 12 June during the battle of Breville the battalion was in danger of being overrun and had to call for urgent reinforcements , which came from a company of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion led by Brigadier James Hill . They successfully counter - attacked and restored the line . The 6th Airborne Division assisted by reinforcements from the 1st , 4th Commando Brigades and 153rd Highland Brigade . The southern edge of the Orne bridgehead was taken over by 51st ( Highland ) Infantry Division on 14 June allowing the 6th Airborne to consolidate its positions . The 9th Parachute Battalion remained in the front line carrying out patrols and sniping and fought off numerous attacks up to the 16 August . On 17 August the battalion advanced crossing the River Dives , between Cabourg and Troan . By 22 August they had reached the River Touques and the River Seine when the time the advance was stopped on 26 August . The battalion was then withdrawn back to England in September 1944 . Ardennes . The 6th Airborne Division was called to intervene in the German offensive through the Ardennes on the 20 December 1944 . Moved back to mainland Europe , on 26 December , they established a blocking position along the River Maas . On the 29 December they attacked leading German units and the 3rd Parachute Brigade was given responsibility for capturing Rochefort . The village was secured after meeting heavy resistance . After several months of heavy patrolling , in Belgium and the Netherlands , in February 1945 , they were withdrawn to England once again . Germany . In March 1945 the battalion took part in Operation Varsity the last airborne assault of the war , landing on the east bank of the river Rhine , by evening all of the battalion ' s first objectives had been taken . Heading towards its second objective , it come upon a strong German defensive position . The battalion despite heavy fire assaulted and captured the position capturing 500 prisoners . The battalion was next ordered to capture a nearby village . Led by Lieutenant - Colonel Crookenden , they crossed of open land and secured the village capturing 200 prisoners . The battalion continued the advance into Germany , reaching the Baltic sea by the end of the war . Palestine . In October 1945 , the 6th Airborne Division was sent to the British Mandate Palestine on internal security duties , the 3rd Parachute Brigade being based in the Lydda district , which included Tel Aviv . On 13 November the riots started in Tel Aviv , following the publication of white paper on Palestine . The violence spread and eventually the whole 3rd Parachute Brigade became involved and order was not established until 20 November . The battalion remained in Palestine until it was amalgamated with the 8th Parachute Battalion in October 1947 .