6th Airborne Division

D-Day

On December 23^rd, 1943, the division receives orders to prepare for active service commencing 1 February 1944. Training intensifies, and in April 1944, under the command of I Airborne Corps, the division participates in Exercise Mush. Conducted across Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire, and Wiltshire, this three-day airborne military exercise involves both the 1^st Airborne Division and the 6th Airborne Division. Unbeknownst to the 6^th Airborne Division, the exercise serves as a comprehensive rehearsal for its forthcoming role in the imminent Normandy invasion. During the invasion, the division’s two parachute brigades are scheduled to land shortly after midnight on June 6^th, 1944, with the airlanding brigade arriving later that day at 21:00. The division’s mission is to secure the left flank of the invasion area by dominating the high ground between the rivers Orne and Dives. This includes capturing two bridges spanning the Orne River and Caen Canal, neutralising the Merville Gun Battery, positioned to threaten troops landing at nearby Sword Beach, and demolishing bridges over the Dives to hinder German reinforcements from approaching the landing beaches from the north.

On June 6^th, 1944, during the D-Day landings, the British 6th Airborne Division executes a series of coordinated operations to secure the eastern flank of the invasion area. These operations include:​

Shortly after midnight, D Company of the 2^nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, led by Major John Howard, conducts a glider assault to capture the Caen Canal and Orne River bridges. This mission, known as the Coup de Main, achieves complete surprise, securing both bridges within minutes and holding them against counterattacks until relieved. ​

Concurrently, the main airborne assault, codenamed Operation Tonga, commences. Paratroopers from the 3^rd Parachute Brigade and the 5^th Parachute Brigade are dropped to secure key objectives, including the destruction of the Merville Gun Battery and the establishment of defensive positions to protect the left flank of the seaborne landings. Despite challenges such as scattered drops, the paratroopers regroup and accomplish their missions.

In response to Allied airborne and naval landings on June 9^th, 1944, the German 21. Panzer-Division is authorised to counterattack, with commanders warned that failure to repel the British would mean losing the war. East of the River Orne, the 125. Panzergrenadier-Regiment faces severe Allied artillery and air attacks, resulting in significant losses. By late afternoon, units of the 192. Panzergrenadier-Regiment and the 100. Panzer-Regiment reach the coast, linking with the 736 Infantrie-Regiment defending Lion-sur-Mer. German forces consolidate and await further orders.

Meanwhile, 256 Operation Mallard gliders depart Great Britain, transporting additional troops and equipment for the British 6th Airborne Division, escorted by Royal Air Force fighters. Crossing the English Channel without issue, the gliders reach Normandy in daylight, mitigating previous navigation problems but facing anti-aircraft fire upon approach. The troops land at two designated zones: Landing Zone W near Saint-Aubin-d’Arquenay and Landing Zone N near Ranville. The 6^th Airlanding Brigade Headquarters, the 1^st Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles, and the 6^th Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, equipped with Tetrarch tanks, land at Landing Zone N. Major-General Gale notes the relief provided by these reinforcements.

The glider landings provoke a limited German reaction, causing minimal casualties among the Allied troops. However, Generalmajor Feuchtinger orders German units at the beaches to withdraw northward, inadvertently stopping the only German armoured attack on D-Day.

After landing, the Royal Ulster Rifles capture Longueval and attempt to move towards Sainte-Honorine but are halted by German artillery and mistakenly shelled by H.M.S. Arethusa. Meanwhile, artillery support from the 211^th Battery, Royal Artillery, quickly engages German targets. The 2^nd Battalion, Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry cross previously captured bridges, advancing towards Hérouvillette and Escoville, successfully achieving all assigned D-Day objectives by midnight.

In the aftermath, reinforcement by the 6^th Airlanding Brigade significantly strengthens the 6th Airborne Division, compensating for losses from scattered parachute drops. By the following morning, key positions including Escoville and Longueval are securely occupied. Additional reinforcements from the 12^th Battalion, Devonshire Regiment, arrive to bolster defences at Bas de Ranville.

Normandy Campaign

Following their successful landings on D-Day, the 6^th Airborne Division establishes a defensive perimeter to secure the eastern flank of the Allied invasion area. Despite facing numerous counterattacks from German forces, the division holds its positions, ensuring the protection of the newly established beachhead. In mid-August 1944, after the German defeat in the Falaise Pocket, the 6th Airborne Division advances towards the River Seine, covering approximately 45 miles in nine days and capturing over 1,000 enemy soldiers. By early September 1944, the division withdraws to England for rest and reorganization. D-Day results in the loss of 821 personnel from the 6^th Airborne Division, with 2,709 wounded and 927 reported missing.

Ardennes Offensive

In England, the 6^th Airborne Division enters a period of intensive recruitment and training, placing particular emphasis on urban combat, specifically house-to-house fighting practised within the heavily bombed districts of Southampton and Birmingham. The rigorous training programme reaches its peak with Exercise Eve, a simulated assault operation conducted across the River Thames, designed explicitly to replicate the anticipated crossing of Germany’s River Rhine.

Just Before Christmas Major-General Gale handed over the command of the Division to Major General Eric Louis Bols. As the division begins preparations for Christmas leave; however, this is abruptly interrupted by news of a major German offensive in the Ardennes.

The 6^th Airborne Division, as part of the First Allied Airborne Army, forms a critical component of the Allies’ strategic reserve. Consequently, the division receives orders for rapid deployment to the Continent. Transported across the English Channel by sea, they land at Calais and Ostend. From these ports, the division advances swiftly into Belgium. The division engages in intense combat under harsh winter conditions. Over the following days, the German advance is successfully halted and gradually pushed back until, at the end of January 1945, the brigade crosses the border into the Netherlands. Here, the 6^th Airborne Division takes responsibility for the region along the River Maas, specifically between the towns of Venlo and Roermond. During this period, the division conducts active patrols along both banks of the river, frequently engaging German troops from the 7. Fallschirmjäger-Division.

Towards the end of February, the 6^th Airborne Division withdraws from the front line and returns to England. Upon arrival, the division immediately begins preparations for its next airborne operation: the planned crossing of the River Rhine into Germany.

Rhine Crossing

During Operation Varsity in March 1945, the division deploys in multiple stages. The first British unit to land is the 3^rd Parachute Brigade under Brigadier James Hill, spearheaded by the 8th Parachute Battalion. Despite landing slightly ahead of schedule amid heavy German fire, the brigade quickly consolidates on Drop Zone A and secures the area around Diersfordter Wald. Critical objectives, including the high ground at Schnappenberg, are successfully captured in coordination with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, although the Canadians suffer the loss of their commanding officer, Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Nicklin. Canadian medical orderly Corporal Frederick George Topham earns the Victoria Cross for exceptional bravery while aiding wounded troops under severe enemy fire.

The 5^th Parachute Brigade, commanded by Brigadier Nigel Poett, subsequently lands on Drop Zone B amid poor visibility and sustained German shelling, which initially hampers troop assembly and organisation. However, after intense combat, the brigade manages to clear enemy positions and rapidly achieves its operational objectives around Schermbeck and the 6th Airborne Division’s headquarters area. By mid-afternoon, Brigadier Poett confirms full mission success and integration with other airborne elements.

Lastly, the 6^th Airlanding Brigade, led by Brigadier Hugh Bellamy, deploys via glider assaults onto multiple landing zones near Hamminkeln, experiencing substantial difficulties due to anti-aircraft fire, haze, smoke, and navigational confusion, resulting in scattered and occasionally disastrous landings. Nevertheless, the brigade quickly regroups, captures three critical bridges over the River Issel intact, and, with assistance from American paratroopers mistakenly dropped nearby, successfully takes the strategic town of Hamminkeln. Shortly thereafter, Brigadier Bellamy reports that the brigade has secured all of its assigned objectives, contributing decisively to the overall success of the airborne component of the Rhine crossing operation.

During Operation Varsity, the British 6^th Airborne Division lands approximately 7,220 personnel. By the end of the day, the division suffers around 1,400 casualties, including those killed, wounded, or missing in action. Despite these losses, the division successfully secures its objectives, capturing approximately 1,500 German prisoners of war.

Towards the end of the War

Following the successful crossing, the division advances northeast toward the Baltic Sea, characterised by rapid movements and strategically important engagements. In April 1945, for example, the 3^rd Parachute Brigade advances 24 kilometres within 24 hours, spending 18 hours engaged in intense close combat. Later in the month, the 5^th Parachute Brigade marches approximately 80 kilometres in 72 hours, conducting two assaults under the cover of darkness. This sustained and relentless advance emphasises the division’s determination to maintain momentum and undermine German defences.

Throughout this advance, the 6^th Airborne Division encounters numerous challenges, particularly in managing substantial numbers of refugees and prisoners of war. Due to constantly shifting front lines, the division continually adapts to ensure that medical and logistical support remains closely aligned with ongoing combat operations. Medical units, such as the 225^th (Parachute) Field Ambulance, are particularly crucial, providing treatment to over 1,000 casualties between their initial deployment and the end of hostilities.

The division’s push culminates on May 2^nd, 1945, with units of the 6th Airborne Division reaching Wismar, a strategic port city located on the Baltic coast. Notably, troops from the 1^st Canadian Parachute Battalion, forming part of the 3^rd Parachute Brigade, enter Wismar only two hours ahead of the advancing Soviet forces, effectively halting the Soviet advance toward Denmark. This timely intervention highlights the strategic significance of the division’s role in the closing stages of the European theatre of operations.

After establishing control over Wismar, the 6^th Airborne Division manages the considerable flow of refugees and processes numerous German prisoners of war. The division remains stationed in this area until relieved by the British 5^th Infantry Division on May 17^th, 1945. Subsequently, the division returns to England, retracing their previous route until arriving at Luneburg Airfield.

Post-War Operations

After the German surrender in May 1945, the division is selected for deployment to India to form an airborne corps alongside the 44^th Indian Airborne Division. The division’s advance party, centred around the 5^th Parachute Brigade, arrives in India prior to Japan’s surrender following the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Subsequently, these plans are altered.