16th Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)
| 16th Parachute Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1948–1977[1] |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Airborne forces |
| Role | Parachute infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Insignia | |
| Emblem of the British airborne forces |  |
The 16th Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces brigade of the British Army.
It can trace its formation to February 1948, when the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade left the 6th Airborne Division and moved to Germany, becoming part of the British Army of the Rhine.[2][3] The 6th Airborne Division was disbanded soon afterwards, leaving the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade as the only brigade-sized airborne formation in the British Army. In June the 5th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion was renumbered the 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, the 4th/6th Parachute Battalion became the 1st Battalion, and the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion became the 3rd Battalion. Finally, on 25 June 1948, the brigade was re-designated as the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group, taking the "1" and "6" from the two wartime airborne divisions, the 1st and 6th.[2][4]
From 17 May to 7 June 1956, Britain launched Operation "Pepper Pot" in Cyprus, an operation that was carried out by 16th Parachute Brigade Group. However, an informant within the Special Branch alerted Georgios Grivas of the operation, and as such EOKA was better prepared for the British forces which led to the operation having little effect.[5][6]
In 1956 as the Suez Crisis arose, the Brigade Group, which was intended to be the main British strike force against Egypt, was heavily involved in the Cyprus Emergency. Paratroop training had been neglected in favour of counter-insurgency operations.[7] During Operation Musketeer the brigade helped seize the area around Port Said.
In July 1960, the brigade was re-designated as the 16th Parachute Brigade Group removing the word "Independent" from the title.[8] In January 1965, the brigade was re-designated as the 16th Parachute Brigade removing the word "Group" from the title.[9] The Army Restructuring Plan 1975 assigned the United Kingdom Mobile Force (UKMF) role to the brigade to replace 3rd Division which meant the loss of airborne status.[9][10] On 1 April 1977, 16th Parachute Brigade reorganised and was re-designated as the 6th Field Force .[10] On 1 April 1978, the 6th Field Force assumed the full role of the UKMF.[10]
Notes[edit]
- ^ "16th Parachute Brigade | ParaData". www.paradata.org.uk. Retrieved 2018-11-16.
- ^ a b "2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Signal Squadron 1947–1948". 216 Parachute Signal Squadron Old Comrades Association. 1980. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ Watson and Rinaldi, p.3
- ^ Ferguson, p.34
- ^ ERKAN, NİHAL (July 2019). "BRITISH INTELLIGENCE AGAINST EOKA IN CYPRUS 1945–1960" (PDF).
In the first half of 1956, the British also conducted major operations against EOKA, which produced little effect. Grivas narrowly escaped from British forces during the operation Pepper Pot and Lucky Alphonso in the Troodos mountains.
- ^ French 2015, p. 58: "He may have been the source who informed Grivas that the British were about to launch a major cordon and search operation (Operation Pepperpot) between Lefka, Lyssi, and Troodos two days before the search began in May 1956."
- ^ Varble 2003, p. 15.
- ^ "216 Signal Squadron [Parachute Brigade Group] 1959 -1965". 216 Parachute Signal Squadron Old Comrades Association. 1980. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ a b "216 Parachute Signal Squadron 1965 -1977". 216 Parachute Signal Squadron Old Comrades Association. 1980. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
- ^ a b c "6th Field Force Headquarters & Signal Squadron 1977 – Present". 216 Parachute Signal Squadron Old Comrades Association. 1980. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
References[edit]
- Ferguson, Gregory (1984). The Paras 1940–84, Volume 1 of Elite series. Oxford, UK: Osprey Publishing. ISBN 0-85045-573-1.
- Wilson, Dare (2008). With the 6th Airborne Division in Palestine 1945–1948. Barnsley, United Kingdom: Pen and Sword Military. ISBN 978-1-84415-771-6.
- Varble, Derek (2003). The Suez Crisis 1956. London: Osprey. ISBN 978-1-8417-6418-4.