A PROUD HISTORY

On the 22nd June 1940, Winston Churchill called for the formation of an elite Corps of troops.... the PARA'S

Following Churchill's wishes for "a corps of at least 5,000 parachute troops, suitably organised and equipped" a Parachute Training School was established at Ringway Airport near Manchester, and No 2 Commando was chosen for the first training in parachute duties; the regiment quickly growing into the 11th Special Air Service Battalion and ultimately, on the 1st August 1942, the Parachute Regiment. By the end of WW2, the Regiment comprised of 17 battalions.

Following an exceptional parachute raid in Southern Italy, the PARAS first successful raid came in 1942, with "C" Company of the 2nd Battalion's drop on an enemy radar station at Bruneval, France. The Regiment now wore the maroon beret and the nickname"red devils" was bestowed by the enemy forces during fierce fighting in North Africa. Following many famous operations during the war, the Parachute Regiment went on to serve everywhere from Palestine to Northern Ireland to the Falklands, playing vital roles and winning numerous awards for gallantry. More recently the PARAS led the war in war-torn Kosovo and Sierra Leone - including rescue missions that were a precursor to 1 PARA's new fast - deploying roles as the Special Forces Support Group and in Iraq and Afghanistan.

WHO ARE THE MODERN-DAY PARAS?

The Army's Airborne Infantry, able to quickly deploy anywhere in the world.

Deploying by parachute, helicopter, sea or land, two battalions of The Parachute Regiment form part of 16 Air Assault Brigade and one battalion operates in direct support of UK Special Forces. The Regiments main job is to hit the enemy hard and fast, seizing airfields or bridges and knocking out weapon systems before the heavier main forces arrive.

Thinking of joining The Parachute Regiment?

If you are aged between 16 and 33 and are thinking about joining The Parachute Regiment, your first step is to contact us by calling The Parachute Regiment Recruiting Team on 01206 817083, E-Mail: recruiting@parachute-regiment.com  or click on our Soldier Recruiting page for more information.