British Army Airborne c Patch Para HQ 16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group DZ 60s

British Army Airborne Patch 16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group Para HQ Headquarters DZ 1960s Sewn Tape 92mm by 76mm three and five eighth inches by three inches

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16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group HQ DZ Patch British Army Airborne Para HQ Headquarters

History

6 Airborne Division

As the war in Europe ended in 1945 the 1st Airborne Division was disbanded and many units amalgamated into the 6th Airborne Division. The Division deployed to Palestine in response to the intensification of the Jewish insurgency against British rule. The British began withdrawing in 1947 with the Division continuing counter insurgency operations including against Jewish and Arab forces during the Civil War in Mandatory Palestine between the Jewish and Arab communities. The Divisions 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade relocated to Perham Down Tidworth UK in February 1947 to prepare for reassignment to BOAR and relocated to the Schleswig in the north of the British Zone of Occupation West Germany in February 1948. With the final withdrawal from Palestine the 6th Airborne Division returned to the UK in May 1948 and was disbanded.

2nd Independent Parachute Brigade

2nd Independent Parachute Brigade was left as the only brigade sized airborne formation in the British Army. 4th and 6th Parachute Battalions were redesignated became 1st Parachute Battalion The Parachute Regiment 1 Para the 5th Scottish Parachute Battalion was redesignated 2nd Parachute Battalion The Parachute Regiment 2 Para and 7th Parachute Battalion was redesignated 3rd Parachute Battalion The Parachute Regiment 3 Parain early June 1948.

16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group

2nd Independent Parachute Brigade was redesignated the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group on 25 June 1948 with the numerals 1 and 6 representing the previous 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions. The Brigade relocated from Germany to Aldershot Hampshire in October 1949.

In 1951 the 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group relocated to Cyprus and deployed to Egypt to maintain security of the Suez Canal Zone between 1951 and 1954. In early 1956 the Brigade Group conducted counter terrorist operations in Cyprus against EOKA a nationalist Greek Cypriot guerrilla organization that fought a campaign for the end of British rule in Cyprus. 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group deployed for Operation Telescope the air landing element of Operation Musketeer The invasion to secure the Suez Canal during the Suez crisis later in 1956. The Brigade Groups 3rd Parachute Battalion 3 Para undertook a successful parachute assault of El Gamil airfield on 5 November 1956 before Brigade reinforcements landed by helicopter. The Brigade Group advanced and secured Port Said to support the sea landings by British and French forces including the rest of the Brigade.

16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group returned from Port Said Egypt to Cyprus in early December 1956 before returning to Aldershot by the end of December 1956.

The Brigade Group deployed 1 Para by RAF VC 10 aircraft to Cyprus in mid June 1958 to reinforce the security forces on the island and to undertake training for six possible contingency operations to establish the Brigade Group as a quick reaction force for future deployments to the area from the UK. Operations began immediately with one of the Brigade Groups Battalions undertaking a cordon and search mission on 15 June 1958.

In response to a request for assistance from King Hussein following the coup in Iraq on 14 July 1958 the Brigade Group began deploying elements via RAF Beverly aircraft to Amman Jordan on 15 July 1958 as part of Operation Fortitude. 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group secured Amman airfield and provided protection for King Hussein and the Government of Jordan. The Brigade Groups 1st Parachute Battalion remained in Cyprus. The intervention was successful and prevented any further escalation and 16th Independent Parachute Brigade Group returned to Cyprus 25 to 29 October 1958 and returned to Aldershot in early November 1958.

16th Parachute Brigade Group

16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group was redesignated as 16th Parachute Brigade Group in July 1960 removing Independent from its title.

Six days after UK and Kuwait signed a new support agreement Iraq declared that Kuwait belonged to Iraq in June 1961. In response 16th Parachute Brigade Group deployed 2nd Battalion to Kuwait under Operation Vantage to deter an Iraqi invasion. Tensions subsequently subdued and 2nd Parachute Battalion redeployed to Muharraq airfield Bahrain in July 1961 commencing a revolving deployment with the other two Parachute Battalions for training joint exercises with Omani Forces counter insurgency and security operations construction sport and adventure training.

3rd Parachute Battalion rotated to Bahrain in October 1961 with 1st Parachute Battalion relieving them in May 1962 with alternate rotations continuing thereafter.

While Cyprus was granted independence in August 1960 tensions between the Greek and Turkish communities grew and fighting began in December 1963. The Independence agreement required UK Greece and Turkey to guarantee independence. British Greek and Turkish military contingents formed The Joint Truce Force to police the communities on 26 December 1963. The Greek and Turkish elements joined their ethnic sides instead of taking a neutral stance.

While 2 Para remained deployed in Bahrain the rest of 16th Parachute Brigade Group deployed from UK to Cyprus by RAF aircraft at the end of December 1963 under Operation Hogmanay. Fighting between the two communities spread throughout the island with 16th Parachute Brigade Group undertaking peacekeeping operations. Fighting ceased by 19 January 1964 but tensions remained very high.

3rd Division deployed to Cyprus in early February setting up a Joint Force HQ at RAF Nicosia which became operational on 20 February 1964. The UN Security Council passed a resolution to provide a UN peace keeping force for Cyprus on 4 March 1964 with a British contingent as part of the force. 16th Parachute Brigade Group were issued with UN clothing and vehicle signs and on 26 March 1964 units replaced their red berets with UN light blue berets but adding a maroon patch behind the UN cap badge. HQ 16th Parachute Brigade Group was redesignated HQ Nicosia Zone. The Brigade Group returned from Cyprus to Aldershot in May 1964.

16th Parachute Brigade

16th Parachute Brigade Group was redesignated 16th Parachute Brigade in January 1965 losing Group from its title. The Brigade undertook battalion deployments for operations to provide security as the British withdrew from area east of Suez. 16th Parachute Brigade deployed 2nd Parachute Battalion on an operational tour to Singapore and Borneo in January 1965 to deter Indonesia in its confrontation with Malaysia. B Company 2nd Parachute Battalion repelled an Indonesian battalion attack on its positions on 27 April 1965. 3 Para deployed to British Guiana to prepare for its independence in February 1966. 16th Parachute Brigade was reviewed by HM The Queen and HRH The Duke of Edinburgh at Aldershot on 24 Apri1 1967 including a mass drop 540 men.

1st Parachute Battalion deployed to cover the British withdrawal from Aden in 1967. Battalion rotations to Bahrain concluded in 1967. 3rd Parachute Battalion deployed to Malta in 1968 to cover the withdrawal of British forces from Libya. 2 Para deployed to Hong Kong in 1968 for jungle training and counter illegal immigration operations before deploying to Anguilla in the Caribbean in 1969 to provide security and end political unrest.

With the developing troubles in Northern Ireland and British troops were deployed to assist policing on 14 August 1969. 16th Parachute Brigade deployed 1st Parachute Battalion to Northern Ireland under Operation Banner at the end of 1969 to undertake search and riot control. 2nd Parachute Battalion deployed to Shankhill Road Belfast in February 1970 and 3rd Parachute Battalion in January 1971 with each Battalion deploying rotationally from then. 2nd Parachute Battalion was deployed to the Bank Of England in the City of London for guard duties in January 1971. 1 Para was involved with the Bloody Sunday riots in Londonderry on 30 January 1972 during its Operation Banner deployment.

16th Parachute Brigades HQ Officers Mess at Aldershot was targeted by a Provisional IRA car bomb on 22 February 1972 which killed seven people and destroyed the building. Deployments to Cyprus and Belize continued. 3 Para deployed to Cyprus in May 1972 for the UN peace keeping mission returning in October 1972. The Brigade was allocated NATO reinforcement status as UK Joint Airborne Task Force UKJATFOR and 1 Para deployed to Berlin in 1974 returning in 1976. 1st Parachute Battalion deployed to the Netherlands on 31 August 1976 to take part in the filming of A Bridge Too Far with 927 parachute jumps from eleven Dakota aircraft returning on 17 September 1976. 1 Para deployed to Cyprus at the end of 1976 for UN peace keeping.

The 1975 Army Restructuring Plan reassigned 16th Parachute Brigade to the United Kingdom Mobile Force UKMF to replace 3rd Division. This resulted in the Brigade losing its airborne status. 16th Parachute Brigade was reorganised and redesignated 6th Field Force on 1 April 1977. 6th Field Force retained 1st 2nd and 3rd Battalions The Parachute Regiment and assumed its full role with UKMF on 1 April 1978.

This 16 Independent Parachute Brigade Group HQ DZ British Para patch dates from the 1960s