German Army Airborne Patch Fallschirmjager Bn c 261 Parachute

German Army Airborne Patch Fallschirmjagerbataillon 261 Parachute Battalion Red Devils 1970 Lebach Barracks Embroidered on twill cut edge 101mm by 76mm four inches by three inches.

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History  

Fallschirmjagerbataillon FschJgBtl 261 Parachute Battalion 261 was formed on 3 September 1956 when the first volunteer recruits and trainers reported for service. Parachute training commenced on 4 November 1956 at the US Army Parachute School Augsburg. The Battalion carried out exercises at the Heuberg training area in February 1957 and Grafenwoehr Training Area in March 1957. The Battalion reached its planned combat strength with the arrival of its first conscripts on 1 April 1957. 

The Battalion comprised Headquarter and Support Company including K9 and Scout Platoons 2 3 and 4 Parachute Infantry Companies 5 Fire Support Company Heavy Weapons and 6 Parachute Infantry Company Training and Security. FschJgBtl 261 adopted the Red Devil and white parachute on green shield as reference to German paratroopers known as Grüne Teufel Green Devils during WWII and chose the motto wie Pech und Schwefel as thick as thieves. 

The Battalion was assigned to 1 Airborne Division on its establishment in 1958 and was redesignated Fallschirmjagerbataillon 9 Paratrooper Battalion 9. From 1958 parachute training was carried out at the newly founded Luftlande und Lufttransportschule Airborne and Air Transport School at Altenstadt. 

The Battalion reached its planned combat strength when its first conscripts arrived on 1 April 1957. FschJgBtl 261 with 1 Divisions Airborne Battle Group A9 was assigned for NATO defence operations on 23 April 1958 and relocated to Sigmaringen on 1 October 1958. 

Fallschirmjagerbataillon 9 was redesignated Fallschirmjagerbataillon 261 on 16 March 1959 and undertook their first joint exercise with French paratroops in May 1960. The Battalion relocated to Lebach on 14 April 1961. 

The Battalion provided the guard of honour for the visit of US President Ronald Reagan in 30 April 5 May 1985. 261 Paratrooper Battalion was assigned to the multinational AMF L Brigade in November 1985. The Battalion completed cold weather training and provided AMF L cover for northern Europe and the Battalions Headquarter Company and 5 Company deployed to Fort Bragg and Fort Chaffee USA to the Joint Readiness Training Centre to exercise with US paratroopers in 1993. The same year most of the Battalion was deployed to Somalia for security tasks under UNOSOM II.  

Paratrooper Battalion 261 commenced rotational deployments to the Former Yugoslavia in 1996 under IFOR and KFOR undertaking security tasks and other special function in securing the peace process. The Battalion was assigned to provide security detachments for evacuation operational deployments on 1 April 1997. The Battalion was relieved of its assignment for multinational AMF L Brigade operations in July 1998. 1 Airborne Division was redesignated Division Spezielle Operationen DSO Special Operations Divsion of the Division Schnelle Krafte DSK Rapid Forces Division on 1 April 2001. 

Fallschirmjagerbataillon 261 deployed to Afghanistan providing Force Protection and security for ISAF German Contingent and Kabul Multinational Brigade in July 2002 returning to Lebach in February 2003. The Battalion deployed thirty personnel to Paris for the traditional Bastille Day military parade on 14 July 2007 when France invited military representatives from all other EU countries for the first time. 

Following reorganisation of the Bundeswehr Paratrooper Battalion 261 was inactivated on 31 March 2015 although elements formed the new Fallschirmjägerregiment 26 Parachute Regiment 26 at Lebach.  

This patch dates from 1970.