BRITISH PARATROOPERS
Comprises of more than 60 figures, which includes command troops, infantry sections, support weapons and specialists. All are clothed in the famous Denison Smock with a mixture of hard and soft head gear, perfect for late war operations such as operation “Market Garden” the famous “Bridge Too Far”, where they came up against units of the 9 th and 10 th Waffen SS amongst others, and Operation “Varsity” the air assault on Germany.
A SHORT HISTORY
The British were much later than other nations in introducing Paratroopers to the regular army strength. Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France, Winston Churchill directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of Paratroopers. Early parachute operations were undertaken by Commando units and the 11th Special Air service Battalion, later designated as the 1 st Parachute battalion (later named the Parachute Regiment). In February 1942, Operation Biting, also known as the Bruneval raid, was is its first parachute drop in anger, the objective was to capture a Würzburg radar on the coast of France. The raid was a complete success and carried out under the command of Major John Frost.
The Parachute Regiment had their own distinctive uniform including the maroon beret, and in fighting against German Fallschirmjaeger they would earn the nickname"Die Roten Teufel" (the Red Devils). The Parachute Regiment would eventually raise 17 battalions during the course of the Second World War. The regiment took part in six major parachute assault operations in North Africa, Italy, Greece, France, the Netherlands, and Germany, often landing ahead of all other troops.
The Parachute Regiment was armed with the bolt action Lee–Enfield rifle and the Enfield or Webley revolver. The standard submachine gun used in Northwest Europe was the British Sten. Paratroopers attached to Eighth Army used the Thompson submachine gun in the North African and Mediterranean theatre and during Operation Dragoon, one of our “old sweats” in the range still has his! Each section had a Bren light machine gun and the platoon had a 2-inch mortar. The only battalion heavy weapons were 3-inch mortars, Vickers machine guns and after 1943, PIAT anti-tank weapons.
