Les troupes aéroportées
Une division aéroportée s’organise d’une manière quasi similaire à une division d’infanterie. Elle est constituée de 3 brigades (2 brigades de parachutistes et 1 brigade de troupes transportées par planeurs). La division est complétée par une certain nombre d’éléments de support, eux-même transportés par la voie des airs.
Durant la Deuxième Guerre Mondiale, l’armée anglaise possédait deux divisions aéroportées :
- La 1ère Division, qui s’est tristement illustrée sur Arnhem, commandée par le Général Urquhart,
- La 6ème Division, commandée par le Général Gale et qui a participée au débarquement du 6 juin, avec notamment la prise du Pegasus Bridge par le Major Howard et ses Ox & Bucks, à laquelle est incorporé le 1er Bataillon Canadien.
Chaque division aéroportée s’organise de la manière suivante :
Détail des divisions aéroportées
|
|
||
HQ |
HQ | HQ | |
Postal Unit |
6th Airborne Postal Unit | ||
Divisional Signals (RCS) |
1st Airborne Division Signals Element | 6th Airborne Division Signals Element | |
Provost Corps of Military Police |
89th Field Security Section (Intelligence Corps) Divisional Provost Company | 317th Field Security Section (Intelligence Corps) Divisional Provost Company | |
Airlanding Reconnaissance Squadron |
1st Airlanding Reconnaissance Squadron | 6th Airborne Regiment | |
Airborne Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment | 21st Independent Parachute Company (Pathfinders) | 22nd Independent Parachute Company (Pathfinders) | |
Parachute Field Ambulance (RAMC) |
16th Parachute Field Ambulance | 224th Parachute Field Ambulance | |
Parachute Field Ambulance (RAMC) |
133rd Parachute Field Ambulance | 225th Parachute Field Ambulance | |
Parachute Field Ambulance (RAMC) |
181st Airlanding Field Ambulance | 195th Parachute Field Ambulance | |
HQ REME |
Headquarters Airborne REME | Headquarters Airborne REME | |
Airlanding Light Detachment |
1st Airborne Airlanding Light Aid Detachment Workshop | 6th Airborne Airlanding Light Aid Detachment Workshop | |
HQ RAOC | Headquarters Airborne RAOC | Headquarters Airborne RAOC | |
Ordnance Field Park | 1st Airborne Ordnance Field Park | 6th Airborne Ordnance Field Park | |
HQ RASC |
Headquarters Airborne RASC | Headquarters Airborne RASC | |
Light Company | 93rd Airborne Light Company | 716th Airborne Light Company | |
Light Company | 250th Airborne Light Company | 63rd Airborne Light Company | |
Light Company | 253rd Airborne Light Company | 398th Airborne Light Company | |
HQ Royal Engineers | Headquarters Airborne Royal Engineers | Headquarters Airborne Royal Engineers | |
Parachute Squadron |
1st Parachute Squadron | 3rd Parachute Squadron | |
Parachute Squadron | 4th Parachute Squadron | 591st Parachute Squadron | |
Field Company |
9th Airborne Field Company | 249th Airborne Field Company | |
Field Park Company |
261st Airborne Field Park Company | 286th Airborne Field Park Company | |
HQ Royal Artillery | Headquarters AirborneArtillery Royal Artillery |
Headquarters AirborneArtillery Royal Artillery |
|
Airlanding Light Regiment | 1st Airlanding Light Regiment | 53rd (Worcestershire Yeomanry) Airlanding Light Regiment | |
Airlanding Anti-tank Batteries | 1/2nd Airlanding Anti-tank Batteries | 2nd, 3rd, 4th Airlanding Anti-tank Batteries | |
Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries | 1st Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries | 2nd Airlanding Light Anti-Aircraft Batteries | |
HQ Airlanding Brigade |
1st Airlanding Brigade Headquarters | 6th Airlanding Brigade Headquarters | |
Senior Airlanding Battalion | 7th Bat. King’s Own Scottish Borderers | 12th Bat. Devonshire Regiment | |
Second Airlanding Battalion | 1st Bat. Border Regiment | 2nd Bat. Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Inf. | |
Junior Airlanding Battalion | 2nd Bat. South Staffordshire Regiment | 1st Bat. Royal Ulster Rifles | |
HQ Parachute Brigade | 4th Parachute Brigade Headquarters | 5th Airlanding Brigade Headquarters | |
Senior Parachute Battalion | 10th Bat. Parachute Regiment | 7th Bat. Parachute Regiment (Light Infantry) | |
Second Parachute Battalion | 11th Bat. Parachute Regiment | 12th Bat. Parachute Regiment (Yorkshire) | |
Junior Parachute Battalion | 156th Bat. Parachute Regiment | 13th Bat. Parachute Regiment (Lancashire) | |
HQ Parachute Brigade |
1st Parachute Brigade Headquarters | 3rd Airlanding Brigade Headquarters | |
Senior Parachute Battalion | 1st Bat. Parachute Regiment | 8th Bat. Parachute Regiment | |
Second Parachute Battalion | 2nd Bat. Parachute Regiment | 9th Bat. Parachute Regiment | |
Junior Parachute Battalion | 3rd Bat. Parachute Regiment | 1st Canadian Parachute Regiment |