Parachute Regiment (United Kingdom)

Parachute Regiment
Active	1942 – present
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	1st Battalion — United Kingdom Special Forces 2nd Battalion — Airborne Infantry 3rd Battalion — Airborne Infantry 4th Battalion — Airborne Infantry (Reserves)
Role	Expeditionary warfare Special operations Parachute insertion
Size	Four battalions
Part of	16 Air Assault Brigade UK Special Forces
Garrison/HQ	RHQ – Colchester 1st Battalion – St Athan 2nd Battalion – Colchester 3rd Battalion – Colchester 4th Battalion – Pudsey
Nickname(s)	"The Paras" "Red Devils"[1]
Motto(s)	"Utrinque Paratus" (Latin) "Ready for anything"[2]
March	Quick — Ride of the Valkyries Slow — Pomp and Circumstance No 4[3]
Mascot(s)	Shetland Pony (Pegasus)
Website	www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/infantry/parachute-regiment/
Commanders
Colonel-in-Chief	King Charles III[4]
Colonel Commandant	Major General Olly Kingsbury
Notable commanders	Sir Anthony Farrar-Hockley Sir Roland Gibbs Sir Mike Jackson Sir Rupert Smith
Insignia
Parachute Wings
Drop zone flashes

The Parachute Regiment, colloquially known as the Paras, is the airborne and elite infantry regiment of the British Army. The first battalion is part of the Special Forces Support Group under the operational command of the Director Special Forces. The other battalions are the parachute infantry component of the British Army's rapid response formation, 16 Air Assault Brigade. Alongside the five regiments of Foot Guards, the Parachute Regiment is the only infantry regiment of the British Army that has not been amalgamated with another unit since the end of the Second World War.^[5]

The Parachute Regiment was formed on 22 June 1940 during the Second World War and eventually raised 17 battalions. In Europe, these battalions formed part of the 1st Airborne Division, the 6th Airborne Division and the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group. Another three battalions served with the British Indian Army in India and Burma. 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.

At the end of the Second World War, the regiment was reduced to three regular army battalions first assigned to the 16th Parachute Brigade and later the 5th Airborne Brigade. The reserve 16th Airborne Division was formed using the regiment reserve battalions in the Territorial Army. Defence cuts gradually reduced the TA formations to a parachute brigade and then a single reserve battalion. In the same time period, the regular army battalions have taken part in operations in Suez, Cyprus, Borneo, Aden, Northern Ireland, the Falklands, the Kosovo War, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Afghanistan, at times being reinforced by men from the reserve battalion.