| 3rd Parachute Brigade | |
|---|---|
&sq=&lang=&file=File:Private_Smith_8th_Parachute_Battalion.jpg) | |
| Active | 1942–1948 |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Branch |  British Army |
| Type | Parachute Infantry |
| Role | Airborne forces |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 1st Airborne Division 6th Airborne Division |
| Nickname(s) | Red Devils [nb 1] |
| Engagements | Normandy landings Operation Tonga Battle of Merville Gun Battery 6th Airborne Division advance to the River Seine Battle of the Bulge Operation Varsity Advance to the Baltic Palestine |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders | Gerald Lathbury James Hill |
| Insignia | |
| Emblem of the British airborne forces | &sq=&lang=&file=File:British_Airborne_Units.png) |
The 3rd Parachute Brigade was an airborne forces brigade raised by the British Army during the Second World War. The brigade was initially part of the 1st Airborne Division, but remained in Britain when that division was sent overseas, and became part of the 6th Airborne Division, alongside 5th Parachute Brigade and 6th Airlanding Brigade.
The brigade first went into action on 5 June 1944 during Operation Tonga, part of the Normandy landings. The objective was to destroy the Merville Gun Battery and the bridges over the River Dives. The brigade achieved all its objectives, and remained defending the left flank of the invasion zone until mid August. They then crossed the River Dives and advanced as far as the River Seine before they were withdrawn. While recovering in England, the brigade was moved to Belgium in December 1944, to counter the German attack in the Ardennes. The brigade remained on the border between Belgium and the Netherlands carrying out patrols until March 1945. Their next airborne mission was Operation Varsity, the assault crossing of the River Rhine in Germany. After this, the brigade advanced towards the Baltic Sea, arriving just ahead of the Red Army.
Still part of the 6th Airborne Division, the brigade was sent to the British mandate of Palestine in October 1945 after the end of the war. Carrying out an internal security role with the rest of 6th Airborne Division, it remained in Palestine until it was disbanded in 1947.
- ^ Otway, p. 88
Cite error: There are <ref group=nb> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=nb}} template (see the help page).