5th Airborne Brigade (United Kingdom)

The 5th Infantry Brigade was a regular British Army formation from the First World War to disbandment in 1999.

History
During both World War I and the Second World War the 5th Brigade was part of the 2nd Infantry Division. It served in France in 1940, was evacuated to Britain from Dunkirk and remained in Britain until 10 April 1942 when it was shipped out to India. The 5th Brigade served with the 2nd Infantry Division in the Burma Campaign under General Sim's Fourteenth Army.

Component Units

 * World War II
 * 1st Bn. Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders
 * 2nd Bn. The Dorsetshire Regiment
 * 2nd Bn. The Royal Warwickshire Regiment (Until 5th Feb.1940)
 * 7th Bn. The Worcestershire Regiment

Commanders

 * Brig. G.L. Gartlan
 * Brig. C.G. Phillips
 * Brig. J.R.T. Aldous
 * Brig. R.V.C. Cavendish
 * Brig. V.F.S. Hawkins
 * Brig. M.M. Alston-Roberts-West

Post 1945
Following the war it was part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan, and then the British Army of the Rhine until 1964, when the Brigade Group was released to bolster the strategic reserve. It arrived in Borneo in October 1965 to take control of Mid West Sector, but by 1968 it was back in the United Kingdom as part of the 3rd Infantry Division. It did a tour in Northern Ireland during the early part of the Troubles. In the early 1980s the Field Force concept was dropped in favour of traditional Brigades, 5th Infantry Brigade was reformed at Aldershot in 1981 by the redesignation of 8th Field Force. The Brigade consisted of the former elements of the Parachute Contingency Force (PCF) from 6 Field Force (which became the 1st Infantry Brigade), at the time 2 PARA, together with a second Parachute Battalion from 8 Field Force (3 PARA).

Falklands War
The Brigade was sent to the Falklands in 1982 as the follow-on force to 3rd Commando Brigade. Having had its two Parachute Regiment battalions withdrawn to reinforce 3 Commando Brigade it was hurriedly reconstituted with two Guards battalions pulled from Public duties in London. The final order of battle included:
 * 1st Battalion, Welsh Guards
 * 2nd Battalion, Scots Guards
 * 1st Battalion, 7th Duke of Edinburgh's Own Gurkha Rifles
 * 1 troop of the Blues and Royals

5th Airborne Brigade
Following the Falklands War it was converted into 5th Airborne Brigade, this included the 2 battalions of the Parachute Regiment together with additional parachute support elements and a small parachute deployable Brigade HQ. 7 Para Regiment RHA returned from Germany and was converted to an airborne unit and a Brigade Logistic Battalion was formed. In that form was merged with 24 Airmobile Brigade to produce 16 Air Assault Brigade from 1 September 1999.

5th Airborne Brigade Order of Battle

 * HQ 5 Airborne Brigade

4th Field Regiment (Royal Artillery 1977 - 1983) Each fire unit was equipped with Rapier Field Standard A and DN181 ‘Blindfire’ radar. There was also an HQ Flight and an Engineering Flight.
 * 89 Abn Intelligence Section, Intelligence Corps
 * No1 Air Force Liaison Section
 * 2x Parachute Battalions
 * 1x Infantry Battalion (2nd Bn The Wessex Regiment(V))
 * 1x Gurkha Battalion
 * 1x Armoured Recce Regiment Life Guards/ The Blues & Royals
 * 7 (Para) Regiment, Royal Horse Artillery
 * Royal Pioneer Corps
 * 36 Engineer Regiment Royal Engineers
 * 9 Para Squadron RE
 * 20 Sqn RE
 * 50 Field Construction Sqn RE
 * 61 Field Support Sqn RE
 * HQ & Signal Sgn Royal Signals
 * Det 224 Signal Sqn Royal Signals
 * 658 Aviation Sqn Army Air Corps
 * 23 Parachute Field Ambulance Royal Army Medical Corps
 * 160 Provost Company Royal Military Police
 * 63 Sqn RAF Regt. Consisting of 8 Rapier fire units deployed as 2 flights (A & B flights) A1 – A4; B1 – B4. http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafregiment/squadrons/63_sqn_history.cfm


 * 613 Tactical Air Control Party RAF
 * 614 Tactical Air Control Party RAF

Logistic Battalion

 * 63 Abn Squadron Royal Corps of Transport/ Royal Logistic Corps
 * 82 Abn Ordnance Company Royal Army Ordnance Corps/ Royal Logistic Corps
 * 10 Abn Workshop Royal Electrical & Mechanical Engineers

Territorial Army Enhancement

 * 4 Para (V) - HQ Pudsey
 * 10 Para (V) - HQ London
 * 15 Para (SV) - HQ Glasgow
 * 210(V) Sgn Royal Corps of Transport/Royal Logistics Corps
 * 163 Provost Company (V) Royal Military Police
 * 144 Para Field Ambulance (V) - HQ London