The Parachute Regiment

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The Acts of Remembrance for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day proved a very busy time for The Parachute Regiment's Pony Maj...
08/06/2026

The Acts of Remembrance for the 82nd anniversary of D-Day proved a very busy time for The Parachute Regiment's Pony Major Cpl Jamie Richards and his stand-in helper as they honoured Airborne Forces who fought and died in Normandy in the summer of 1944.

With Regimental mascots Pegasus and Bruneval staying back at stables in the UK, Cpl Richards had Newton standing in on mascot duties at events in France over two busy days of remembrance.

They were on duty at commemoration events at key Airborne locations from the battle including Pegasus Bridge, Le Mesnil-Bavent, Ranville, Merville Battery, Banneville and Putot en Auge.

A ceremony was held in Normandy to scatter the ashes of 8th Parachute Battalion veteran Pte Len Trewin. Amidst this wee...
07/06/2026

A ceremony was held in Normandy to scatter the ashes of 8th Parachute Battalion veteran Pte Len Trewin.
Amidst this weekend’s commemorative events to honour all the Airborne heroes who fought for liberty in Normandy in the summer of 1944, there was a pause to remember Len as his ashes were scattered at the Memorial to the 8th Parachute Battalion at Touffreville.
Len was one of the last surviving members of British Airborne Forces who took part in the battle to liberate Europe 82 years ago, before sadly passing away at the age of 101, in September last year.
Len was called up in April 1943, beginning his service with the Devonshire Regiment before volunteering for Airborne Forces, completing his parachute training at RAF Ringway in May 1944 and going on to serve with the 8th Battalion, The Parachute Regiment.
He took part in some of the most significant operations of the war, landing in France in August 1944, crossed to Belgium during the Battle of the Bulge, and in March 1945, took part in the Rhine Crossing at Hamminkeln.
He went on to serve in Germany until the end of the war and later deployed to Palestine before being discharged in 1947.
However, Len re-joined the Army shortly after, he was posted to the 4th/6th Battalion in Lubecke, which soon after was renamed the 1st Battalion. He remained with the battalion as part of 16th Independent Parachute Brigade in Germany and Aldershot until 1949.
In later life, Len remained a dedicated member of the Airborne family, regularly attending Normandy, Ardennes, and Rhine Crossing commemorations.
He was also awarded the Legion d'Honneur, France's highest and most prestigious national decoration, which is awarded for outstanding merit to French citizens and deserving foreign nationals for their service to France.

06/06/2026

82nd anniversary Normandy Remembrance - Ranville Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery 6th June 2026

05/06/2026

82nd anniversary Normandy Remembrance - Memorial Pegasus 5th June 2026

For a full account of Airborne Forces actions at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day, see the entry on ParaData: www.paradata.org.uk/content/4663998

It was 82 years ago this week that British Airborne Forces were tasked with securing and holding key strategic locations...
04/06/2026

It was 82 years ago this week that British Airborne Forces were tasked with securing and holding key strategic locations in Normandy in France that would prove vital to the success of Operation OVERLORD.

Op OVERLORD, the Allied invasion of occupied Europe commonly known as D-Day, saw the 6th Airborne Division in action for the first time.

On the night of the 5th June, 7,000 British paratroopers and air landing infantry and support units in gliders from the 6th Airborne Division took off into the night skies to head to Normandy. The 22nd Independent Parachute Company pathfinders marked the British drop zones.

For a full account of Airborne Forces actions on D-Day and in the subsequent weeks, see the Op OVERLORD entry on ParaData: www.paradata.org.uk/content/4634948

The 6th Airborne Division was eventually withdrawn for re-constitution on the 27th August 1944, having spent 82 days non-stop action in the line. Losses were sobering with 542 killed, 1,623 wounded and 725 missing.

Almost one man in five was a casualty.

This week, we remember the men who fought for freedom and honour the sacrifice of those who didn’t return home.

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.”

Parachute Regiment Battle Honours conferred for Op OVERLORD: Normandy Landings; Breville; Pegasus Bridge; Merville Battery; Dives Crossing; La Touques Crossing

On a day when we honour the men of the Parachute Regiment who fought and fell at Goose Green during the Falklands War, w...
28/05/2026

On a day when we honour the men of the Parachute Regiment who fought and fell at Goose Green during the Falklands War, we pause to commemorate the life, service and sacrifice of a hero of our Regiment – Lieutenant Colonel Herbert ‘H’ Jones VC OBE.

Lt Col Jones lost his life 44 years ago today while serving as Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, in the Falkland Islands.

On 28th May 1982, during the Battle of Goose Green, 2 PARA were engaged in an attack against entrenched Argentine positions. With his unit pinned down by heavy fire from machine guns and rifles, Lt Col Jones led a charge against the nearest position. He was severely wounded in this solo charge against this Argentine position on Darwin Hill and subsequently died of his wounds when Darwin Hill was secured but before he could be evacuated.

Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said: "His life was lost, but his death was the turning point in the battle."

He was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross.

The VC Citation reads: “This was an action of the utmost gallantry by a Commanding Officer whose dashing leadership and courage throughout the battle were an inspiration to all about him."

Lt Col Jones is buried at Blue Beach Military Cemetery, San Carlos, Falkland Islands. A street in Stanley has been named 'H Jones Road' and there is a 'Jones Avenue' in the Mt Pleasant air base.

Lt Richard Nunn, the helicopter pilot who was tasked to evacuate the CO was also killed and his co-pilot severely injured when their Scout helicopter was attacked by an Argentine Pucara aircraft as he took off from A Echelon at Camilla Creek House.

For more on Lt Col Jones and further details of his heroic actions on 28th May 1982, see his entry on ParaData: https://paradata.org.uk/content/4639390-lieutenant-colonel-herbert-jones

Today we remember the bravery of the men of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, who fought in the Battle of Goose Gre...
28/05/2026

Today we remember the bravery of the men of 2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, who fought in the Battle of Goose Green and honour the sacrifice of the 15 who were killed during the battle in May 1982.

Following the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands in April 1982, a British task force, which included several Airborne troop elements, was rapidly assembled to retake the islands.

On 26 May, 2 PARA was ordered to move south and engage the Argentinian Strategic Reserve and airfield on the Darwin / Goose Green Isthmus. The attack began during the early hours of 28th May with limited naval and artillery support.

The battalion was forced to go to ground at daybreak right across the isthmus, from Boca House in the West to the Darwin feature in the East, outgunned by an enemy who could hold them up at a distance with long, unimpeded fields of fire.

The assault continued with some ferocious trench to trench fighting and by last light, enemy positions across the isthmus, less the Goose Green Settlement had been taken. Negotiations with the Argentinians led to their surrender the next day.

The Commanding Officer of 2 PARA, Lt Col H Jones, was killed during the battle.

Around 45-50 Argentinians were killed, and 'The Official History of the Falklands Campaign' reports 961 Argentinian prisoners taken, although other accounts have reported a larger prisoner count.

Goose Green is a Battle Honour of The Parachute Regiment and a number of gallantry awards were made to members of 2 PARA in recognition of their actions including the posthumous award of the Victoria Cross to Lt Col H Jones.

Killed in action 28th May 1982:
2nd Battalion, The Parachute Regiment: Lt Col H Jones VC OBE, Capt David Wood, Capt Chris Dent, Lt Jim Barry, Cpl David Hardman, Cpl Stephen Prior, Cpl Paul Sullivan, L/Cpl Gary Bingley MM, L/Cpl Tony Cork, L/Cpl Nigel Smith, Pte Stephen Dixon, Pte Mark Fletcher, Pte Mark Holman-Smith, Pte Stephen Illingsworth DCM, Pte Tam Mechan.
59 Independent Commando Squadron RE: Cpl Mick Melia (attached to HQ A Coy, 2 PARA).
Royal Marines, 3 Commando Brigade Air Squadron: Lt Richard Nunn DFC.

For more on the Battle of Goose Green, see this link to ParaData: https://paradata.org.uk/content/4663479-goose-green

Veterans and serving personnel of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces attended a special event to commemorate 15 ...
23/05/2026

Veterans and serving personnel of The Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces attended a special event to commemorate 15 years since the end of Operation TELIC - the War in Iraq.

The event was hosted by the Royal British Legion at the National Memorial Arboretum and remembered the lives lost and those affected by the war, paying tribute to the professionalism and dedication of the men and women who served, from the initial invasion to the rebuilding of Iraqi institutions and infrastructure.

Those attending heard poignant and heartfelt personal testimonies from some of those who served in Iraq during the 8 years of Op TELIC and also from the loved ones of some of those who lost their lives.

Op TELIC was the first time 16 Air Assault Brigade had deployed complete on an operation since its inception in September 1999, with 1PARA and 3PARA heavily involved in fighting.

A total of 179 British Armed Forces personnel were killed, 11 of whom were from 16 Air Assault Brigade and two Battle Honours were conferred on the Brigade: Iraq 2003 and Al Basrah.

The veterans and personnel from the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces were joined at the commemorative event by representatives
from across the Armed Forces and VIPs.

The VIPs in attendance included Vice Chief of the Defence Staff General Dame Sharon Nesmith DCB ADC and Defence Secretary John Healey MP, who spent time after the ceremony chatting with some of the Paras and met Pony Major Cpl Jamie Richards and Parachute Regiment mascot Pegasus.

For more on Op TELIC - https://paradata.org.uk/content/4634927

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