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The 156th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment raised by the British Army during the Second World War. The battalion was formed in 1941 from volunteers in serving India initially numbered the 151st Parachute Battalion and assigned to the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade. It was then decided they were no longer required in India, so the battalion was renumbered the 156th Parachute Battalion and moved to the Middle East to join the 4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division. The battalion fought in the Allied invasion of Italy and the Battle of Arnhem where heavy casualties resulted in the disbanding of the battalion, the surviving men being distributed amongst the battalions of the 1st Parachute Brigade. ==Formation== Impressed by the success of German airborne operations, during the Battle of France, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a corps of 5,000 parachute troops.〔Otway, p.21〕 On 22 June 1940, No. 2 Commando was turned over to parachute duties and on 21 November, re-designated the 11th Special Air Service Battalion, with a parachute and glider wing.〔Shortt & McBride, p.4〕〔Moreman, p.91〕 The battalion was raised in October 1941 from volunteers from all of the 27 British infantry battalions in British India and originally numbered the 151st Parachute Battalion, part of the 50th Indian Parachute Brigade.〔Conboy and Hannon, p.3〕 However it was decided in October 1942, that the brigade would only have Indian or Gurkha battalions and the 151st was released and sent to the Middle East.〔Conboy and Hannon, p.5〕 The battalion was redesignated 156th Parachute Battalion for no other reason than to confuse German intelligence. Arriving in the Middle East, the battalion together with the 10th and the 11th parachute battalions formed the 4th Parachute Brigade, 1st Airborne Division.〔Mitcham, p.336〕 In 1942 a parachute battalion had an establishment of 556 men in three companies (three platoons each) supported by a 3 inch mortar and a Vickers machine gun platoon.〔Peters, p.55〕 By 1944 a support company to command the battalions heavy weapons was added. It comprised three platoons: Mortar Platoon with eight mortars, Machine Gun Platoon with four Vickers machine guns and an Anti-tank Platoon with ten PIAT anti-tank projectors.〔Guard, p.37〕 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「156th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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