2 Parachute Battalion

2 Parachute Battalion
Active	July 1971 – present
Country	South Africa
Branch	South Africa Army SADF 1973-1994 South Africa Army SANDF 1994-present
Type	Infantry (Paratroopers)
Role	Airborne Infantry
Size	Battalion
Garrison/HQ	Tempe, Bloemfontein
Nickname(s)	Parabats

For the British Army unit, see 2nd Battalion, Parachute Regiment.

2 Parachute Battalion is Citizen Force paratroop unit of the South African Army. It was established in July 1971 with the formation of the Parachute Battalion. Later it was a battalion within 44 Parachute Brigade.

Background

With the implementation of one year National Service in South Africa in 1968, 1 Parachute Battalion struggled to administer the Permanent Force and the Citizen Force parabats. To prevent the loss of these trained national servicemen at the end of their one year service to other units of the South African Defence Force, it was decided to form a new citizen force parachute unit to take these men. The battalion was formed at Tempe in July 1971 of five rifle companies. On 20 April 1978, the 2 Parachute Battalion and other parachute units became part of the newly formed 44 Parachute Brigade.

2 Parachute Battalion would take part in Operation Savannah in Angola during 1975 and covered the withdrawal of the SADF forces from that country in early 1976. In May 1978, elements of this battalion took part in the parachute drop over Cassinga during Operation Reindeer. Companies from this battalion were based on the border with Angola in South-West Africa/Namibia and used as a rapid reaction force to counter incursions by SWAPO's PLAN forces into that country. 2 Parachute Battalion companies were also deployed internally in South African black townships to suppress unrest to the governments Apartheid policies.

Further reading

• Pitta, Robert (27 May 1993). South African Special Forces (eBook). Elite (Book 47). Osprey Publishing. ISBN 1855322943.