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I Airborne Corps
Active 1943–1945
Country Flag of the United Kingdom United Kingdom
Branch British Army
Type Infantry
Role Airborne forces
Size Corps
Part of 1st Allied Airborne Army
Nickname(s) Red Devils [nb 1]
Commanders
Notable
commanders
Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning
Lieutenant-General Richard Gale
Insignia
Identification
symbol
British Airborne Units

The I Airborne Corps was an airborne forces corps of the British Army during the Second World War. Together with the American XVIII Airborne Corps it was part of the 1st Allied Airborne Army.

Formation[]

Under the command of Lieutenant-General Frederick Browning, the I Airborne Corps was formed in 1943, with the 1st and the 6th Airborne Divisions.[2] In August 1944, the corps became part of the 1st Allied Airborne Army, alongside the American XVIII Airborne Corps.[2]

Later in the war as well as the 1st and 6th Airborne Divisions, the corps had the 1st SAS Brigade, the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade and the 52nd (Lowland) Infantry Division an air-transportable division under corps command.[3][4] Other units assigned to the corps were the American 82nd, and 101st Airborne Divisions during Operation Market Garden. Lieutenant General Richard Gale took command of the Corps in December 1944.[5]

Notes[]

Footnotes
  1. The 1st Parachute Brigade had been called the "Rote Teufel" or "Red Devils" by the German troops they had fought in North-Africa. The title was officially confirmed by General Harold Alexander and henceforth applied to all British airborne troops.[1]
Citations
  1. Otway, p.88
  2. 2.0 2.1 Horn and Wyczynski, p.294
  3. Otway, p.202
  4. Otway, p.210
  5. Richard Gale Pegassus archive

References[]

  • Horn, Bernd; Wyczynski, Michel (2003). Paras versus the Reich: Canada's paratroopers at war, 1942-45. Dundurn Press Ltd. ISBN 978-1-55002-470-8. 
  • Otway, Lieutenant-Colonel T.B.H (1990). The Second World War 1939–1945 Army – Airborne Forces. London: Imperial War Museum. ISBN 0-901627-57-7. 
All or a portion of this article consists of text from Wikipedia, and is therefore Creative Commons Licensed under GFDL.
The original article can be found at I Airborne Corps (United Kingdom) and the edit history here.
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