
WW2 Border Regiment Section.
1st Battalion, Border Regiment
VERA's main section portrays the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment during World War 2. The section has been taking part in reenactment / living history events since the early 1990's and is the main focus of VERA.
Regimental History
A short history of 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, 1st Airlanding Brigade, 1st Airborne Division.
At the start of the war the Battalion formed part of the 2nd Infantry Division and went to France around 20th September 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. At the end of April 1940 the Battalion was transferred to the 42nd Infantry Division still within the BEF. When the German attack on the Low Countries began it was not long until the Battalion was in action conducting a fighting retreat back to Dunkirk where it was evacuated with other BEF survivors. The time in France had cost the Battalion around 250 all ranks killed, wounded and missing.
The Battalion then spent some time reforming for future operations and was back to full strength by October. On the 1st December the Battalion left the 42nd Infantry Division and joined the 31st Independent Infantry Brigade which formed part of IV Corps. They continued training until September 1941 when it was announced that the Brigade was to be re-designated as the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division.
The Battalion then trained for its new role until May 1943 when it began a move from England to North Africa in preparation for the Invasion of Sicily. When Operation HUSKY was launched on the 9th July the Battalion’s main role was to capture the town of Syracuse on the East coast of Sicily. For this the Battalions’ strength was 43 officers and 753 other ranks. Unfortunately many of the gliders came down in the sea drowning a large number of the Borders’ and those which did make it to Sicily were widely scattered stopping the Battalion from organising and attaining its objective. However, in their small groups they caused problems for the enemy. After other forces had landed and the island had been occupied the Battalion was shipped back to North Africa less 9 officers and 180 other ranks killed, wounded or missing.
The Battalion regrouped and began to get back to operational strength and in September and November of 1943 they took part in the fighting in Souther Italy. After this fighting the whole Division was sent back to Britain to train and prepare for the forthcoming assault on Northern Europe. However when the Second Front was opened in June 1944 the Battalion was to play no part, instead being held in reserve with the rest of the Division. As the fighting raged on across France a number of plans were made for the use of the Division but these were overtaken by events on the ground.
On 17th September the Division took part in Operation MARKET GARDEN, which involved three Airborne Divisions; two American and one British,as well as a Polish Independent Brigade. This operation was designed to seize the bridges over several rivers over a distance of 64 miles into occupied Holland to allow the allied armies to turn into the industrial hear of Germany; the Ruhr, in a bid to remove their ability to fight. The 1st Airborne Division was tasked to seize the bridge at Arnhem, the furthest bridge from Allied forces, and hold it until relieved, estimated at two to four days.
On the morning of 17th September the gliders of the Battalion took off on their journey to the landing zones to the west of Arnhem. After they had landed, the Battalion had to form a defensive perimeter around the dropping and landing zones for other units arriving the following day. While this was happening other troops of the Division were heading for the bridge itself in the centre of Arnhem to secure it for the troops coming up from the south. From then until the 25th of September the Battalion held part of the defence on the western edge of an ever shrinking perimeter as fighting in Arnhem continued as part of the bridge was taken then lost. On 25th September it was decided to withdraw the remnants of the Division back across the Rhine in allied territory. The Battalion emerged as a shadow of the one that had gone in, its strength reduced from just under 800 to around 250 all ranks.
The Battalion returned to England and slowly set about regrouping. When the war in Europe ended in May 1945 the Battalion along with other units of 1st Airborne went to Norway to oversee the surrender of the German forces and thus ended the Second World War for the 1st Borders.
1st Battalion, Border Regiment
VERA's main section portrays the 1st Battalion, Border Regiment during World War 2. The section has been taking part in reenactment / living history events since the early 1990's and is the main focus of VERA.
Regimental History
A short history of 1st Battalion, Border Regiment, 1st Airlanding Brigade, 1st Airborne Division.
At the start of the war the Battalion formed part of the 2nd Infantry Division and went to France around 20th September 1939 as part of the British Expeditionary Force. At the end of April 1940 the Battalion was transferred to the 42nd Infantry Division still within the BEF. When the German attack on the Low Countries began it was not long until the Battalion was in action conducting a fighting retreat back to Dunkirk where it was evacuated with other BEF survivors. The time in France had cost the Battalion around 250 all ranks killed, wounded and missing.
The Battalion then spent some time reforming for future operations and was back to full strength by October. On the 1st December the Battalion left the 42nd Infantry Division and joined the 31st Independent Infantry Brigade which formed part of IV Corps. They continued training until September 1941 when it was announced that the Brigade was to be re-designated as the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airlanding Brigade of the 1st Airborne Division.
The Battalion then trained for its new role until May 1943 when it began a move from England to North Africa in preparation for the Invasion of Sicily. When Operation HUSKY was launched on the 9th July the Battalion’s main role was to capture the town of Syracuse on the East coast of Sicily. For this the Battalions’ strength was 43 officers and 753 other ranks. Unfortunately many of the gliders came down in the sea drowning a large number of the Borders’ and those which did make it to Sicily were widely scattered stopping the Battalion from organising and attaining its objective. However, in their small groups they caused problems for the enemy. After other forces had landed and the island had been occupied the Battalion was shipped back to North Africa less 9 officers and 180 other ranks killed, wounded or missing.
The Battalion regrouped and began to get back to operational strength and in September and November of 1943 they took part in the fighting in Souther Italy. After this fighting the whole Division was sent back to Britain to train and prepare for the forthcoming assault on Northern Europe. However when the Second Front was opened in June 1944 the Battalion was to play no part, instead being held in reserve with the rest of the Division. As the fighting raged on across France a number of plans were made for the use of the Division but these were overtaken by events on the ground.
On 17th September the Division took part in Operation MARKET GARDEN, which involved three Airborne Divisions; two American and one British,as well as a Polish Independent Brigade. This operation was designed to seize the bridges over several rivers over a distance of 64 miles into occupied Holland to allow the allied armies to turn into the industrial hear of Germany; the Ruhr, in a bid to remove their ability to fight. The 1st Airborne Division was tasked to seize the bridge at Arnhem, the furthest bridge from Allied forces, and hold it until relieved, estimated at two to four days.
On the morning of 17th September the gliders of the Battalion took off on their journey to the landing zones to the west of Arnhem. After they had landed, the Battalion had to form a defensive perimeter around the dropping and landing zones for other units arriving the following day. While this was happening other troops of the Division were heading for the bridge itself in the centre of Arnhem to secure it for the troops coming up from the south. From then until the 25th of September the Battalion held part of the defence on the western edge of an ever shrinking perimeter as fighting in Arnhem continued as part of the bridge was taken then lost. On 25th September it was decided to withdraw the remnants of the Division back across the Rhine in allied territory. The Battalion emerged as a shadow of the one that had gone in, its strength reduced from just under 800 to around 250 all ranks.
The Battalion returned to England and slowly set about regrouping. When the war in Europe ended in May 1945 the Battalion along with other units of 1st Airborne went to Norway to oversee the surrender of the German forces and thus ended the Second World War for the 1st Borders.