15th (Scottish Volunteer) Parachute Battalion

February 2018 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Parachute Battalion Parachute Regiment cap badge.jpg 200 Cap badge of the Parachute Regiment United Kingdom United Kingdom Infantry Airborne Battalion 77th Indian Parachute Brigade44th Parachute Brigade Red DevilsOtway, p.88 200px DZ Flash Sir George LeaJock Pearson The 15th (Scottish Volunteer) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, originally raised as 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion by the British Army in World War II. The 15th Parachute Battalion was formed in India during 1945 from the 1st Battalion the King's Regiment (Liverpool). Prior to this the 1st Battalion King's had been part of the Chindits special force and taken part in the second Chindit expedition, Operation Thursday, of 1944. It was assigned to the 77th Chindit Brigade, taking part in the Battle of Mogaung in June 1944. It then became part of the 44th Indian Airborne Division.5 April 2011 Paradata 15th (King's) Battalion http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/15th-kings-parachute-battalion-0 https://web.archive.org/web/20110725085806/http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/15th-kings-parachute-battalion-0 25 July 2011 dead The war ended before the battalion was committed to any combat but a number of officers and sergeants parachuted into Japanese Prisoner of War Camps in Java, Sumatra, Bangkok and Singapore to provide aid to the prisoners. After the war, the battalion was reconverted to standard line infantry as the 1st King's Regiment (Liverpool). During the Royal Indian Navy mutiny of February 1946, HMIS Hindustan was berthed at Karachi, and occupied by mutineers. When ordered to debark the mutineers refused, but finally surrendered after a brief firefight with the 15th (King's) Parachute Battalion, supported by four 75mm pack howitzers of C Troop, 159 Parachute Light Regiment, Royal Artillery.http://www.paradata.org.uk/content/hmis-hindustan-incident HMIS Hindustan Incident Jon Baker paradata.org.uk 2012 7 June 2012 17 June 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120617133821/http://www.paradata.org.uk/content/hmis-hindustan-incident dead Territorial Army The battalion was reformed by the Territorial Army in 1947 as the 15th (Scottish) Parachute Battalion (TA). In 1967 it was re-designated 15 PARA (SV) and came under command of the 44th Parachute Brigade. In June 1974, Warrant Officer Class 2 John Gordon McRae became the first territorial to be awarded the Queen's Gallantry Medal.6 April 2011 The Scots at War 15th (Scottish) Battalion Parachute Regiment http://www.scotsatwar.org.uk/printerv/15para.htm https://web.archive.org/web/20110520222425/http://scotsatwar.org.uk/printerv/15para.htm 20 May 2011 dead During a practice parachute jump from a C-130 the parachute of one of his men failed to open. The man crashed through McRae's rigging and as he did so McRae managed to keep a hold of him and they both descended safely on the one parachute.46412 25 November 1974 11747 During September 1974 the battalion suffered the highest loss of TA soldiers during a major NATO exercise. Dropped off course, six men landed in the Kiel Canal and drowned. Defence cuts in April 1993 resulted in the amalgamation of the three remaining TA parachute battalions. The battalion numbered 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment, retained as a rifle company 15 Company, subsequently re-designated A Company based in Scotland.5 April 2011 Paradata 15th Battalion http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/15th-battalion-parachute-regiment-15-para-sv 25 July 2011 https://web.archive.org/web/20110725085825/http://www.paradata.org.uk/units/15th-battalion-parachute-regiment-15-para-sv dead Notes 30em October 2025 Category:British Parachute Regiment Battalions Category:Military units and formations in Burma in World War II Category:Military units and formations established in 1945 Category:Military units and formations established in 1947 Category:Military units and formations disestablished in 1993