During Operation Torch, the 1st Brigade was detached to the 1st Army and earned the nickname that would stick with the British Airborne through out the war -- Die Röte Teufeln -- the Red Devils. It was also during their stay in North Africa that the 1st Airborne adopted it's greeting of Waho Mohammed from the local Arab tribesmen.

    During June of 1943, the 1st Brigade was joined by the 2nd, 4th Para Brigades and the 1st Air-Landing Brigade for the invasion of Sicily. It was during this adventure that the heroic capture of both the Ponte Grande and Primosole Bridges took place. Also, during the Primosole Bridge attack, the 1st Para Brigade fought their German counterparts of the 4th Fallshirmjäger Regiment after they both used the same DZ!

    After the Sicily operation, the 1st was notified that it would take part in the amphibious landing in Italy. As the 1st Para and 1st Air-Landing Brigades had taken a terrible beating, they were held in reserve for this operation. The 2nd and 4th Para Brigades landed unopposed on the beaches of Taranto on September 8, 1943 and quickly moved inland and seized the town of Castellaneta. During the Italian invasion, the division commander, Major General Hopkins was killed during an attack on the airfield at Gioia.

    When the 1st Airborne Division was withdrawn from Italy in November 1944, the 2nd Para Brigade was detached and remained in Italy. It was augmented with additional airborne units and became the 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade Group and was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Infantry Division.

    Upon arrival in England, the 1st Airborne set about training and reorganizing for the anticipated airborne invasion of the continent. The division now consisted of the 1st & 4th Parachute Brigade and the 1st Air-Landing Brigade. During Overlord, the 1st Airborne was held as a strategic reserve force. They would not see any action in France.

    The next combat that the 1st would see was in September 1944, Operation Market Garden. On D-Day, both the 1st Parachute and 1st Air-Landing Brigades were landed at their DZ/LZ's. The 4th Parachute Brigade was scheduled to land on D+1 and the 1st Polish Parachute Brigade would arrive on D+2. As with all plans, the execution did not go as planned. The 4th landed 4 hours late due to fog over Merry ol' England. The 1st Polish Glider element arrived as scheduled; but, the parachute element did not arrive for another 2 days. This miscalculation, in conjunction with the intelligence boondoggle and poor planning by Montgomery and his staff, led to the destruction of the 1st Airborne Division.