Paracaidistas Belgas
EJERCITO DE BELGICA - PRIMER BATALLON DE PARACAIDISTAS
The 1st Belgian Para Coy was born on the 8th May 1942 in UK. Their members (Belgians livin abroad) came from all around the world (Canada, Africa, USA, Argentina..aso..).
The Belgian Paras won the famous wings at the Training School of Ringway. The 1st go then to Fritzhill.
After two years of hard training the unit is qualified « operational » with Capt Blondeel as Commanding Officer. The « Belgian Squadron » is now part of the famous SAS Brigade.
In july 1944 the first belgian squads are lifted into France East of Falaise to execute recce and combat missions against the Germans troops.
Other parachutings are made in France (around Beauvais, French Ardennes, in Belgium (in Hautes Fagnes, Gedinne and Limbourg) as well as in Netherlands (in Friseland). Their actions are intended to support the advance of the Allied Forces northward. During the offensive von Rundstedt in Belgian Ardenne, all squads of belgians were mixed and received armoured jeeps. The unit executed dangerous missions for the 6th Airborne (UK).
At the beginning of 1945 the Belgian SAS Regiment had three squadrons acting in the North of The Netherlands and in Germany. After the fall of the Third Reich on May 8, 1945 all units are involved in counter-intelligency missions in Danemark and Germany.
The Belgian SAS Regiment fought continuously from July, 1944 till May, 1945.
First barracks on the belgian soil at Tervueren in July 1945. A training center is opened in Westmalle (August 1945) to be transfered to Poulser on March 31, 1946. The Regiment was going to Leopoldsburg the be transferred in the Citadel of Diest from 1953 up to now.
The unit took part of the Congo compaigns in 1960.
They fought at Stanleyville and Kindu in 1964 to deliver hostages of the Simba’s .
They fought side by side with the French Legion at Kolwézi.
The unit took part of Restore Hope in Somalia, in Rwanda, in Bosnia, Kosovo, …. It would be to long to list all the missions made.
The 1st Bataillon Para belongs to the Belgian Paracommando Brigade and wears the Red Beret as well as the badge of « Special Air Service » inherited from his predecessors of WW2 (World War 2)
Es algo elemental pero si gustan:
http://todalaaviacion.blogspot.com/2007/09/ejercito-de-belgica-primer-batallon-de.html
