British+6th+Airborne+Division

The British 6th Airborne Division was also known as the “Red Devils”. They were an airborne infantry division from the United Kingdom. The division was created April 23, 1943 and stayed active until May 18, 1948. The commanders through World War II were General Richard Nelson "Windy" Gale (1943-1944) and General Eric Boles (1944-1946).

The British troops had an objective of destroying a German gun battery that threatedned the seaborne troops and also to secure the Normandy beaches. The 6th airborne division had the mission of securing the eastern flank of the invasion area. There was only one other airborne division, but the number 6 was chosen for this division to trick the Germans into believing that Britain had 5 other airborne divisions. Shortly after midnight on D-Day, the division landed on target and with the loss of only two men were able to achieve their initial objective. Throughout the night, more troopers landed and they were able to destroy bridges which hampered the German forces from advancing westward.

The British 6th Airborne Division suffered heavy losses on D-Day but their mission was successful.