British Trooper

The division's first two missions— Operation Biting , a  parachute  landing in France, and  Operation Freshman , a  glider  mission in Norway—were both raids. Part of the division was sent to  North Africa  at the end of 1942, where it fought in the  Tunisian Campaign , and when the  Allies   invaded Sicily  in July 1943, the division undertook two  brigade  sized landings. The first,  Operation Ladbroke , carried out by  glider infantry  of the  1st Airlanding Brigade  and the second,  Operation Fustian , by the  1st Parachute Brigade , were far from completely successful. The 1st Airborne Division then took part in a mostly diversionary  amphibious landing , codenamed  Operation Slapstick , as part of the  Allied invasion of Italy  in September 1943.

In December, most of the 1st Airborne Division (minus the  2nd Parachute Brigade ) returned to  England , and began training and preparing for the  Allied invasion of Normandy. It was not involved in the  Normandy landings  in June 1944, being held in reserve. In September 1944 the 1st Airborne took part in  Operation Market Garden. The division, with the  Polish 1st Parachute Brigade  temporarily attached, landed 60 miles (97 km) behind German lines, to capture crossings on the  River Rhine , and fought in the  Battle of Arnhem. After failing to achieve its objectives, the division was surrounded and took very heavy casualties, but held out for nine days before the  survivors were evacuated.

The remnants of the 1st Airborne Division was returned to England soon after. The division never fully recovered from their losses at Arnhem and the  4th Parachute Brigade  was disbanded. Just after the  end of the war in Europe , the depleted formation took part in  Operation Doomsday  in Norway in May 1945. They were tasked with the disarmament and repatriation of the German occupation army. The 1st Airborne Division then returned to England and was disbanded in November 1945.