10th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)

10th (Sussex) Parachute Battalion
Cap badge of the Parachute Regiment
Active	1942–1944 1947-1999
Country	United Kingdom
Branch	British Army
Type	Infantry
Role	Airborne forces
Size	Battalion
Part of	4th Parachute Brigade
Nickname(s)	Red Devils
Motto(s)	Utrinque Paratus (Latin for "Ready for Anything")
Commanders
Notable commanders	Lieutenant-Colonel Kenneth B. I. Smyth Died of wounds October 1944
Insignia
The emblem of the Second World War British Airborne Forces, Bellerophon riding the flying horse Pegasus

The 10th (Sussex) Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, raised by the British Army during the Second World War.

The battalion was raised around volunteers from the Royal Sussex Regiment at Kibrit in the Middle East. Assigned to the 4th Parachute Brigade, they joined the 1st Airborne Division in Tunisia. The battalion fought their first action in Operation Slapstick part of the Allied invasion of Italy. They were then withdrawn to England at the end of 1943. Being held in reserve during the Normandy landings, their second action was in Operation Market Garden in the Netherlands.

The battalion landed on the second day of the Battle of Arnhem and unable to reach their assigned objective, it was gradually destroyed over two days of fighting. The surviving men managed to withdraw into the divisional position at Oosterbeek. After holding a position in the perimeter, the handful of men left were evacuated south of the River Rhine. The battalion never recovered from the heavy casualties, sustained during the battle and was disbanded. The surviving men being posted to the battalions of the 1st Parachute Brigade.

When the Territorial Army was reformed after the war in 1947. A new 10th Battalion was raised. It was part of the reserve 44th Parachute Brigade in the 16th Airborne Division. However, as a result of defence cuts the battalion was eventually amalgamated with the 4th Battalion.