9 Parachute Squadron RE

Now based at Rock Barracks in Woodbridge, Suffolk with the rest of 23 Parachute Engineer Regiment, the squadron's history goes back to 1787, when the Chatham Company of "Royall Military Artificers" was raised at Chatham, which, in 1806, was numbered 9 Field Company in Gibraltar.[2]

The next hundred years of the squadron's history is rather meagre, but it is known to have served in the Kaffir Wars, the Crimean War, Bermuda, Halifax, Nova Scotia and Hong Kong. It was under the command of the 7th Division during the Boer War. During the First World War the company served with the 4th Infantry Division, bridging the Rivers Marne and Aisne, as well as taking part in the Battle of the Somme.

The outbreak of the Second World War in 1939 saw 9th Field Company RE in France once again, still as part of the 4th Division. It took part in the evacuation of the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk.

In May 1942, it was reorganised as 9 Field Company RE (Airborne). 9 Field Company RE (Airborne) became the engineer support for the newly formed 1st Air Landing Brigade, with about one third of the company being trained in the use of parachutes while the rest were trained as glider-borne troops.

The unit's first airborne operation was in Norway in 1942 when they were sent as Operation Freshman to destroy a heavy water plant. However, both gliders crash landed, and the few survivors were executed by the Gestapo. In 1943 9 Field Company RE (Airborne) also took part in further airborne operations in North Africa, Sicily and Italy.

9 Field Company RE (Airborne) returned to the UK in November 1943 to prepare for D Day. In September 1944 the company took part in Operation Market Garden. With the exception of two gliders that crash landed, the remainder of the unit landed safely at Arnhem, where they played an important role in the defence of the bridge. The platoon was used as the counter-attack force by Lt Col John Frost, the Commanding Officer of 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment, and fought with great bravery in the infantry role. However, they took heavy casualties, with just 57 of the original company of 215 men returning to the UK, the rest being captured or killed.

On VE Day, 1st Airborne Division was ordered to Norway to accept the surrender of the 400,000 German soldiers there. After VJ Day 9th Airborne Squadron went to Palestine with the 6th Airborne Division. The squadron had a difficult time in Palestine, being sent to clear the King David Hotel in Jerusalem after the bomb attack. In Palestine the squadron lost three men killed in action.

9 Independent Airborne Squadron RE accompanied the division to Germany, returning to the UK in 1950, since when the squadron has served on active service in countries such as Egypt, Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, Bahrain, Aden, Radfan, Borneo, Rhodesia as well as six full tours and two spearhead tours of duty in Northern Ireland.

In 1976, 16 Independent Parachute Brigade disbanded and 9 Independent Parachute Squadron RE lost its independence and became part of 36 Engineer Regiment, based at Maidstone. 9 Parachute Squadron RE, as it was now called, was to remain in Aldershot to support the Parachute Battalions. In April 1982, the squadron embarked for the Falkland Islands as part of 5 Infantry Brigade. In true sapper tradition, the squadron was involved in the thick of the action from clearing minefields to repairing bridges. Sergeant Ron Wrega, Sergeant Pete Colclough and Corporal John Foran won the Military Medal during the conflict.

After the Falklands War, the squadron had tours in Belize, Kenya, the Falklands and Canada. In 1987, in the Royal Engineers 200th Anniversary Year, the squadron was selected to provide the Royal Guard. After six weeks of intense training, the squadron provided the guard for Buckingham Palace, St. James's Palace and for the Tower of London. They were also given the duty of guarding the Royal London Palaces in 2009, 21 years after first performing the task.

Between July and November 1994, the squadron served in Rwanda as part of the UNAMIR mission, for which it was jointly awarded the Wilkinson Sword of Peace. In Rwanda, the squadron contributed to the stabilising of the difficult situation and to the rebuilding of the country’s infrastructure. This was achieved by providing sterilised water, constructing roads and bridges (including the longest operationally constructed Bailey Bridge since the Second World War), providing support to medical and dental facilities, general artisan trade work and mine clearance.