“Flexible Enough to Adapt”: British Airborne Forces’ Experience during Post Conflict Operations 1944- 1946

Abstract

Either side of the end of the Second World War Britain’s airborne forces were increasingly employed in what today would be termed stabilisation operations. This paper examines the utility and experience of British airborne forces employed in Greece in 1944, Norway in 1945 and Java in 1946, and highlights common features across the three operations. This paper suggests characteristics and traits within airborne forces that enhanced their suitability for successfully contributing to complex stabilisation operations.