17th Parachute Battalion (United Kingdom)


The 17th Parachute Battalion was an airborne infantry battalion of the Parachute Regiment, which was raised by the British Army during the Second World War.

Regular army

The battalion was raised in August 1945 and assigned to the reformed 1st Parachute Brigade. It was posted to Palestine with the 6th Airborne Division later that year. Post war reductions in the army resulted in the battalion being amalgamated with the 7th Parachute Battalion in 1946, keeping the number of the senior battalion.

Territorial Army

In 1947, a Territorial Army battalion was raised from the 9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry. The new battalion, the 17th Parachute Battalion, served in the 6th Parachute Brigade, 16th Airborne Division. Defence cuts in 1967 saw the battalion being amalgamated with the 12th/13th Parachute Battalion and the 13th to become the 4th Battalion, Parachute Regiment.