Private J Connington of Selby, Yorkshire, in action with his Sten gun, 20 September 1944

Photograph by Sergeant D M Smith, Army Film and Photographic Unit, World War Two, North West Europe, 1944.

The Parachute Regiment is best known for its role in the Arnhem operation in 1944. However, the regiment was raised much earlier in 1942. That year it was used on a small raid in France and in greater numbers during fighting in North Africa, Sicily and Italy the following year. It also took part in the Normandy landings. These operations showed that careful planning was necessary and that the lightly armed paratroops had little defence against a well-armed enemy especially if they employed tanks.

From a collection of 75 British official photographs relating to 1st Airborne Division at Arnhem, Operation MARKET GARDEN, September 1944.