What Makes an Elite Unit Elite? The Case of the British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade, June 1944 to January 1945

The British 2nd Independent Parachute Brigade should be characterised as elite due to its adaptability. An advanced level of training made paratroopers into high-quality, elite soldiers who were able to adapt both during an operation and between operations. This adaptation was successful during its period of offensive actions, specifically Operations Hasty, Dragoon, and Manna. The piece contributes to the military effectiveness debate through an analysis of a single elite unit. It further challenges the overemphasis of studying Second World War British airborne operations in North-Western Europe alone, adding to the underdeveloped study of the Mediterranean theatre's Allied airborne units.