The Fallschirmjager were called by the British forces: Grunen Teufels or Green Devils, because "they fought with extraordinary courage on the attack and unparalleled tenacity on defence". Over 60,000 sons of Germany lost their lives while serving in the parachute branch of the Luftwaffe between the years of 37'-45'.

  Here is the background of our unit: Formed in 1943 in western France(Vannes/Bretagne area) under the 7.Armee. The Division was formed from Fallschirm-Jager-Regiment 2 and the II/Fallschirm-Artillerie-Regiment 1. The two new Regiments of the division, FJR.6 and FJR.7, were formed from various other units such as the Luftwaffen-Feld-Bataillon 100, IV/Luftlande-Sturm-Rgiment 1 and the Lehr Battalion/Fliegerkorps XI.

 

  -June 1943 the Division was ordered to Italy, and took up station guarding the coast between Tiber estuary and Tarquinia. In August of 1943 the unit moved into Rome, to disarm its garrision.

  -12th of August 1943, the 1st company of FJR.7 participated in the rescue of Mussolini at Gran Sasso d'Italia. -In the next two months, the division remained stationed near Rome, but part of the division participated in two major actions: 17 Sept 1943 (II.FJR.7) the battle at Elba and 12 Nov 1943 (I/FJR.2) the battle at Leros. The rest of the Division remained in reserve.

 

  -in October, the 2nd Parachute Division was deployed to the eastern front in Russia. By November 27th the division came under the command of the German 42nd Corps, west of Kiev, and joined the effort to stem the tide of the Soviet advance. The division fought a succession of intense battles before the advance was finally halted. On December 15 the division was airlifted south toward Kirovgrad to contain another Russian breakout. A German counter-attack then commenced against heavy opposition. By December 23rd the attack had been stymied and the Division returned to the defensive.

  -January 1944, the 2nd Parachute Division remained on the eastern front, fighting defensive actions against the Russian offensive around Kirovograd. The Russian advance resumed in March and the Division was forced into withdrawal by an armored flanking attack. By the end of the month the Division had withdrawn behind the Bug river.  The Division fought its last actions on the eastern front in May during a counterattack against a Russian bridgehead across the Dniestr river. At the end of May the much-weakened division was pulled from the line and returned to Germany for some much needed recuperation.

  -May of 1944 the depleted division moved to Koln-Wahn for a period of rest and rebuilding. In less than a month the Division moved again, this time to Normandy. The Division's journey from Germany to France was constantly hampered by Allied air attacks. There it was joined by the new FJR.6, how ever this was to be short lived. On D-Day the regiment again became independent. They finally arrived at their areas on the 19th/20th June, by which time the Allied beacheads had become firmly established and allied forces were moving into the Norman countryside. General Bernhard Hermann Ramcke, commander 2nd Parachute Division was ordered to concentrate his division around the Brittany port of Brest. This was an obvious objective for the Allies because of the need for decent harbour facilities.

  -The 2nd & 7th Regiments, both short of a Battalion each, took up positions around the port, ready to repel any allied assault. General Ramcke's garrison was being continually drained of manpower to support depleted units in Normandy. By mid August, American forces had completely surrounded Brest, part of the division still trapped outside the town had to fight their way back through the encirclement. The 1st Battalion, 2nd Regiment managed to escape from the surrounding forces. The Paras and the other German units defending the Brittany port had to endure endless bombing and artillery attacks by the Americans.

  -Meanwhile in Brest, the majority of the 2nd Division was mobilized to areas facing the allied advance. -Brest fell on 19 Sept 1944. The division surrendered except FJR.6 and I/FJR.2, which escaped the encirclement. The order for reformation was issued on 24 Sept 1944 and all remnants of the old division were united in Amersfoort, Holland. The new division was combat ready in early December 1944, with three new regiments: FJR.2, FJR.7, and FJR.23. The Division went into combat in January 1945. It ended the war in the Ruhr Pocket in April 1945.