the 6th Division landing in the area around Bergen and Hamminkeln. As in Normandy the two parachute brigades would land first followed by the airlanding brigade. The gliders carrying the 195th started crossing the River Rhine from 10:30; in the face of prepared German defences the airlanding brigade suffered forty per cent casualties in the landings. The following afternoon the troops involved in the assault river crossing the 15th (Scottish) Infantry Division linked up with the airborne troops, who by then had taken almost 3,000 casualties. On 26 March the 195th followed up the divisions advance into Germany, passing through Rhade, Limbeck and reached Coesfeld on 30 March. Reaching the River Weser the 195th established their MDS at Petershagen, they did not remain here long with the speed of the divisions advance, they were soon at the River Elbe. At Wismar the 195th set up a refugee reception centre, and started treating German civilians and refugees fleeing west from the advancing Russians. Here they remained until the end of the war. Palestine At the end of May the division was withdrawn to England, it had been intended for them to go to the Far East for operations against the Japanese Empire. The dropping of the atomic bombs changed the War Office plans and instead the division was sent to Palestine as the Imperial Strategic reserve. On their arrival in Palestine the 6th Airlanding Brigade was concentrated in the Gaza area while they acclimatised to the conditions. When the division deployed at the end of October the 195th moved to the Samaria district. On 15 April 1946, 6th Airlanding Brigade left the division and was renumbered the 31st Independent Infantry Brigade. However the 195th remained with the 6th Airborne Division, and retained as a parachute unit being renamed the 195th (Parachute) Field Ambulance. On 31 October the 195th suffered its first casualties, when two men were killed by a mine exploding under their vehicle. In January 1947 the division relocated to the north of Palestine and the 195th moved to the Galilee sector. In 1948 the British mandate in Palestine ended. At the same time it was decided to disband the division and all its units. Leaving in small groups the last men of the 195th left Palestine in March 1948. Notes References Military units and formations established in 1943 Military units and formations disestablished in 1948 Airborne units of the