The 1st Battalion, Border Regiment formed part of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF) in Europe from 1939-1940, under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Robert Horton Farrar. Originally part of the 4th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd Infantry Division, it was exchanged with the 1/8th Battalion, Lancashire Fusiliers and became part of the 125th Infantry Brigade of the 42nd (East Lancashire) Infantry Division. Following the Battle of France, it was evacuated from Dunkirk. After returning to the United Kingdom, the battalion was transferred to the mountain warfare trained 31st Independent Infantry Brigade. In October 1941, the brigade was selected to be converted to glider infantry, part of the British Army's newly-formed airborne forces, and became the 1st Glider Brigade, part of the 1st Airborne Division. In this role, the battalion went to North Africa in May 1943 and in July it took part in Operation Ladbroke, part of the Allied invasion of Sicily, in which the battalion suffered heavy casualties, with some gliders being cast off too early due to inexperienced pilots and, as a result, many men were drowned. The battalion, which had gone to Sicily with a strength of 796 officers and men, returned to North Africa with just 200. Due to the heavy casualties, the battalion did not participate in the Allied invasion of Italy and was sent to the United Kingdom. In September 1944, it fought in Operation Market Garden, a failed opening of an attempt to liberate the Netherlands and invade Germany before the end of 1944. The 1st Airborne Division was all but destroyed. The battalion did not see active service for the rest of the war.