In August 1944, during the final stages of the Battle of Normandy, along with the rest of the 6th Airborne Division, the brigade took part in the advance to the River Seine.

Withdrawn to England in September, the brigade, with the rest of the division, returned to mainland Europe in December to counter the German Army's surprise offensive in the Ardennes, better known as the Battle of the Bulge.

Impressed by the success of German airborne operations during the Battle of France, the British Prime Minister, Winston Churchill, directed the War Office to investigate the possibility of creating a force of 5,000 parachute troops.

[9] The success of the first British airborne raid, Operation Colossus, prompted the War Office to expand the airborne force through the creation of the Parachute Regiment, and to develop plans to convert several infantry battalions into parachute and glider infantry battalions.

Military exercises included capturing and holding airborne bridgeheads, road or rail bridges and coastal fortifications.

This was a three-day exercise in the counties of Gloucestershire, Oxfordshire and Wiltshire, during which the entire 6th Airborne Division was landed by air.

[28] One of the first Allied units to land in Normandy was 'D' Company of the 2nd Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, commanded by Major John Howard.

The company, attached to the 5th Parachute Brigade, captured the Caen canal and Orne river bridges via a coup de main assault.

[29] Almost 21 hours later the 6th Airlanding Brigade's main air assault on Normandy, Operation Mallard, began.

Given the limited availability of aircraft, the remainder of the Devons battalion and the divisional troops were transported by sea, arriving at Sword Beach on 7 June.

[15] The brigade headquarters and 1st RUR landed at LZ-N.[32] LZ-N was still within range of the German defenders, and the disembarking troops were subjected to light machine gun and mortar fire.

[33] At 22:30 Brigadier Kindersley briefed the two battalion COs ordering the 2nd OBLI to capture the village of Escoville 3 miles (4.8 km) to the south of Ranville, and the 1st RUR to capture Longueval, 2.5 miles (4.0 km) south-west of the Le Bas de Ranville, and Sainte-Honorine.

The battle cost them 87 casualties, including the CO.[35] It was not until 09:00 that the 1st RUR were in position to carry out a left flanking attack on Longuerval.

When between the two villages, the battalion was engaged by German mortar, artillery and assault gun fire, and suffered several casualties.

Two companies managed to reach Sainte-Honorine, but with no artillery fire support of their own, and out of radio contact with their battalion headquarters, they were forced to withdraw back to Longueval.

[36] Around the same time, the 12th Devons had arrived in the divisional area from the landing beaches and were ordered to take over the defence of the Bas de Ranville from the 12th Parachute Battalion.

[37] Because they were positioned behind the brigade front line, they were not directly attacked, but from 11:00 to 18:30 on 8 June they were subjected to a constant artillery bombardment.

At 18:30 the battalion was attacked by Messerschmitt Bf 109 aircraft and at 19:00 the whole brigade's position was bombarded by German artillery and mortar fire.

[41] On 7 August the 6th Airborne division was ordered to prepare to move over to the offensive, with its objective being the mouth of the River Seine.

[43] The 6th Airlanding Brigade advance started on 17 August along two axes, with the 12th Devons on the left, the 2nd OBLI on the right, and the 1st RUR in reserve.

[43] At Longuemare the 12th Devons had to fight through the German rearguard, and the 1st RUR took over the advance on the left and reached Cabourg without meeting any further resistance.

[50] In nine days of fighting the 6th Airborne Division had advanced 45 miles (72 km),[51] despite, as the divisional commander, Major-General Richard Nelson Gale put it, his infantry units being "quite inadequately equipped for a rapid pursuit".

[57] Over the next days the German advance was halted and forced back, until at the end of January 1945, the brigade crossed into the Netherlands.

Near the end of February the division returned to England to prepare for another airborne mission, to cross the River Rhine into Germany.

[58] Whereas all other Allied airborne landings had been a surprise for the Germans, the Rhine crossing was expected, and their defences were reinforced in anticipation.

[66] The 12th Devons landed amongst a German armoured formation, but managed to gather enough men together to begin their attack on Hamminkeln at 11:35, and had secured the town by 12:00.

At 05:30 German armour was detected approaching and the brigade called in close air support from RAF Typhoon fighter bombers, which destroyed several tanks.

[74] Later that day the brigade reached Wismar on the Baltic Sea, and remained there until 7 May when news was received of the German surrender.

[79] The first incident in the brigade area was on 31 October, when parties of armed Jews planted explosives on rail lines, which killed four and wounded eight when they exploded.

[80] Following attacks on coastguard stations, believed to be by members of the Palmach, over the night of 24/25 November, the brigade carried out two operations to search settlements for those responsible.