In England the division went into a period of recruitment and training, concentrating on house-to-house street fighting in the bombed areas of Southampton and Birmingham.
The training programme culminated in Exercise Eve, an assault on the River Thames, which was intended to simulate the River Rhine in Germany.

By December 1944 the brigade was preparing for Christmas leave, when news of the German offensive in the Ardennes broke.
As part of the First Allied Airborne Army, 6th Airborne Division was available as a component of the strategic reserve for the Allied forces in northwest Europe.
The other two divisions available in reserve, the American 82nd and 101st Airborne, were already at Rheims in northern France, and the 6th Airborne was sent by sea to Belgium to assist the defence.
With 29 German and 33 Allied divisions involved, the Battle of the Bulge was the largest single battle on the Western Front during the war.
On Christmas Day the division moved up to take position in front of the spearhead of the German advance; by Boxing Day they had reached their allocated places in the defensive line between Dinant and Namur.
The 3rd Parachute Brigade were on the left, 5th Parachute Brigade on the right, and the 6th Airlanding Brigade in reserve.
By the time they arrived in position the German advance had faltered.

The 5th Parachute Brigade was ordered towards Grupont, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Rochefort, and on 3 January became involved in the division's only fighting in the Ardennes.
By 13:30 the 13th Parachute Battalion had covered 8 miles (13 km) and was in position to assault the village of Bure.
The battalion had been observed by the Germans, and was met with heavy fire as their attack started.
The battalion's 'A' Company made for the village, while 'B' Company attempted to secure the heights overlooking it. '
B' Company, faced with infantry supported by tanks and artillery, suffered heavy casualties, and was reduced to 21 men by nightfall.
By 17:00 'A' Company had secured around half the village, and were joined by 'C' Company.
Over the following day the Germans launched fifteen separate assaults to try to retake the village, but the battalion held out.
With reinforcements from 'C' Company of the 2nd Ox and Bucks, the remainder of the village was captured.
The battalion was then ordered to withdraw; the battle had cost them 68 dead and 121 wounded.
At the same time, the 7th Parachute Battalion was attacking the village of Wavreille, which was defended by around a hundred infantry with tank and artillery support.
The village was captured with minimal casualties.

Over the next days the German advance was halted and forced back, until at the end of January 1945, the brigade moved into the Netherlands.
Here the division was made responsible for the area along the River Maas, between Venlo and Roermond.
The brigade carried out patrols, on both sides of the river, against their opponents from the 7th Parachute Division.
Near the end of February the division returned to England to prepare for another airborne mission, to cross the River Rhine into Germany.
In England the division went into a period of recruitment and training, concentrating on house-to-house street fighting in the bombed areas of Southampton and Birmingham. The training programme culminated in Exercise Eve, an assault on the River Thames, which was intended to simulate the River Rhine in Germany.
By December 1944 the brigade was preparing for Christmas leave, when news of the German offensive in the Ardennes broke. As part of the First Allied Airborne Army, 6th Airborne Division was available as a component of the strategic reserve for the Allied forces in northwest Europe. The other two divisions available in reserve, the American 82nd and 101st Airborne, were already at Rheims in northern France, and the 6th Airborne was sent by sea to Belgium to assist the defence. With 29 German and 33 Allied divisions involved, the Battle of the Bulge was the largest single battle on the Western Front during the war. On Christmas Day the division moved up to take position in front of the spearhead of the German advance; by Boxing Day they had reached their allocated places in the defensive line between Dinant and Namur. The 3rd Parachute Brigade were on the left, 5th Parachute Brigade on the right, and the 6th Airlanding Brigade in reserve. By the time they arrived in position the German advance had faltered.
The 5th Parachute Brigade was ordered towards Grupont, 6 miles (9.7 km) south of Rochefort, and on 3 January became involved in the division's only fighting in the Ardennes. By 13:30 the 13th Parachute Battalion had covered 8 miles (13 km) and was in position to assault the village of Bure. The battalion had been observed by the Germans, and was met with heavy fire as their attack started. The battalion's 'A' Company made for the village, while 'B' Company attempted to secure the heights overlooking it. 'B' Company, faced with infantry supported by tanks and artillery, suffered heavy casualties, and was reduced to 21 men by nightfall. By 17:00 'A' Company had secured around half the village, and were joined by 'C' Company. Over the following day the Germans launched fifteen separate assaults to try to retake the village, but the battalion held out. With reinforcements from 'C' Company of the 2nd Ox and Bucks, the remainder of the village was captured. The battalion was then ordered to withdraw; the battle had cost them 68 dead and 121 wounded. At the same time, the 7th Parachute Battalion was attacking the village of Wavreille, which was defended by around a hundred infantry with tank and artillery support. The village was captured with minimal casualties.
Over the next days the German advance was halted and forced back, until at the end of January 1945, the brigade moved into the Netherlands. Here the division was made responsible for the area along the River Maas, between Venlo and Roermond. The brigade carried out patrols, on both sides of the river, against their opponents from the 7th Parachute Division. Near the end of February the division returned to England to prepare for another airborne mission, to cross the River Rhine into Germany.
5th Parachute Brigade (United Kingdom)