The 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division was formed around Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 2 from Fallschirmjäger-Brigade Ramcke in February 1943 and was sent to Nîmes, France, as a reserve force. It was sent to Italy following the Allied landings and took part in the occupation of Rome on 9 September.
Elements of the division made an airborne assault on the island of Elba to capture the Italian garrison on 17 September and they also took part in the recapture of the island Leros from the British forces on 12 November.
It was transferred to the Eastern front in late November with parts of it (I./FJR.2, II./FJR.6 and I./Luftlande-Sturm-Regiment 1) remaining in Italy to form 4. Fallschirmjäger-Division.
In May 1944 it was transferred to Germany for refitting, it was soon sent to Normandy were it was mainly used as a reserve force. It took part in the defense of Brest August to September 1944 and was captured when that city fell.

Jedburgh-Team Giles (an Allied special forces team commanded by Captain B. M. Knox) reported that a "considerable number" of POWs from this division were killed by French partisans in the Finistère area of France in early August 1944 in retaliation for killings by the German forces. (1)

It was reformed in November 1944 in the Netherlands and fought against the western Allies before ending the war in the Ruhr pocket.
In the final part of the war a large number of Hitler Youth members were assigned to the Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 7 in Essen.

Commanders

General der Fallschirmtruppe Bernhard Ramcke (13 Feb 1943 - 8 Sep 1943)
Oberstleutnant Kurt Meder-Eggebert (8 Sep 1943 - 13 Sep 1943)
Generalmajor Walter Barenthin (13 Sep 1943 - 14 Nov 1943)
Generalleutnant Gustav Wilke (14 Nov 1943 - 17 Mar 1944)
Generalmajor Hans Kroh (17 Mar 1944 - 1 June 1944)
General der Fallschirmtruppen Bernhard Ramcke (1 June 1944 - 18 Nov 1944)
Generalmajor Hans Kroh (18 Nov 1944 - 18 Sep 1944)
Generalleutnant Walter Lackner (15 Nov 1944 - ? Apr 1945)

Area of operations

France (Feb 1943 - June 1943)
Italy (June 1943 - Nov 1943)
Eastern front, central sector (Nov 1943 - May 1944)
Germany (May 1944)
France (May 1944 - Sep 1944)
Netherlands & Germany (Oct 1944 - Apr 1945)

Nicknames

Grüne Teufel (Green Devils)

Order of battle

Staff
- Staff
- Staff Company
- Bicycle Reconnaissance Company
- Military Police Troop (mot)
2. Fallschirmjäger Regiment
- Staff
- Signals Platoon
- Bicycle Reconnaissance Company
- 3 x Battalion
-- Staff
-- Signals Platoon
-- 3 x Company
-- Heavy Company
- Mortar Company
- Infantry Gun Company
7. Fallschirmjäger Regiment
- Staff
- Signals Platoon
- Bicycle Reconnaissance Company
- 3 x Battalion
-- Staff
-- Signals Platoon
-- 3 x Company
-- Heavy Company
- Mortar Company
- Infantry Gun Company
- Pioneer Company
I / 2. Artillery Regiment
- Staff Battery
- Radio Platoon
- 3 x Battery
- Light Supply Column (mot)
2. Fallschirmjäger Panzerjäger Battalion
- Staff
- Radio Platoon
- 3 x Battery
2. Fallschirmjäger Pioneer Battalion
- 4 x Company
2. Fallschirmjäger Signals Battalion
- Signals Company (mot)
- Radio Company (mot)
- Light Supply Column (mot)
Supply Troops

Notable members

Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Holder of the Knight's Cross with Oak Leaves, Swords and Diamonds)

Insignia

The "Fallschirm-Jäger Rgt. 2" cuff title was authorized for Fallschirm-Jäger-Regiment 2.

Soldiers of 2. Fallschirmjäger-Division in Rome during Fall Achse

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

A memorial of the division in an Italian cemetary 1942

(Courtesy of Bundesarchiv/Wikimedia, licensed under Creative Commons Attribution ShareAlike 3.0 Germany)

Footnotes

1. "Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg?: Kriegführung und Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44" by Peter Lieb.

Sources used

Chris Ellis - 7th Flieger Division: Student's Fallschirmjäger Elite
Hans Holzträger - In a Raging Inferno : Combat Units of the Hitler Youth 1944-45
Peter Lieb - Konventioneller Krieg oder NS-Weltanschauungskrieg?: Kriegführung und Partisanenbekämpfung in Frankreich 1943/44
James Lucas - Storming Eagles: German Airborne forces in World War II
Unit insignia illustration courtesy of Wikimedia

Reference material on this unit

Volker Griesser - Die Löwen von Carentan: Das Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 1943-45
Willi Kammann - Der Weg der 2. Fallschirmjägerdivision
Willi Kammann - Die Geschichte des Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 2 1939 bis 1945