When you see an Indian Army artillery officer in a maroon beret, he is most likely from an airborne artillery unit. There are also two airborne artillery units, 9 (Parachute) Field Regiment and 17 (Parachute) Field Regiment.
9 Parachute Field Regiment was raised in April 1943 at Kumbergaon, Pune, India, by Lt Col RA Eden as 9 Field Regiment of the Royal Indian Army. The unit was raised as a pure Madrasi unit and was converted to become the first Parachute Field Regiment in the Indian Army in November 1945.
17 Parachute Field Regiment was raised as the 8th Battalion, the 7th Rajput Regiment on 1 February 1941 at Fatehgarh by Major DW Dawson.
