The 17th Airborne Division was an    of the  during  It was officially activated as an airborne division in April 1943 but was not immediately sent to a , remaining in the  to complete its training. During this training process, the division took part in several training exercises, including the Knollwood Maneuver, in which it played a vital part in ensuring that the airborne division remained as a military formation in the U.S. Army. As such it did not take part in the first two large-scale airborne operations conducted by the ,  and , transferring to Britain only after the end of .