Histoire · 23 August 2022
Early in September, 1943, the 21st Independent Parachute Company landed with 1st Airborne Division in Italy with the objective of capturing the port of Taranto and securing a perimeter around the port. We were taken by vessels of the Royal Navy from Bizerta in Tunisia - and were treated like royalty whilst on board the cruiser, HMS Aurora- to Taranto, where we met little opposition to our landing on 9th September. Unfortunately, however, HMS Abdiel, carrying the 6th Parachute Battalion and most...
Veterans · 03 August 2022
Michael COMPTON was born in HAMBURG, on May 07, 1921, under the birth name of David HOFFMANN. German of Jewish religion, they will quickly be under pressure from the Nazi regime, which grew up in Germany in the 1930s. His parents decide to leave Germany and go to England. These German Jews will be numerous to follow this same path, they are known in the United Kingdom under the nickname "ALIEN", which is the name of a parliamentary act created to control this mass Jewish immigration at the...
Veterans · 23 April 2020
Charles Hilary Vaughan PRITCHARD was born 29th November 1905 in London. He was the son of Lt.-Col. Charles Hamerton Pritchard. . He was educated at Cambridge, before joining the royal Welsh Fuliers in 1927. After some various assignements, he became Adjutant of the 53rd Welsh Infantry Division. In August 1942 he was commanding the 10th Battalion The Royal Welsh Fusiliers when it was converted as an airborne unit and became the 6th Royal Welsh Parachute Battalion. In May 43, he let the 6th Para...
Veterans · 17 December 2019
John Henry De Beer, a South African seconded to the British Army, joined the Ist Indep Para Platoon, the pathfinder unit of 2nd Indep Para Bde in Italy in the beginning of 1945 as one of its last batch of reinforcements. When the Platoon disbanded in UK in the late summer of 1945, he joined its parent unit, 21st Indep Para Coy, with which he served in Palestine until his secondment ceased on 29 Dec 45. He was released from service with South African forces on Ist May 46. It is not known which...
Veterans · 17 December 2019
Dumbo, a nickname he acquired during parachute training and by which he was universally known (or “Cowboy”) was born on 29" January, 1918, in York and was educated at Cranleigh College. He was orphaned in 1931 and three years later at the age of 16 years he emigrated to Australia, where he spent an adventurous and tough five years, working hard as a drover (cowboy), Rodeo performer, horse-breaker and you name it what else. When war broke out in 1939 he returned to England and, after being...
Veterans · 07 August 2019
Glynne George MEDLICOTT, né le 20 Septembre 1922, à Church Stretton (UK). Avant la guerre , il occupe un poste de boucher dans son petit village. Il s'engage le 20 septembre 1941 , le jour de ses 19 ans , à Shrewsbury. Tout d'abord incorporé au Royal Berkshire Regiment, il rejoint les parachutistes au debut de l'année 1943 à Larkhill, et est incorporé au 21st Independent Parachute Company, les éclaireurs. Il sera breveté instructeur armes de poing et conducteur poid lourd , et servira...
Histoire · 15 June 2018
Roster of the 1st Independent pathfinder platoon for operation dragoon August 15, 1944
In Memoriam · 18 October 2017
MORLEY Eric Arthur Rank : Private Service number : 6299827 Regiment : 1st Independent Pathfinder Platoon Date of death : August 15, 1944 Note : As a pathfinder for the 2nd Independent Para Brigade, Eric "Terry" Morley is the first casualty of the operation dragoon. His parachute did not devellop during the jump. Some thought that the strope had been eaten through by acid spilled from the battery of the Eureka Beacon. But his officer, the Captain Peter BAKER does not think this is so, for him...