12th Parachute Battalion (Yorkshire Reg)

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by kingarthur, Sep 4, 2010.

  1. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    The Life and Death of "BASH ON" Weekly.
     

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  2. geoff501

    geoff501 Achtung Feind hört mit

    .
     

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  3. Jungly

    Jungly Member

    I just recently read the book Para Memories. It was available from my local public library. It was an excellent read. My uncle was with that battalion and was killed on June 7th.
     
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  4. Helen Ingham

    Helen Ingham Member

    Hi,
    The information from ancestry comes from my account. Lance Serjeant Angus Angus was my great uncle. I travelled over to Normandy in 1999 for the 55th Anniversary of D-Day with a group of 12th veterans including Billy Ness. I also have other documents pertaining to the 12th which I got on a visit to the Parachute Regiment archive at Duxford.

    Regards,
    Helen
     
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  5. PD Paul Davis

    PD Paul Davis Member

    I have my own copy of Para Memories. Given to me by my Grandad Cpl C D Weightman 12 Para MG Pl. He died in 2001 aged 81.
     

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  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Welcome Paul,

    That's a really nice gift from your Grandad and a fine memory of him as well. Just to let others know Cpl C D Weightman is the man to the extreme left in group photo. If you are interested in the location it can be seen in a post here.

    Regards
     
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  7. PD Paul Davis

    PD Paul Davis Member

    Thanks Cee, Didn't know the location or the name of the photographer, great bit of info. Incidentally you mention canned goods.. it's peaches! Grandad said they tasted great! He was dropped by an Aussie crew from a Stirling. They introduced themselves to the stick before the flight, saying they'd never dropped Paras before!! No surprise then that he landed in France some 12 miles from where he was supposed to be. He has no putees as he had badly twisted his ankle on landing in a flooded field up to his chest in water. I jumped into Normandy on the 50th Anniversary and was lucky enough to be included in a battlefield study which included Ranville, Peggy bridge all told by veterans who were there. Merville battery by no less than Lt Col Ottway himself. Still one of the greatest things I did in my till now 30 years service.
     
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  8. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Paul,

    I imagine those guys had a few interesting adventures on their travels back to Battalion. Sadly many of those who were dropped astray on June 6th were either killed or taken prisoner. What a wonderful experience it must have been for you to jump on the 50th Anniversary into Normandy!

    Para Memories - MG Platoon.jpg

    Regards ...
     
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  9. PD Paul Davis

    PD Paul Davis Member

    What you'd call proper heroes. Yes was brilliant. Great to have followed him into our Regt. I was very proud of him. The pic is of the old bridge 1994 (Just replaced at that time with a new one) I'm 2nd from the left.
     

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  10. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Paul,

    You chaps look like you were all fit as a fiddle back then ... :)

    So others can follow along here are the Paradata entries for both you and your Grandad

    https://www.paradata.org.uk/people/paul-davis
    https://www.paradata.org.uk/people/cyril-d-weightman

    From the info provided Cpl Weightman was with the MMG Platoon. In the Operation Orders for the 12th Battalion there are a few charts showing the chalk numbers assigned to the various Battalion sub-units. It's a bit tricky to sort but it appears the MMG Platoon were carried in four Stirlings, CNs 199-202. Interspersed in both the Mortar and MMG Platoon aircraft were detachments of the Anti-Tank Platoon.

    12-para-op-order-(1)_007.jpg 12-para-op-order-(1)_008.jpg 12-para-op-order-(1)_009.jpg 12-para-op-order-(1)_010.jpg

    The four pilots listed for chalk numbers 199-202 (from another list) are in order - F/O. Shierer, W/O. Brown, F/S. Hotz, P/O. Sanders, all of whom were with 299 Squadron RAF. Checking on the Australian War Memorial site the only pilot that came up among the four was F/S Hotz .

    3996296-C. F. Hotz.jpg

    The only problem is Warrant Officer C. F. Hotz is said to be with 196 Squadron RAF which was the other squadron that carried 12 Para troops to Normandy early D-Day morn. Pilot Hotz is, however, shown to be with 299 Squadron for Arnhem where he and his crew (all named) made 4 flights. So I would say there is a good possibility that Cpl Weightman's stick flew from the Keevil Airfield on Chalk 201 as piloted by W/O Hotz.

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Jun 27, 2019
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  11. PD Paul Davis

    PD Paul Davis Member

    I knew he flew from Keevil. We converted from the PX mk4 to the LLP there sometime in the 90s.. single sticks of 10. I was in the 1st stick.. I think we jumped from starboard side of a/c. My stick one jettisoned his container accidentally and one landed with his container still attached smashing his face badly. A stick or two later we had a HUPRA! The soldier concerned was towed by the a/c for some 7 mins before release! Despite efforts to encourage him he never jumped again. Great info which I will pass on to my family. Many thanks.
     
  12. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Paul,

    It's not 100% but that's as close as I can get to identifying the specific chalk number, it could change. There was another Aussie as well on Hotz's crew - F/Sgt. F.G. Scott AUS.417897. In the book your Grandad does mention hearing the skipper speak and could have detected the Australian accent. As for the other three pilots in the group I couldn't pick much up on them. I should note, however, that the pilot for CN 200, W/O. Brown, was a New Zealander (W/O A.G. Brown NZ.415058). There were no other non-U.K. men on his crew.

    A hang-up must be a totally harrowing experience. It's interesting that you should mention that as apparently there was one on your Grandad's stick drop if he was indeed on CN 201. Under remarks there is the comment, "1 Troop brought back, who became entangled in tail strop guard retrieved by crew". You would think such a dramatic event would be noted elsewhere, but I couldn't find anything further?

    Regards ...
     
  13. Jungly

    Jungly Member

    Does anyone know how many gliders were assigned to the 12th Battalion on D-Day? I hadn't thought about it until recently, but I was told that some of the lads, Support Company I guess with their anti-tank gear, landed in gliders. It makes sense, but can anyone corroborate this? Thanks.
     
  14. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi Jungly,

    I assume you mean the Anti-Tank Platoon (Piat)? In the above documents it claims there were Piat detachments on aircraft carrying the MMG and Mortar Platoons. In the other column, however, the number only adds up to 10 men. Otherwise I couldn't find any evidence that 12 Para men went in by glider. Of course I could be missing something?

    Regards ...
     
  15. PD Paul Davis

    PD Paul Davis Member

    Further to my previous comments. I met a WW2 Para veteran yesterday by the name of John Wileman. To my great surprise it turns out he was 12 Para and an original 10 Green Howard's soldier. His short term memory isn't great but he said he recognised my Grandad and I left him some photos which he thanked me for. His hearing isn't great and likewise as I said his memory isn't either. If anyone could shine any light on this gentleman and his career it would be great for me to present him with it. Thanks in advance Paul.
     
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  16. D Moore

    D Moore Active Member

    Hi I'm a new member
    My dad was para trained at Hardwick hall
    Was in the 12th Yorkshire parachute BATTALION dropped into ranville on d-day.
    I'm desperately looking for more info
    And definitely more photos
    I have one of part of the BATTALION I got from para data with dad sat at the front cross legged it was taken on February 1944 he would be 24yrs of age then
     

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  17. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Hi.
    That’s a Company size that photo, do you know what Company within the battalion he was in?

    Alex.
     
  18. D Moore

    D Moore Active Member

    No unfortunately not
    Just knew he was in the 12th Yorkshire parachute Batt.
    When he dropped kn d-day
    He was attached to the 5th brigade 6th airborne as most of them was,
    Got his army papers but still carnt find what company he was in.
    I have seen on para data a picture of the full BATTALION and I can pick him out in that one too.
     
  19. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi D Moore,

    Sorry I can't add much. The Pegasus Archive here claims it's a photo of the 12th Parachute Battalion NCOs. The odd thing about that photo is there are sections of men to the right and left of centre that are missing. The CO seated centre with stick is Colonel Reginald Parker. Prior to D-Day he was appointed Deputy Commander of the 6th Airlanding Brigade. Lt-Col A.P. Johnson seated 4th from Parker's right (by your photo) took his place as CO until he was killed at the opening of the Battle for Breville. Most of the men on ground to the front appear to be Corporals.

    Regards ...
     
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  20. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    What was his name and rank? Did you say you had his service record?
     
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